Alabama Policy Institute
From Sunshine Review
| Alabama Policy Institute | |
| 501(c)(3) | |
| Leadership: | Gary Palmer |
| Political party | Nonpartisan |
| Website | Alabama Policy Institute |
| Transparency Focus | |
| Stand and Deliver Project | |
Contents |
The Alabama Policy Institute (API), a 501(c)(3), is a non-profit research and education organization in Alabama. Founded in 1989, it was originally known as the Alabama Family Alliance.
It bills itself as "the largest free-market, solution-based policy research center in Alabama."
[edit] Mission
The organization's mission is help "Alabama citizens, lawmakers and business leaders better understand and apply principles that maximize individual freedom, limit government interference and encourage personal responsibility."
[edit] Research
API conducts research on a vast spectrum of topics based on the "Founding Fathers’ ideas on liberty and the equality of all people."[1] In the past these have included government reform, education, gambling, social policy, tort reform, welfare reform, and the environment.
[edit] Publications
The website includes a number of publications for download, the most recent including:
- An Alabama Citizen's Guide to the Environment
- Consent Decrees in Institutional Reform Litigation
- Alabama's Public Education Funding Dilemma: Does Funding Influence Outcomes?
[edit] API New Media
In October 2008 API launched the API New Media page on YouTube. Since then they have released a number of videos on topics ranging from climate change and gambling to "What is a PAC to PAC transfer?"
[edit] Transparency Projects
[edit] Stand and Deliver
Stand and Deliver is a project of API that tracks bills introduced in the Alabama Legislature and compares them to original political platforms, allowing voters to determine if original promises were kept.[2]
The project includes sections for Republican promises, Democratic promises, and joint promises. Each of these sections includes a bill tracking page to determine if the legislation introduced complies with the actual initial promises.
Citizens are encouraged to take part in updating the bill tracking pages.
[edit] Right to Know
In November 2008, API Vice-President Michael Ciamarra wrote an article detailing the transparency movement across the United States. Alabama, he notes, received an "F" Alabama’s recent overall grade of “F” on the UCLA School of Law and Pew Charitable Trusts “Grading State Disclosure 2008” report card.
To that end, API has backed "Alabama Right to Know" legislation. This includes a searchable database for all government spending, electronic filing of campaign contributions and expenditures, and disclosure of all public officials and their family members who are employed by or have a contract with the state, county or a municipality.
[edit] External links
- Alabama Policy Institute
- YouTube - API New Media
- API - Guide to the Issues
- API - Stand and Deliver Project
