About

Our Mission

The mission of Mountain States Policy Center is to empower people to succeed through non-partisan, comprehensive, fact-based research that promotes free enterprise, limited government, and individual liberty — putting free markets first.

Our Vision and Principles

MSPC is the first multi-state think tank focused on educating and influencing policymakers, trade groups, media, and citizens in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and Washington. We believe free markets and limited government unleash prosperity and opportunity throughout the Mountain West and the nation.

We build trust by focusing on policies, not personalities, and by adhering to strict research standards in everything we publish.

We advance our core principles through policy-focused research and outreach:

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Transparency

Government should be transparent, limited, and focused on core functions

Competition

•Competition and freedom of choice improve outcomes

Property Rights

Private property rights are paramount in a free society

Supply & Demand

Prices of goods and services should reflect supply and demand

Incentives

Policymakers should prioritize incentives over mandates

Limited Regulations

Regulations should be practical, predictable, and limited

Freedom of Speech

Freedom of speech and the marketplace of ideas should never be curtailed

Self Reliance

Personal responsibility and self-reliance are essential to a functioning society

Our History

Mountain States Policy Center was founded as a 501c3 non-profit organization in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho in 2022. Recognizing the need for a research-based free market think tank throughout the region, MSPC launched with promise and praise. Indeed, no state think tank has ever grown so fast, so quickly.

Drawing from top policy experts and leaders from across the region, MSPC championed commonsense policy solutions in the public square while making the case for a dynamic and innovation-driven market economy to the public as a whole. In just its second full year, MSPC surpassed $1 million in yearly contributions - making the organization the largest think tank in the region, and larger than many think tanks that have been around for much longer. The organization has prospects for even further growth in the coming years.

MSPC has enjoyed this outpouring of support because it provides three key things that are urgently needed across the region:

Leadership: While much of the region’s political establishment is consumed with political in-fighting and operates as though the political landscape will never change, we are under no such delusions. We recognize the time for action is now, and we must work with a sense of urgency to lock in policies that advance freedom and opportunity for generations to come.

Expertise: MSPC’s leadership is drawn from some of the nation’s foremost think tanks, bringing decades of experience to bear in understanding and communicating policy solutions that advance freedom and opportunity. In a region that is short on such expertise—in fact, legislatures in states like Idaho do not have fulltime policy staff at all— MSPC is poised to have an out-sized impact.

Strategy: Because MSPC is a permanent organization and does not face the pressure to stand for election every two to four years, we have the independence and the staying power to cast a bold vision for what’s possible in the policy arena, and work over multiple cycles to bring it into reality.

MSPC has a winning team, and proven formulas for advancing opportunity and prosperity for all. As we build our organization and raise our profile to meet the needs of a changing region—one that embodies many of the trends that will shape the future of our entire country—we now seek to broaden and deepen our work.

Core Programs and Events

MSPC works to educate every level and every age group in society about the importance and effectiveness of free-market ideas and policy solutions. Our events are considered can’t-miss by policymakers, business leaders and citizens across the region.

Gala Dinners: Our gala, annual dinners in Coeur d’Alene, Billings and Boise are the premier events of their kind. Regularly featuring the nation’s top newsmakers, the dinners collectively attract more than 1,500 attendees and are a celebration of free markets.

Policy Outreach: MSPC equips key decision-makers in the policy arena to make effective decisions that advance freedom, free enterprise, and prosperity. We do this through dedicated outreach, policy receptions, briefings for elected officials and their staff, reporters and working members of the news media, and other key decision makers. MSPC also will do this through by producing an all-new Mountain States Policy Manual that will serve as a comprehensive resource providing facts, figures, and policy on virtually every key issue facing the region, including topics like agriculture, budget, taxes, technology, education, and more. Akin to the Heritage Foundation’s “Mandate for Leadership” guides, this policy manual will offer any policymaker of any political persuasion a go-to resource for navigating key issues facing the Mountain West rooted in proven free-market ideas.

The Public: Now more than ever, free-market ideas need to be communicated effectively in the marketplace of ideas. With growing public hostility to big business and tech innovation, we must be creative and find ways to communicate ideas to the public.

Young Leaders: Reaching today’s policymakers and the everyday citizens who hold them accountable is crucial, but not sufficient. We must also work a generation ahead to ensure that the Rocky Mountain States have the leadership needed to advance freedom and prosperity for all. For that reason, MSPC has launched the Sawtooth Leadership Academy in 2024. Through the Sawtooth Leadership Academy, MSPC trains high school and college students in civility, civic involvement, and the power of the free market. The program establishes our future free market leaders.

Children and Families: As we reach out to young leaders who are taking sides in the great debates that are shaping the future of our region—and our country—we recognize the need to do even more to reach young people at even more formative ages. Too often, our media, education system, and other institutions demonize innovators and entrepreneurs, or simply overlook their contributions. Those who believe in the critical importance of free-market ideas and market-driven innovation must respond with content capable of providing the full picture. Through our upcoming “Free Markets are For Everyone” campaign, MSPC will spread an optimistic message about how free markets are a revolutionary force for change that benefits everyone. This campaign will utilize both traditional and new media, and will include a children's book series promoting free-market virtues.