Heartland Institute

About Heartland Institute

The Heartland Institute is a politcally conservative, free market-oriented public policy think tank based in Chicago, Illinois. It was founded in 1984, and is designated as a 501(c)(3)non-profit by the Internal Revenue Service. Contributions from individuals, foundations, and corporations make up the bulk of its funding.

The Heartland Institute's research and advocacy cover a variety of issues including government spending, taxation, healthcare, tobacco policy, global warming, and free-market environmentalism. In its early years, it focused on policies relevant to the Midwestern United States; in recent years, it has begun to address nationally significant policy areas. In addition to research, the Heartland Institute features an Internet application called PolicyBot which serves as a clearinghouse for research from other conservative think tanks such as the Heritage Foundation, the American Legislative Exchange Council, and the Cato Institute. The Institute's president and CEO is Joseph L. Bast.

The Heartland Institute publishes five monthly public policy newspapers primarily aimed at state legislators. These include: Budget and Tax News, which advocates lower taxes and balanced budgets for states and the federal government; School Reform News, which calls for greater competition and school choice; Environment & Climate News, which focuses on "market-based environmental protection"; Health Care News, devoted to consumer-driven health care reform; and Info Tech and Telecom News, which features research and commentary from similarly aligned think tanks such as the Cato Institute, the Heritage Foundation, the Progress & Freedom Foundation, and the Reason Foundation. The five monthly publications have a circulation total of over 200,000.[citation needed]