Mont Pelerin Society networks seeded think tanks across Latin America

Evidence

Finding individuals willing to subscribe to and champion the cause was a necessary first step to diffusing the think tank model. Initially, the identification of those potential champions was mostly ad hoc—happening through the mobilization of direct and indirect personal networks. In the US, Fisher could rely on his own personal connections to identify the new generation of think tank leaders. In Latin America, however, his personal contacts were limited. Hence he used indirect mechanisms. First he leveraged his contacts within the MPS, of which he had been a member since 1954. When Hayek or Friedman traveled to South America and met interesting prospects, they connected them with Fisher. This was how, for example, Fisher met Hernando de Soto. Fisher spurred de Soto, a Peruvian economist trained in Switzerland, to create his home country’s first think tank—the Instituto Libertad y Democracia (ILD) in 1981. — Dieter Plehwe, Quinn Slobodian & Philip Mirowski (eds.), Nine Lives of Neoliberalism, 561

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the reader’s whole project on how austere/neoliberal doctrine was institutionally diffused — the MPS-as-clearinghouse mechanism recurs across other chapters on transnational networks. — connects to: At least 136 Mont Pèlerin members staffed affiliated think tanks — Philip Mirowski & Dieter Plehwe (eds.), The Road from Mont Pèlerin: The Making…, 197; ODEPLAN functioned as an insulated think tank seeding ideologically cohesive technocrats across Chilean ministries — Philip Mirowski & Dieter Plehwe (eds.), The Road from Mont Pèlerin: The Making…, 1572; Neoliberalism rose to hegemony through transnational networks of scholars and allies — Philip Mirowski & Dieter Plehwe (eds.), The Road from Mont Pèlerin: The Making…, 81 (+7 more)

Broader Connections

• At least 136 Mont Pèlerin members staffed affiliated think tanks #expands (0.90) — Philip Mirowski & Dieter Plehwe (eds.), The Road from Mont Pèlerin, 197
• Neoliberalism’s spread depended on transnational discourse networks rather than national institutions alone #corroborates (0.85) — Philip Mirowski & Dieter Plehwe (eds.), The Road from Mont Pèlerin, 2118
• Neoliberalism rose to hegemony through transnational networks of scholars and allies #corroborates (0.80) — Philip Mirowski & Dieter Plehwe (eds.), The Road from Mont Pèlerin, 81
• Atlas systematically recruited and trained global think tank entrepreneurs #corroborates (0.80) — Dieter Plehwe, Quinn Slobodian & Philip Mirowski (eds.), Nine Lives of Neoliberalism, 566
• ODEPLAN functioned as an insulated think tank seeding ideologically cohesive technocrats across Chilean ministries #exemplifies (0.75) — Philip Mirowski & Dieter Plehwe (eds.), The Road from Mont Pèlerin, 1572
• Neoliberal think-tank networks manufactured an international bestseller phenomenon #expands (0.75) — Philip Mirowski & Dieter Plehwe (eds.), The Road from Mont Pèlerin, 1952