Cascade Policy Institute – Bias and Credibility

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RIGHT BIAS

History

Cascade Policy Institute is a nonprofit public policy think tank founded in 1991 and described on its official About page as Oregon’s premier public policy organization focused on state and local issues. According to Cascade Policy Institute, the organization promotes individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and classical liberal principles, framing its work as “policy, not politics” while acknowledging that many of the issues it analyzes are ultimately decided through legislation or ballot initiatives.

Read our profile on the United States government and media.

Funded by / Ownership

Cascade Policy Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and does not disclose donors on its website. However, it is a member of the State Policy Network, which has received millions of dollars in funding from fossil fuel interests and conservative donor-advised funds, including DonorsTrust, the Searle Freedom Trust, the Walton Family Foundation, and the Bradley Foundation. SPN-affiliated groups often receive direct grants and share messaging infrastructure. Notably, SPN has promoted climate denial and partnered with organizations like the Heartland Institute, Cato Institute, and Heritage Foundation that question the scientific consensus on climate change.

Analysis / Bias

Cascade Policy Institute is a right-leaning policy advocacy organization that consistently advances free-market and limited-government positions. Its Right to Work issue page argues against compulsory union membership and dues, framing union influence as a violation of individual freedom.

In education coverage, Cascade strongly promotes school choice, Education Savings Accounts, and private scholarships, while criticizing public schools and teachers’ unions as bureaucratic and ineffective, as outlined on its education policy page.

On environmental issues, Cascade opposes regulatory approaches to climate change, rejecting cap-and-trade legislation and promoting market-based alternatives, as described on its environment policy page. The organization has a documented history of climate skepticism, including promotion of the film “What Does It Cost?” produced by the Discovery Institute, which argues against net-zero energy policies. Cascade has also been linked through personnel and collaborations to other climate-skeptic organizations, such as ALEC and the Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity.

Failed Fact Checks

• Cascade Policy Institute itself has not been the subject of formal IFCN fact checks. However, its alignment with SPN and its publication of climate-skeptic and highly partisan education content raise concerns regarding reliability. Several CPC claims, particularly about climate science and CRT, are inconsistent with mainstream academic consensus.

Overall, we rate the Cascade Policy Institute right-biased for its strongly conservative policy advocacy, ideological framing, and consistent alignment with SPN-affiliated objectives. We also rate them Mixed for factual reporting based on limited funding transparency, reliance on advocacy-driven research, and publication of materials rejecting established scientific consensus. (D. Van Zandt 12/31/2025)

Source: https://cascadepolicy.org/

Last Updated on December 31, 2025 by Media Bias Fact Check

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Left vs. Right Bias: How we rate the bias of media sources