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John A. Baden

Chairman, Foundation for Research on Economics and the Environment

Experience and theory strongly indicate this is best accomplished through classical liberal arrangements. This implies primary reliance upon clear property rights, entrepreneurship, and institutions fostering innovation.

After completing his Ph.D. thesis on the political economy of Hutterite colonies, Baden was awarded a National Science Foundation postdoctoral fellowship in environmental policy.He has taught at Indiana University, Montana State University, Utah State University, and the University of Washington. In 1970, Baden moved to Bozeman, Montana, where he and his wife, Prof. Ramona Marotz-Baden, operate a family ranch.

Baden enjoys creating organizations. He cofounded PERC, FREE, the Environmental Management MBA program at the University of Washington, and Warriors and Quiet Waters. His focus is social entrepreneurship, the creation of organizations designed to achieve social goals via private means. This carries over to his and Ramona’s personal lives; their ranch advances organizations such as Eagle Mount, (an organization providing fly fishing, horseback riding, and snow skiing to handicapped youth and adults), Warriors and Quiet Waters, and groups of first responders. The philosophical basis of this work recognizes government as essential for a just and prosperous society, while the private sector is generally more agile, responsible, and creative.