On the Compass and the Keel

December 05, 2007

By Hopper Smith

Changing public policy is slow work. I have heard it likened to a big ship with a little rudder. Some may argue whether it is an old galleon with a waterlogged hull, encrusted with years of barnacles, or a fast frigate with fresh paint and a skilled crew, but the analogy has proven fairly revealing.

Continuing this analogy, what then is the role of the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs in the context of the ship of state? I would submit that OCPA fills two roles—that of the compass and the keel.

The compass does not tell the ship’s pilot how to trim the sails, or even where to steer. The compass merely indicates the direction of magnetic north. The compass is true to the pilot and the crew only to the degree it consistently indicates north. It does not dictate how to navigate through shoal-strewn waters; that is up to the pilot and the crew.

OCPA is charged with researching and publishing on policy issues from a free-market perspective. Like the compass, we are true to our purpose to the degree that we consistently point toward the magnetic north of limited government and the free market.

So what of the keel? The ship’s keel helps keep the vessel aright as a counterbalance to the wind in its sails, and it enables the ship to move forward regardless of the wind direction. Without a stout keel, the ship would be nothing more than a raft at the mercy of the prevailing wind.

OCPA offers a counterbalance to political winds. As the breezes of politics blow, OCPA reinforces the principles of limited government and the free market. This better enables policy-makers to chart a course with confidence and hold a steady heading.

We stand firm with the classic principles of liberty and law, and we apply those principles to the issues of the day. Like a compass pointing north, OCPA offers an unchanging reference from which to set political course. Like a stout keel, OCPA enables policy makers to utilize political winds, instead of being at the mercy of their gusts and gales. We will continue to do our part; the rest is up to the wisdom and savvy of the pilot and crew.

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