Publication Date: Wednesday Apr 8, 1998

STANFORD: Hoover scholars go to Washington

Scholars from the Hoover Institution at Stanford are back in Washington this month, advising government leaders on policy issues.

The recently formed Congressional Policy Advisory Board held its first meeting in Washington March 11, meeting with about three dozen Republican congressional leaders, said Martin Anderson, a Hoover senior fellow and chairman of the new policy group.

The 28-member policy group includes Anderson, Hoover director John Raisian, and eight other Hoover scholars.

Anderson said that several United States presidents, including John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson and, most recently, Ronald Reagan, had a practice of inviting scholars and other experts to meet periodically in Washington to give advice to the administration. Several Hoover scholars were closely involved in helping set policy for President Reagan.

"But this has never really been tried before with the congressional leadership," Anderson said.

The idea for the policy group came out of the Republican congressional leadership, and the group's members were appointed by Rep. Christopher Cox, R-Newport Beach, who is House Policy Committee chairman.

"The Congressional Policy Advisory Board's combination of experience, scholarship and clear thinking will provide the House majority with invaluable guidance," Cox said.

Anderson served in Washington as an advisor for both presidents Nixon and Reagan. The other Hoover scholars on the policy board are Anneliese Anderson, Gary Becker, Michael Boskin, John Cogan, economist Milton Friedman, James C. Miller III, John Taylor and former Secretary of State George Shultz.

Most members of the policy board have had previous Washington experience. Shultz has served as secretary of the departments of Labor, Treasury and State, while Boskin was chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors under President Bush.

Anderson said the group will meet every two or three months.

In the first meeting, the policy board talked with House leadership about the funding for the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which is grappling with the Asian economic crisis, and about the federal government budget surplus. By prior agreement, Anderson said the policy members will not disclose what advice they give.

"We tried to weight the group a little toward people not living inside the Beltway," Anderson said, while also selecting "people who have had responsibility for making decisions" in Washington.

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