Patrick Basham

Patrick Basham teaches in the Government Department at the Johns Hopkins University. He is Founding Director of the Democracy Institute, a research organization based in Washington, DC. Mr Basham previously served as a Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute, where he is currently an Adjunct Scholar. Prior to joining Cato, he served as the Director of the Social Affairs Centre at The Fraser Institute. He has written and edited books, scholarly articles, and studies on a variety of domestic and foreign-policy topics, including campaign finance, democratization, education reform, obesity, political marketing, and the regulation of risk. A frequent media commentator, his articles have appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, Forbes, Sunday Telegraph, The Independent, Australian Financial Review, National Post, and Globe & Mail. Mr Basham earned his B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. degrees in Political Science from Carleton University, the University of Houston, and Cambridge University, respectively.

Recent Research by Patrick Basham

— Apr 28, 2014
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There is no obesity epidemic in Canada, and even if there was, government intervention aimed at overweight Canadians is costly, poorly targeted and likely ineffective, finds Obesity in Canada: Overstated Problems, Misguided Policy Solutions. The study, which recognizes a difference between obesity and overweightness, spotlights three main topics: obesity rates in Canada, the connection between obesity/overweightness and poor health/early death, and government response.

— Feb 18, 2008
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There is increasing interest in, and recognition of, the need for both tax reduction and tax reform in Canada. This book provides both the rationale for tax reform and a road map for that reform. The book includes five chapters from leading experts in the field and provides a persuasive, compelling case for tax reform in Canada.

— Oct 4, 2007
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This second edition builds on the original with new research and data. The paper considers the educational phenomenon of home schooling in Canada and the United States, its regulation, history, growth, and the characteristics of practitioners before reviewing the findings on the academic and social effects of home schooling.