Own Your Own Think Tank

Katherine Mangu-Ward | November 26, 2007

Year after year, I put two things on my Christmas list: a pony and a think tank. I don't think that's so much to ask for, but every year I'm disappointed.

But this year my dream can be a reality: The Bay Area Center for Voting Research is selling itself on eBay. Bidding starts at $5,000. For that low, low price, you can get a think tank with a solid 2,770 hits on Google. Plus, it was once misidentified in The New York Times!

The winning bidder will receive all of BACVR’s intellectual assets, including the organization’s web site, past research, and well-known name. Being an Internet based organization, there is no physical property to take over or employees to pay. This gives the think tank’s new leadership flexibility to run BACVR on a part-time basis with minimal resources, or to add staff, or to become integrated into another organization looking to bolster their activities and credibility.

And lucky for all you ordinary shmucks/would-be think tank moguls, the current owners are broadminded:

Staying true to their belief that the think thank community needs to be further democratized and include a broader array of leaders, Alderman and Reiff are not placing restrictions on who can bid or win control of BACVR.

Go bid on eBay.

Or buy me a pony. Either way.