Policymakers comment on the Tobin Project model

Essential to every phase of the Tobin Project model is ongoing engagement with the policy community. Policymakers provide important, on-the-ground perspective that helps guide the research intiatives, and the scholars, in turn, offer insights that can inform policy decisions. A number of policymakers have commented on the value of this model:

Christopher Schroeder (right) at a 2011 roundtable discussion on Preventing Capture.

"The premise of the Tobin project is extremely important. We need to encourage the cross fertilization of academics and policymakers in order to stimulate better informed and more relevant research, and also hopefully to improve policymaking at the same time."

- Asst. Attorney General Christopher Schroeder, Office of Legal Policy, Department of Justice
Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro and Tobin Project founder David Moss at a Tobin Project meeting in 2007.

“The project is named for Jim Tobin because he understood something both simple and powerful: that American universities can be an engine of progress in our democracy. His work proved that American liberalism thrived on the vital relationship between academia and elected officials. At a time when we face a shortage of ideas and so many challenges, the Tobin Project shows how the values that have defined us can guide us as Americans into the 21st Century.”  

- Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, United States House of Representatives (D-CT)
Congressman Robert Simmons sits on a panel at Tobin's 2010 National Security conference.

“Tobin [is] a wonderful resource of people. I very much like the idea of mixing scholars with policymakers because it keeps both parties productively engaged with the issues at hand. It helps policymakers to think deeply about the consequences of their choices and helps academics to focus on decisions and solutions in very practical terms.” 

- Congressman Robert Simmons, United States House of Representatives, 2001-2007 (R-CT); Retired Colonel, USAR
William Burke-White with Tobin scholars Deepak Malhotra and Jeremi Suri at a 2010 meeting.

“The presentation and papers by Tobin Project Professors was extremely informative, expanding our thinking and helping shed new light on tough and often intractable problems. The ability to link rigorous academic thinking with the policy process is absolutely essential to successful policy planning.”

- William Burke-White, U.S. Department of State, Policy Planning Staff (2009-2011)