Pacific Research Institute for Public Policy

The Pacific Research Institute (PRI) is a California-based free-market think tank established in 1979. Its core mission is to champion individual freedom, opportunity, and personal responsibility by advancing free-market policy solutions. The Institute operates as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and is headquartered in Pasadena, California, with an additional office in Sacramento.

PRI's activities encompass public policy analysis across various domains, including education, economics, health care, the environment, and water supply. The organization engages in publications, hosts events, provides media commentary, offers legislative testimony, and conducts community outreach. It operates specialized centers such as the Center for California's Future, the Laffer Center, and dedicated research centers for Education Studies, Business and Economic Studies, Environmental Studies, and Health Care Studies.

Led by President and CEO Sally C. Pipes, the Pacific Research Institute maintains a prominent position in public policy discourse. Recent work includes studies on California's lagging job growth and the impact of high living costs (April 2026), briefs warning about patient safety risks from unauthorized GLP-1 knockoffs (June 2026), and filing amicus briefs in significant Supreme Court cases concerning drug pricing (January 2026).