Democracy Institute

The Democracy Institute describes itself as "a politically independent public policy research organisation". The Democracy Institute (undated), About Us, (accessed 17th February 2011) 
Founded in 2006, it claims to have bases in London and Washington DC. But it is not registered as a company or charity in the UK and is not registered as a 501(c) organization with the Internal Revenue Service in the US nor as a company in Washington DC or either of the surrounding states (Maryland and Virginia). David Miller and Steven Harkins Re: Is the obesity epidemic exaggerated? Yes British Medical Journal, 16 April 2015, accessed 17 April 2015. It claims to, 'further public education through the production and dissemination of accessible commentary and scholarship' The Democracy Institute (undated), About Us, (accessed 17th February 2011) by providing a, “a balanced and thoughtful perspective on topical issues, promoting open and rational debate based on evidence rather than ideology”. The Democracy Institute (undated), About Us, (accessed 17th February 2011) 
The think tank argues against government regulation on issues including tobacco, alcohol, food and gambling, amongst other topics. Basham P, Luik J. NYC: The City that Never Smokes 26 October 2009. , [accessed 12 November 2014]Basham P, Luik J. A bleary-eyed attitude to alcohol research The Democracy Institute 2 February 2010. http://www.democracyinstitute.org/AnnouncementRetrieve.aspx?ID=38687 [accessed 12 November 2012]Basham P, Luik J.[ http://www.democracyinstitute.org/AnnouncementRetrieve.aspx?ID=37564 The myth of an ‘obesity tsunami’], The Democracy Institute 19 January 2010, [accessed 12 November 2014]
==People==
*Patrick Basham - DirectorAbout Us, About Us, Democracy Institute, accessed 10 February 2010 
Basham was previously the Founding director of the Social Affairs Center at Canada’s Fraser Institute, and was a senior fellow with the Cato Institute's Center for Representative Government. Cato Institute (N.D) Patrick Basham accessed 6th April 2011Basham is a former tobacco industry lobbyist and publishes most of the research on the Institute's website along with John Luik who is also a former tobacco industry lobbyist.Telefax, Tflb CONFEDERATION OF EUROPEAN COMMUNITY CIGARETTE MANUFACTURER LIMITED, CONFEDERATION OF EUROPEAN COMMUNITY CIGARETTE MANUFACTURER LIMITED, 22-June-1993Consultants, John Luik, Ontario Campaign for Action on Tobacco, Accessed 10-February-2010Consultants, John Luik, Ontario Campaign for Action on Tobacco, Accessed 10-February-2010Gori GB, Luik JC. Passive smoke: the EPA’s betrayal of science and policy. Vancouver, Canada: Fraser Institute, 1999Marsden, W., "Big tobacco's shell game with the truth," Montreal Gazette, June 21, 2001Montreal Gazette, Blowing smoke, Cornwall Standard Freeholder (Ontario), 2-July-2001Sherry Stein, Letter to Adrain Payne at British American Tobacco, 28-July-2000, Accessed through Tobacco Archives 18-February-2010Sherry Stein, Letter to Martin Broughton, 28-January-2000, Accessed through Tobacco Archives 20-February-2010Patrick Basham, Public Policy Sources, The Fraser Institute, 1-August-2000, Accessed through Tobacco Archives 20-February-2010Press Release, Media Release, The Fraser Institute, 9-April-1999, Accessed Through Tobacco Archives 18-February-2010Patrick Basham, Public Policy Sources, The Fraser Institute, 1-August-2000, Accessed through Tobacco Archives 20-February-2010
The following people are linked to the Democracy Institute through several published articles yet are not officially registered via the organisation's own website:
*John Luik - Senior FellowBasham and Luik, Five-a-day won’t keep the doctor away, Spiked, 13 May 2010, accessed 5 August 2010 
John Luik is a senior fellow of the Democracy InstitutePatrick Basham and John Luik, NYC: The City That Never Smokes, Democracy Institute, 26 October 2009, Accessed 14 November 2014, and a tobacco industry consultantConsultants, John Luik, Ontario Campaign for Action on Tobacco, Accessed 10-February-2010 who, according to reports, was sacked from two academic posts in Canada for misrepresenting his credentialsCBC T.V. News and Current Affairs, June 21, 2001; CBC TelevisionWilliam Marsden, Luik lied to universities about his qualifications, The Montreal Gazette, 21-June-2001. He regularly co-authors articles in the media with Patrick Basham, the founder of the Democracy Institute, on a range of topics including tobacco regulationPatrick Basham & John Luik, 'The Plain Truth - Does Packaging Influence Smoking?', Democracy Institute, 14 March 2012Patrick Basham & John Luik, 'Prescription for conflict: why the alliance between the pharmaceutical industry and the anti-tobacco movement is not in the best interests of smokers', Economic Affairs, Volume 32, Issue 2, pages 41–46, June 2012Patrick Basham & John Luik, 'Why the plain packaging consultation is deeply flawed', Institute of Economic Affairs, 9 July 2012, obesityPatrick Basham & John Luik, Turning fat into a four-letter word, Spiked, 5 August 2013, alcoholPatrick Basham & John Luik, 'A bleary-eyed attitude to alcohol research', Spiked, 2 February 2010 and public healthPatrick Basham & John Luik, 'Working class are under attack from health paternalism', The Guardian, 29 April 2010.
*Christopher Snowdon - Adjunct Scholar
Snowdon is an adjunct scholar with the Democracy Institute and a freelance journalist who regularly publishes article in the libertarian online magazine spiked.About the Author, Velvet Glove Iron Fist website, accessed 4 August 2010 His articles also challenge initiatives that threaten free market policies. 
===Advisory Council===
As listed by the Democracy Institute: About Us, Advisory Council, Democracy Institute, accessed 10 February 2010
*Nigel Ashford – Institute for Humane Studies Programme officer for the Institute for Humane Studies and previous Scholar for the Heritage Foundation. He has also directed the Principles for a free society project at the Jarl Hjalmarson Foundation. the afore mentioned organisations promote conservative views Institute for Humane Studies (N.D) Nigel Ashford, accessed 6th April 2010
*Juliette Baysham – Public Health Fellow 
*Jason Clemens – Pacific Research Institute Director of Research at the Pacific Research Institute and has previously worked for the Fraser Institute Pacific Research Institute(N.D)Jason Clemens accessed 6th April 2011
*Veronique de Rugy – Research Fellow. De Rugy is currently a research fellow at the Mercatus Centre at George Mason University, an adjunct scholar for the Cato Institute and is also on the Board of Directors of the Centre for Freedom and Prosperity Cato Institute (N.D) Veronique de Rugy accessed 6th April 2011De Rugy has worked as a research fellow for the American Enterprise Institute and the Atlas Economic Research Foundation. Mercatus Center(N.D) Veronique de Rugy curriculum vitae, accessed 6th April 2011 Prior to this she has directed academic programs for the Institute for Humane Studies Mercatus Center (N.D) Veronique de Rugy accessed 6th April 2011
* Jamie Dettmer – Research Fellow Dettmer specialises in International Affairs and Political Economy and is the principal and founder of Jamie Dettmer & Associates which is according to its website, ‘a communications, media relations and public affairs advisory network of respected and effective senior-level professionals drawn from PR and journalism in the US, Europe and the Middle East.Linkedin (N.D) Jamie Dettmer accessed 6th April 2011Jamie Dettmer & Associates (N.D) Jamie Dettmer & Associates accessed 6th April 2011 He previously assumed the role of Director of Communications and Advocacy at International Foundation for Electoral Systems. Jamie Dettmer & Associates(N.D) Jamie Dettmer accessed 6th April 2011 Jamie Dettmer (N.D) Jamie Dettmer accessed 6th April 2011 
* Chris Edwards – Cato Institute. Chris Edwards is the director of tax policy studies at the Cato Institute. Prior roles include a senior economist on the congressional Joint Economic Committee and as an economist with the Tax Foundation where he published 13 articles between 1992-1994. Cato Institute(N.D)Chris Edwards accessed 6th April 2011 Chris Edwards (N.D) Chris Edwards contributions accessed 6th April 2011
* Ivan Eland - Senior Fellow. Eland is also the Director of the Center on Peace & Liberty at The Independent Institute. He is the former director of Defense Policy Studies at the Cato Institute and spent 15 years working for Congress on national security issues. Independent Institute (N.D) Ivan Eland accessed 6th April 2011
* Jeremy Lott – A Senior Fellow. A journalist who is the editor of Real Clear Religion and is the Competitive Enterprise Institute's current Warren Brookes Journalism Fellow and a contributing editor to Books & Culture American Spectator (N.D). Jeremy Lott accessed 6th April Lott was formerly Manager of Editorial Services at the Cato Institute and Assistant Managing Editor of The American Spectator. Competitive Enterprise Institute (N.D) Jeremy Lott accessed 6th April 2011
* Michael Mosbacher – Social Affairs Unit. Mosbacher has been director the Social Affairs Unit since 2004 although he has assumed other roles within the organisation since 1996. He is also the managing editor of Standpoint magazine from 2008 to the present. 123 People (N.D) Michael Mosbacher, Esq's Biography accessed 6th April 2011
* Gerry Nicholls – Senior Fellow. Gerry Nicholls is a director of the Society for Quality Education which claims he is “one of Canada’s most prominent defenders of our economic and political freedoms”. Society for Quality Education (N.D) Who we are accessed 6th April 2011 Prior roles include twenty years employment at the National Citizens Coalition, Canada’s largest independent pro-free market advocacy group. He is also freelance writer working as an independent political consultant to the media. Society for Quality Education (N.D) Who we are accessed 6th April 2011
* Charles Pena – George Washington University. Pena is also a senior Fellow at both the Independent Institute and the Coalition for a Realistic Foreign Policy. Independent Institute (N.D) About us Charles V. Peña accessed 6th April 2011He is also currently an adviser on the Straus Military Reform Project. Independent Institute (N.D) About us Charles V. Peña accessed 6th April 2011Previously Mr. Peña has been senior fellow with the George Washington University Homeland Security Policy Institute and Foreign Policy Advisor for the 2008 Ron Paul Presidential Campaign Independent Institute (N.D) About us Charles V. Peña accessed 6th April 2011
* Christopher Preble – Cato Institute. Preble is the Director of foreign policy studies at the Cato Institute and writes a blog for The Skeptics at The National Interest National Interest (N.D) Christopher A.Preble Accessed 6th April 2011 
* Marian Tupy – Cato Institute. Marian Tupy is a policy analyst for the Center for Global Liberty and Prosperity at the Cato Institute, specialising in the study of the political economy of Europe and sub-Saharan Africa.Cato Institute, People, accessed 15 February 2010Tupy has also published articles for the Heritage Foundation Heritage Foundation (2007, 2008) http://www.heritage.org/search?query=tupy Publications by Marian Tupy] accessed 6th April 2011
* Martin Zelder – Analysis Group Economics. Martin Zelder is a senior associate at Analysis Group Economics, a Boston-based consulting firm. Previously, he was Director of Health Policy Research at the Fraser Institute Fraser Institute (N.D) [http://www.fraserinstitute.org/author.aspx?id=15422&txID=3324 Research and News) accessed 6th April 2011
thumb|right|800px|Democracy Institute connections to the Conservative movement
Social Network Analysis of the Democracy Institute and links to other conservative organisations.
==Activities==
The Democracy Institute’s research interests are within the following areas:
Democratisation, education policy; electoral studies; the European Union; fiscal studies; health care; international relations ; obesity; and the regulation of risk.The Democracy Institute (undated), About Us, (accessed 17th February 2011)
The main focus of its attention is on public health initiatives that are likely to interfere with the marketing activities of the tobaccoPatrick Basham & John Luik, NYC: The City that Never Smokes, The Democracy Institute, 26 October 2009, accessed 30 March 2010, alcoholPatrick Basham & John Luik, A bleary-eyed attitude to alcohol research, The Democracy Institute, 2-February-2010, Accessed 30-March-2010 and foodPatrick Basham & John Luik, The myth of an ‘obesity tsunami', Democracy Institute, 19-January-2010, Accessed 30-March-2010 industries.
The Institute is regularly consulted by the media as a body of experts in public health issues with Patrick Basham and John Luik frequently appearing as media commentators, 37 worldwide newspaper articles between 2006 and 2010 cite Basham and Luik as experts on public health issues.Nexis UK (2011), Nexis Search Terms "John Luik" and "Patrick Basham" (accessed 17th February 2011) 
Basham and Luik have published articles in 14 newspapers worldwide with Washington Times printing 6 articles, four of which express the Institute's pro-industry view on obesity. Nexis UK (2011), Nexis Search Terms "John Luik" and "Patrick Basham" (accessed 17th February 2011) The Washington Times is owned by News World Communications Incorporated, which is under the control of the Unification Church, Reverend Sun Myung Moon – also referred to as the Moonies. Media Owners (n.d)See who owns the American media accessed 8th April, 2011 The Washington Times is known for its conservative views as are eight of the newspapers that have published the work of Basham and Luik including The Australian (Fox Corporation), The Western Mail; The Irish Independent; New Zealand Herald; Philadelphia Inquirer; Star Tribune; Sunday Telegraph and the West Australian.WorldPress.org(n.d) World Newspapers and Magazines accessed 8th April 2011
In terms of magazines and journals Basham and Luik have published articles in The American Spectator and the National Review which both promote conservative ideology.Nexis UK (2011), Nexis Search Terms "John Luik" and "Patrick Basham" (accessed 17th February 2011) This again would suggest that the Democracy Institute adopts a partisan rather than independent perspective. Most prominently Basham and Luik have published articles on Spiked online.
===Public Health===
The two main researchers for the Democracy Institute, Patrick Basham and John Luik, have written in the British Medical Journal on obesity, Basham P, Luik J. Is the obesity epidemic exaggerated? Yes. BMJ 2008;336(244) http://www.bmj.com/content/336/7638/244 [accessed 12 November 2014] and Basham has separately written two BMJ blog posts on tobacco issues.Basham P. The DOH is wrong about cessation. British Medical Journal 17 March 2010. http://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2010/03/17/patrick-basham-the-doh-is-wrong-about-cessation/ [accessed 12 November 2014] Basham P. Not smoke-free but snus-free. British Medical Journal 6 April 2010. http://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2010/04/06/patrick-basham-not-smoke-free-but-snus-free/ [accessed 12 November 2014]
===On Obesity===
In several articles attacking public health, Basham Basham, P. & Luik,J. (2006)Four big, fat myths (accessed 24th February 2011) Basham, P & Luik,J.(2010)A happy meal is nothing to smile about (accessed 19th February 2011) Basham, P.(2010) "The myth of an obesity tsunami, Democracy Institute (accessed 24th February 2011Basham, P. & Luik, J. (2008)"Head To Head Is The Obesity Epidemic Exaggerated? Yes, “British Medical Journal”, (accessed 24th February 2011) argues that four obesity claims are nothing but ‘myths’:
*That the world is obese (both adults and children) 
* That being fat is a certain recipe for early death 
*That fatness stems from the manufacturing and marketing practices of the food industry 
*That we will lengthen our lives if only we eat less and lose weight. 
According to Basham, there is no scientific evidence to support these myths. Basham claims that evidence produced by the The Scripps Research Institute in which ‘junk food’ was found to be addictive to rats due to the chemical reactions it causes in the brain are irrelevant to humans for the reason that it is been proved addictive to rats – not humans. 
Basham and Luik recently published an article in spiked expressing their opinion concerning the San Francisco Board of Supervisor’s decision to approve a preliminary ban that would force fast food retailers to stop providing promotional toys with happy meals.Basham, P & Luik, J.(2010)A happy meal is nothing to smile about (accessed 19th February 2011) According to the article the ban would give parents an opportunity to promote healthier meal options to their children. According Basham and Luik in the article, the proposal is presumptuous as it assumes that the fast food industry and its marketing techniques contribute towards childhood obesity. 
The evidence-less Happy Meal ban should remind us that the entire idea of fat children is largely a cultural construct, not a scientific one. A hundred years ago, today's penchant for thin children would have been considered a shocking instance of child neglect.The idea that children weighing over a certain amount are fat or obese has no scientific foundation, as the dividing line between fat and normal is purely arbitrary, representing nothing more than a public health bureaucrat's notion of where normal ends and fat begins.Basham, P & Luik (2010) happy meal is nothing to smile about (accessed 19th February 2011)
More recently, Basham and Luik have criticised the NHS for proposing to prevent obese people from receiving certain operations due to lifestyle choices.Basham, P. & Luik,J. (2011), Healthcare for all unless you're fat!, Spiked online, (accessed 11th March 2011) Basham and Luik (2011) present the following evidence in the article,
:“Van Baal and his colleagues estimated lifetime health costs for three groups of 1,000 people: the ‘healthy-living’ group (thin and non-smoking), obese people, and smokers. The researchers found that from age 20 to 56, obese people racked up the most expensive health costs. But because both the smokers and the obese people died sooner than the healthy group, it cost less to treat them in the long run.”
The purpose of the article that Basham and Luik refer to as evidence was to examine the medical cost of obesity before considering implications for obesity prevention in order to reduce costs. The article concludes that obesity prevention to some extent, reduces health costs. Pieter H. M. Van Baal, P.H.M; Polder, J.J; Ardine de Wit, G.; Hoogenveen, R.T. Feenstra, T.L.; Boshuizen, H.C.; Engelfriet, P.M.; Brouwe,W. (2008), Medical Costs of Obesity: Prevention No Cure for Increasing Health Expenditure, PLoS Med 5(2): e29, (accessed 11th March 2011)
===On Equality===
Wilkinson and Pickett's book The Spirit Level was criticised in a series of reports by the Taxpayers' Alliance, the Democracy Institute and the Policy Exchange. The criticisms from the Policy Exchange and the Taxpayers' Alliance were published just 24 hours apart.Adams, T., (2008), Have the Right taken all the best ideas, the Guardian, 31-August-2008, Accessed 29-November-2010Booth, R., (2010), The Spirit Level: how ‘ideas wreckers’ turned book into a political punch bag, the Guardian, 14-August-2010, Accessed 29-November-2010
==Transparency==
The organisation’s website gives no information about its major funders however in his book, A Picture of Health? Why Graphic Warnings Don’t Work John Luik states that the writing of the book was, “made possible by funding provided by Imperial Tobacco Group PLC” indicating that the organisation has corporate associates. Luik,J., (2006),A Picture of Health? Why Graphic Warnings Don’t Work, London, The Democracy Institute (accessed 28th February 2011)
In a more recent article, Basham and Luik state the following,
“The Democracy Institute has not received any funding from the food, gambling, tobacco, alcohol, or indoor tanning industries to publish this paper. Nor have the authors received any funding from those industries to research and write this paper, the contents of which have not been shared with or reviewed by any individual or organisation affiliated with the food, gambling, tobacco, alcohol, or indoor tanning industries.” Basham, P. & Luik, J. (2006), The War on Working Class Culture London, The Democracy Institute (accessed 28th February 2011)
==Links==
The Democracy Institute is a think tank with links to the Cato Institute Patrick Basham, Adjunct Scholar, The Cato Institute, Accessed 30-March-2010 and Spiked online.All Articles, Articles by Basham & Luik, Spiked, accessed 30 March 2010 
==Publications==
*Patrick Basham & John Luik, 'Health Warnings on Consumer Products: Why Scarier Is Not Better', Washington Legal Foundation, 26 January 2012.
*Patrick Basham, 'Public Health’s Inconvenient Truths', CalvinAyre.com, 14 January 2012.
*Patrick Basham, 'Let the Boss Decide What to Do', New York Times, 29 November 2011.
*Patrick Basham, 'Plain packaging will not stop young people smoking' (registration required), Financial Times, 24 November 2011.
*Patrick Basham, 'Colonel Gaddafi's death may be bad news for the Libyan revolution', Democracy Institute, 20 October 2011.
*Patrick Basham & John Luik, 'David Cameron’s unpalatable nannying', Spiked, 11 October 2011.
*Patrick Basham, 'New normal of intrusion', The Hill, 8 September 2011.
*Patrick Basham, 'Are we safer today than on 9/11?', Democracy Institute, 6 September 2011.
*Patrick Basham, ' packaging policy disguised as science, but where's the proof?', The Australian, 13 August 2011.
*Patrick Basham & John Luik, 'Tobacco’s Graphic Warning for the Gambling Industry', CalvinAyre.com, 15 July 2011.
*Patrick Basham, 'Is there happiness without risk?', CalvinAyre.com, 29 June 2011.
*Patrick Basham & John Luik, 'Plain packaging for consumer products and the implications for trademark rights', Washington Legal Foundation, 16 June 2011.
*Patrick Basham, 'Term Limits: A Reform that Works', Our Generation, 9 June 2011.
*Patrick Basham and Jamie Dettmer, 'Royal wedding: the sponsorship deal of the century goes begging', The Guardian, 28 April 2011.
*Patrick Basham, 'Gehen, wenn es am schönsten ist', The European, 26 March 2011. (German language)
*Patrick Basham & John Luik, 'How the war on obesity went pear-shaped', Spiked, 15 March 2011.
*Patrick Basham, 'Enemies of enterprise seek controls on tobacco', The Telegraph, 9 March 2011.
*Patrick Basham, 'Tobacco Display Bans: A Global Failure', Institute of Economic Affairs, 6 March 2011.
*Patrick Basham & John Luik, 'Healthcare for all! Unless you’re fat', Spiked, 3 March 2011.
*Patrick Basham, 'An Egyptian Revolution = Reform's Death Knell', Democracy Institute, 3 February 2011.
*Patrick Basham, ‘The Dean Martin of Congressional Politics’ Demonstrates Old-Fashioned Virtues, National Review Online, 5 January 2011.
*Patrick Basham & John Luik, '10 ways Christmas is good for your health' (pdf), Democracy Institute, 23 December 2010.
*Patrick Basham, 'The feds' fat factory', New York post, 14 December 2010.
*Patrick Basham & John Luik, 'Treating people like lab rats', Spiked, 6 December 2010.
*Patrick Basham & John Luik, 'A public display of BMA ignorance', Spiked, 23 November 2010.
*Patrick Basham & John Luik, 'A Happy Meal ban is nothing to smile about', Spiked, 9 November 2010.
*Patrick Basham, 'Are nudging and shoving good for public health?' (pdf), Democracy Institute, 16 September 2010.
*Patrick Basham, 'Chewing the fat' (pdf) - Comment in the Sunday Times, 22 August 2010.
*Patrick Basham, 'Does Australia's 'Seinfeld Election' Matter?' (pdf), Democracy Institute, 20 August 2010.
*Patrick Basham, 'A Kenyan Yes vote should be met with cautious pessimism', Democracy Institute, 7 August 2010.
*Patrick Basham, David Cameron Misread UK Public on BP-Libya 'Deal, Democracy Institute, 2 August 2010.
*Patrick Basham & John Luik, 'More than the sum of our BMIs', Philly.com, 2 August 2010.
*Patrick Basham, 'Pssst! Wanna boost kids’ smoking? Have a display ban!', Democracy Institute, 15 July 2010.
*Christopher Snowdon, Nima Sanandaji, Tino Sanandaji & Arvid Malm, 'Un-Level Ground', Wall Street Journal, 9 July 2010.
*Patrick Basham, 'The Economic Path to World Cup Success' (pdf), Democracy Institute, 6 July 2010.
*Patrick Basham, 'Canada's ruinous tobacco display ban: economic and public health lessons' (pdf), IEA Discussion Paper No.29, Institute of Economic Affairs, 1 July 2010.
*Patrick Basham & John Luik, 'Five-a-day won’t keep the doctor away', Spiked, 13 May 2010.
*Patrick Basham, 'A Canadian Lesson for a Conservative Minority Government', Democracy Institute, 15 July 2010.
*Patrick Basham, 'UK General Election - Campaign Report Card' (pdf), Democracy Institute, 5 May 2010.
*Patrick Basham & John Luik, 'The war on working class culture' (pdf), Democracy Institute, 4 May 2010.
*Patrick Basham & John Luik, 'Working class are under attack from health paternalism', The Guardian, 29 April 2010.
*Patrick Basham & John Luik, 'Let’s put cancerous myths to bed', Spiked, 28 April 2010.
*Patrick Basham, 'Why Britain's election matters... to America' (pdf), Democracy Institute, 21 April 2010.
*Patrick Basham, 'Russia’s War on Drugs is identical to its American and British counterparts: it’s a failure', Democracy Institute, 7 April 2010.
*Patrick Basham & John Luik, 'Patrick Basham and John Luik on the food addiction myth', Democracy Institute, 6 April 2010.
*Patrick Basham, 'Patrick Basham in The Times of London on Obama's smoking habit', The Times (registration site), 4 March 2010.
*Patrick Basham, 'Despite its shortcomings, scrapping Sri Lanka's trade benefits would only impede its progress toward', Democracy Institute, 12 February 2010.
*Patrick Basham, 'Sri Lanka needs carrot, not stick', The Guardian, 12 February 2010. 
*Patrick Basham and John Luik, 'A bleary-eyed attitude to alcohol research', Spiked, 2 February 2010.
*Patrick Basham, 'President Obama’s Fork in the Road', Democracy Institute, 25 January 2010.
*Patrick Basham & John Luik, The myth of an ‘obesity tsunami’, Spiked, 19 January 2010.
*Patrick Basham & John Luik, 'In Defense of Santa', TownHall.com, 24 December 2009.
*Patrick Basham, 'Butt Out! How Philip Morris Burned Ted Kennedy, the FDA & the Anti-Tobacco Movement', Democracy Institute, 12 April 2009.
*Patrick Basham & John Luik, Are Public Smoking Bans Necessary?, Democracy Institute, 17 December 2009.
*Patrick Basham & John Luik, 'Can the UK Avert a Smoking Irish Failure?', Cato Institute, 29 October 2009.
*Patrick Basham & John Luik, 'The City That Never Smokes', Spiked, 26 October 2009.
*DI Report, 'Alcohol Advertising Bans', Democracy Institute, September 20 September 2009.
*Patrick Basham, 'The Senator and the Symbol', National Review Online, 28 August 2009.
*Patrick Basham, 'Afghanistan's Democratic Debacle', Cato Institute, 21 August 2009.
*Patrick Basham, 'Displaying the truth about policymaking', Spiked, 13 August 2009.
*Patrick Basham & John Luik, 'A fat doctor in the White House?', Democracy Institute, 29 July 2009.
*Patrick Basham & John Luik, 'On discrimination against fat African-American women', Democracy Institute, 29 July 2009.
*Patrick Basham & John Luik, 'Banning alcohol ads won’t cure alcoholism', Spiked, 21 July 2009. 
*Patrick Basham & John Luik, 'Turning fat people into social outcasts', Spiked, 30 June 2009.
*Patrick Basham & John Luik, 'Smoke gets in the government’s eyes', Spiked, 23 June 2009.
*Patrick Basham, 'The unholy alliance between Philip Morris & the FDA', Democracy Institute, 5 June 2009.
*Patrick Basham and John Luik, 'Kicking the soda can: Hard truths about a soft drink tax', Democracy Institute, 3 June 2009.
*Patrick Basham, 'Keep FDA away from tobacco', Orange County Register, 3 June 2009.
*Patrick Basham & John Luik, 'A display of ignorance over youth smoking', Spiked, 29 April 2009.
*Patrick Basham & John Luik, 'Women keep drinking', Spiked, 3 March 2009.
*Patrick Basham & John Luik, 'Four fat myths about obesity and cancer', Spiked, 26 February 2009.
*Patrick Basham & John Luik, 'Why the government can’t ‘cure’ obesity', Spiked, 4 February 2009.
*Patrick Basham & John Luik, 'Change4Life: change we can’t believe in', Spiked, 7 January 2009.
*Patrick Basham & John Luik, 'A year of myths about smoking and obesity', Spiked, 23 December 2008.
*Patrick Basham & John Luik, 'Putting the government’s ignorance on display', Spiked, 11 December 2008.
*Patrick Basham & John Luik, 'It’s official: you can be fat and fit', Spiked, 3 September 2008.
*Patrick Basham & John Luik, 'The state-sanctioned bullying of fat kids', Spiked, 30 July 2008.
*Patrick Basham & John Luik, 'Cigarettes and celluloid: a dubious link', Spiked, 21 July 2008.
*Patrick Basham & John Luik, 'The fag end of advocacy research', Spiked, 3 July 2008.
*Patrick Basham & John Luik, 'The perils of being big in Japan', Spiked, 18 June 2008.
*Patrick Basham & John Luik, 'Body Mass Index: a big fat lie', Spiked, 28 May 2008.
*Patrick Basham & John Luik, 'A lesson for Britain’s obesity hysterics', Spiked, 14 May 2008.
*Patrick Basham & John Luik, 'A plastic ban for dummies', Spiked, 17 April 2008.
*Patrick Basham & John Luik, 'Take away the junk or we take away your kids', Spiked, 27 March 2008.
*Patrick Basham & John Luik, 'Censorship built on junk arguments', Spiked, 19 March 2008.
*Patrick Basham & John Luik, 'Flabby claims about food and cancer', Spiked, 7 November 2007.
*Patrick Basham & John Luik, 'Is dieting good for you?', Spiked, 22 March 2007.
*John Luik, Patrick Basham & Gio Gori, 'Diet Nation: Exposing the Obesity Crusade', Social Affairs Unit, 1 December 2006.
*John Luik, 'A Picture of Health? Why Graphic Warnings Don't Work', Democracy Institute, 2006.
==Affiliations==
Spiked | Institute of Humane Studies | Pacific Research Institute | Mercatus Center | International Foundation for Electoral Systems | Cato Institute | Independent Institute | Social Affairs Unit.About Us, Advisory Council, Democracy Institute, Accessed 10-February-2010
==Contact Details==
===London===
:Democracy Institute
:2nd Floor
:145-157 St John Street
:London EC1V 4PY
:0845 310 4144
:www.democracyinstitute.org.uk
:Email: info@democracyinstitute.org
===Washington===
:Democracy Institute
:2001 M St NW
:Washington DC 20036
:301 390 3711
:www.democracyinstitute.org
:Email: info@democracyinstitute.org
==Resources==
*David Miller and Steven Harkins Re: Is the obesity epidemic exaggerated? Yes British Medical Journal, 16 April 2015.
==Notes==
Category:Think TanksCategory:AlcoholCategory:Tobacco IndustryCategory:Foodspin