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Abstract

When a retired Massachusetts oil company executive decides, in the mid- 1980s, to establish a free market-oriented public policy think tank, he faces daunting obstacles. Massachusetts had historically been one ofthe nation''s most politically liberal states. Then-Governor Michael Dukakis- who would go on to become the Democratic Party presidential candidate in 1988-advocates significant expansions of government, such as a universal health insurance program. Pioneer, with its contrasting vision of limited government, must find ways to gain credibility in the state''s political culture and ultimately, it hopes, to push public policy in its own desired direction. The case recounts the group''s early run of success, particularly during the administration of RepublicanGovernor William Weld, a political kindred spirit, who hires and promotes Pioneer staff members. But by the mid-1990s, Pioneer faces a backlash. Its trademark privatization program has been blocked by the state legislature. Its widely-publicized backing for publicly-funded "charter schools"-to introduce competition to public education-shows promise but faces resistance. The case frames the strategic dilemma of Pioneer as it seeks to sustain and expand its influence through research and advocacy.

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Abstract

When a retired Massachusetts oil company executive decides, in the mid- 1980s, to establish a free market-oriented public policy think tank, he faces daunting obstacles. Massachusetts had historically been one ofthe nation''s most politically liberal states. Then-Governor Michael Dukakis- who would go on to become the Democratic Party presidential candidate in 1988-advocates significant expansions of government, such as a universal health insurance program. Pioneer, with its contrasting vision of limited government, must find ways to gain credibility in the state''s political culture and ultimately, it hopes, to push public policy in its own desired direction. The case recounts the group''s early run of success, particularly during the administration of RepublicanGovernor William Weld, a political kindred spirit, who hires and promotes Pioneer staff members. But by the mid-1990s, Pioneer faces a backlash. Its trademark privatization program has been blocked by the state legislature. Its widely-publicized backing for publicly-funded "charter schools"-to introduce competition to public education-shows promise but faces resistance. The case frames the strategic dilemma of Pioneer as it seeks to sustain and expand its influence through research and advocacy.

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