Caesar Rodney Institute

Overview

The Caesar Rodney Institute (CRI) is a Delaware-based public policy think tank that provides research and analysis on education, health care, the economy, and energy and environmental policy. Founded in 2008 and named for Delaware's Revolutionary War-era statesman, CRI describes itself as a nonpartisan organization committed to protecting individual liberties.

Key functions and role

CRI is organized into four policy centers -- the Center for Economic & Fiscal Policy, the Center for Education Policy, the Center for Energy & Environmental Policy, and the Center for Health Policy -- each publishing research reports, op-eds and testimony intended for legislators, media and the public. Its Center for Energy & Environmental Policy has been a leading opponent of offshore wind development in Delaware, including litigation against the state's Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control over permitting for a proposed offshore wind project.

History

CRI was founded in 2008 as a Delaware-based affiliate of the State Policy Network, a national coalition of state-level free-market think tanks. In 2024, the Institute launched the Caesar Rodney 250 initiative ahead of the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence, expanding its work into historical commemoration alongside its ongoing policy research.

Political positions

CRI is generally described as a conservative, free-market think tank and is a member of the State Policy Network, whose member organizations have documented ties to Koch family foundations and Koch Industries. Watchdog groups such as the Energy and Policy Institute have reported on CRI's leading role in national campaigns opposing offshore wind development.

Leadership

Michelle F. Parsons chairs CRI's Board of Directors. The Institute is led operationally by directors of its four policy centers, including Charlie Copeland at the Center for Economic & Fiscal Policy and David T. Stevenson, formerly of the Center for Energy & Environmental Policy.

Location and contact info

Address
420 Corporate Blvd.
Newark, DE 19702, USA
Phone
(302) 273-0080
Email
info@caesarrodney.org
Website
https://www.caesarrodney.org