Liberty for Me, Not for Thee

Don’t fall for it. The Show-Me Institute, a darling of the so-called “party of small government,” wraps itself in the language of liberty and limited government. But when you dig into their policy proposals, a different narrative emerges, where centralized, top-down power overrules the voices of local communities.

A St. Louis-based conservative think-tank, the Show-Me Institute claims to champion individual freedom, liberty, and free markets, but it is funded and led by one of Missouri’s wealthiest individuals, billionaire Rex Sinquefield, who has invested millions in shaping public policy. Its board of directors reads like a “who’s who” list of top-level financial company executives, corporate CEOs, and well-connected right-wing political operatives. The Show-Me Institute is also linked to a national network of conservative think tanks called the State Policy Network, which works closely with the Heritage Foundation (author of Project 2025) to promote far-right agendas in the name of liberty and reform. Their real aim isn’t freedom and liberty for ordinary people; it’s deregulation and power consolidation for corporate and political elites.

A recent example of their centralized, top-down philosophy is found in the Institute’s 2025 Blueprint article on “source of income” laws (page 9). “Source of Income” laws were passed in cities like St. Louis, Kansas City, and Columbia to protect renters from being denied housing just because they use Section 8 housing vouchers. Contrary to the Show-Me Institute’s claims, these laws don’t force landlords to rent to everyone; they simply prevent blanket discrimination against people based solely on their use of vouchers to help pay the rent. These laws give low-income families, veterans, seniors, and people with disabilities a fighting chance in an already difficult housing market.

But the Show-Me Institute wants the state legislature to override these local laws, to ban cities from making their own decisions about how to handle housing discrimination. They call it a matter of landlord rights and “voluntary participation,” but what they’re really promoting is a heavy-handed, one-size-fits-all ban imposed by the state. This isn’t small government. This is big government exercising centralized control, serving wealthy lobbyists and donors instead of the people.

It’s a clear contradiction. On the one hand, the Show-Me Institute claims local governments are closer to the people and more accountable. On the other hand, they want to strip those same local governments of their ability to solve problems in their own communities.

This pattern repeats itself across multiple issues. Whether it's promoting right-to-work laws or working to block minimum wage increases, the Show-Me Institute consistently sides with centralized state power that protects corporate interests. Their version of liberty applies only to the powerful. For everyone else, it's centralized government control masquerading as freedom and liberty.

The Show-Me Institute says it stands for freedom and liberty. But time and again, its actions show otherwise. It's not about freedom and liberty; it’s about centralized control that serves wealthy donors and corporate interests. They’ve ensnared state legislators in their net, especially — but perhaps not exclusively — members of the Republican Party. Their agenda doesn’t serve hardworking Missourians; they work to bleed more money out of the people to feed their ever-growing need for more wealth.

Don’t fall for their claims of “liberty.” Their idea of liberty involves centralizing control, so the only thing they truly liberate is your money from your wallet.