CATO Institute

Extracted Attributes

• Founded

  1977

• Founders

  Ed Crane, Murray Rothbard, Charles Koch

• Ideology

  Libertarianism, Free-market capitalism

• Named After

  Cato's Letters

• Headquarters

  1000 Massachusetts Avenue Northwest, Washington, District of Columbia, 20001, United States

• 2019 US Ranking

  13th in Top Think Tanks in the United States (Global Go To Think Tank Index)

• Founding Location

  San Francisco, California, United States

• Organization Type

  Think tank / 501(c)(3) nonprofit research organization

• President and CEO

  Peter Goettler

• 2019 Global Ranking

  20th in Top Think Tanks Worldwide (Global Go To Think Tank Index)

Timeline

• Cato Institute is founded in San Francisco, California by Ed Crane, Murray Rothbard, and Charles Koch. (Source: Wikipedia)

  1977-01-01

• Cato Institute begins publishing Policy Analysis studies. (Source: Wikipedia)

  1980-01-01

• Cato Institute launches the Cato Journal. (Source: Wikipedia)

  1981-01-01

• Cato Institute relocates its headquarters from San Francisco to Washington, D.C. (Source: Ballotpedia)

  1982-01-01

• Cato Institute acquires Regulation magazine. (Source: Wikipedia)

  1990-01-01

• Cato Institute is ranked 20th worldwide and 13th in the United States in the Global Go To Think Tank Index Report. (Source: Wikipedia)

  2019-01-01

Cato Institute

The Cato Institute is an American libertarian think tank headquartered in Washington, D.C. It was founded in 1977 by Ed Crane, Murray Rothbard, and Charles Koch, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Koch Industries. Cato was established to focus on public advocacy, media exposure, and societal influence. Cato advocates for a limited governmental role in domestic and foreign affairs and strong protection of civil liberties, including support for lowering or abolishing most taxes, opposition to the Federal Reserve system and the Affordable Care Act, the privatization of numerous government agencies and programs including Social Security and the United States Postal Service, demilitarization of the police, open borders and adhering to a non-interventionist foreign policy. According to the 2019 Global Go to Think Tank Index Report (revised June 2020, Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program, University of Pennsylvania), Cato was number 20 in the "Top Think Tanks Worldwide" and number 13 in the "Top Think Tanks in the United States".

Web Search Results

• Cato Institute - Wikipedia

  The Cato Institute is an American libertarian think tank headquartered in Washington, D.C. It was founded in 1977 by Ed Crane "Ed Crane (political activist)"), Murray Rothbard, and Charles Koch, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Koch Industries. Cato was established to focus on public advocacy, media exposure, and societal influence. [...] American libertarian think tank For other uses, see Cato (disambiguation) "Cato (disambiguation)"). Cato Institute [...] ### Publications [edit] The Cato Institute publishes policy studies, briefing papers, periodicals, and books. Journals and periodicals include Cato Journal (since 1981), Regulation "Regulation (magazine)") magazine (acquired in 1990), Cato's Letter, Cato Supreme Court Review, Cato Policy Report, Cato published Inquiry Magazine "Inquiry (magazine)") from 1977 to 1982 (before transferring it to the Libertarian Review Foundation) Literature of Liberty (from 1978 to 1979 before transferring it to the Institute for Humane Studies, which ended its publication in 1982). It also publishes Policy Analysis since 1980. It also publishes a magazine named Free Society.

• The Cato Institute | Politics and Government | Research Starters | EBSCO Research

  RESEARCH STARTER # The Cato Institute The Cato Institute is a prominent libertarian think tank based in Washington, D.C., founded in 1974 with the aim of promoting libertarian values in American public policy. The organization primarily advocates for the principles of free market capitalism, often seeking to diminish or eliminate federal regulations spanning labor laws, environmental protections, and antitrust legislation. Despite its conservative leanings in many areas, the Cato Institute has also engaged with left-wing movements, notably advocating for the decriminalization of drugs and calling for reforms in policing practices, including the end of qualified immunity for officers. [...] ## Full Article The Cato Institute is a libertarian think tank and political organization. It receives most of its funding from conservative groups but also from several left-wing organizations. The Cato Institute most often advocates for the advancement of conservative political policy. This includes the removal of labor laws and environmental regulations, as well as the end of antitrust laws and other restrictions on the free market. However, the Cato Institute has also embraced several prominent left-wing political movements, such as the end of federal drug prohibition and the demilitarization of American police forces. ### Background [...] 3 of 3 ## Full Article The Cato Institute is a libertarian think tank and political organization. It receives most of its funding from conservative groups but also from several left-wing organizations. The Cato Institute most often advocates for the advancement of conservative political policy. This includes the removal of labor laws and environmental regulations, as well as the end of antitrust laws and other restrictions on the free market. However, the Cato Institute has also embraced several prominent left-wing political movements, such as the end of federal drug prohibition and the demilitarization of American police forces. ### Background

• Cato Institute on JSTOR

  The Cato Institute is a public policy research organization — a think tank — dedicated to the principles of individual liberty, limited government, free

• Cato Institute - Ballotpedia

  Cato.png The Cato Institute is a 501(c)(3)(3) "501(c)(3)") nonprofit organization located in Washington D.C. As of December 2025, its website stated: "The Cato Institute is an assiduously nonpartisan and independent public policy research organization—or think tank—that creates a presence for and promotes libertarian ideas in policy debates." The Cato Institute's areas of focus included law and the constitution, economics, international relations, and politics and society. ## Contents ## Background As of December 2025, the Cato Institute's mission was to "keep the principles, ideas, and moral case for liberty alive for future generations while moving public policy in the direction of individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and peace." [...] The Cato Institute was founded in San Francisco, California in 1977 by Ed Crane, Charles G. Koch, and economist Murray Rothbard. In 1982, the Cato Institute moved to Washington, D.C. According to David Boaz, then-executive vice president, "Cato was named for Cato’s Letters, a series of newspaper essays written in the 1720s. Why that name? Because John Trenchard and Thomas Gordon, who wrote under the pen name Cato after the defender of the Roman republic who refused to submit to Julius Caesar, took the ideas of great thinkers such as John Locke and Algernon Sidney and applied them to the controversies of the day. And that has always been the approach of the Cato Institute: to apply the great principles of liberty to policy and current affairs." ## Leadership [...] ## Leadership As of December 2025, the following individuals held leadership positions at the Cato Institute: ## Work and activities The Cato Institute is a nonpartisan organization, with a focus, according to its site, on advocating for individual liberty. It is not affiliated with the Libertarian Party. In its 2024 annual report, President and CEO Peter Goettler wrote, "Thanks to your support, the Institute remains a powerful and independent force in the battle of ideas. Rather than picking sides, we elevate the debate. Rather than chasing headlines, we seek to shape them. Whether in Congress, on campus, in schools, or in the courts, Cato’s scholars are defending freedom where it matters most: economic liberty, free speech, personal autonomy, limited government, and peace."

• About the Cato Institute

  The vision of the Cato Institute is a free and open society in which liberty allows every individual to pursue a life of prosperity and meaning in peace. ## About Cato Image 5: Cato Eagle For more than 40 years, Cato has led the charge for liberty in our nation and around the world. The Cato Institute is an assiduously nonpartisan and independent public policy research organization—or think tank—that creates a presence for and promotes libertarian ideas in policy debates. Our mission is to keep the principles, ideas, and moral case for liberty alive for future generations, while moving public policy in the direction of individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and peace. [...] ## What We Do Since 1977, the Cato Institute has been one of the most effective voices in Washington,DC, advocating individual liberty. From media appearances in major outlets, conferences, and book publishing to top-quality research and engagement on Capitol Hill and with key agencies, Cato has successfully injected the libertarian perspective into mainstream policy debates in Washington,DC, and across the country. In the Media Research Publications Social Media Student Programs Events ### In the Media [...] International Defense and Foreign Policy Global Freedom Immigration Trade Policy Politics and Society Education Government and Politics Health Care Public Opinion Social Welfare and Poverty Technology and Privacy []( Live Now # About About Mission, Vision, and Principles Leadership Public Affairs Financials, Funding, and Independence Annual Reports Congressional Fellowship Program Educational Programs Careers The vision of the Cato Institute is a free and open society in which liberty allows every individual to pursue a life of prosperity and meaning in peace. Image 4: Cato Headquarters - Washington DC Building at Night