In this series, SPN highlights leaders within our Network who are driving positive change in their states and achieving victories that serve as a model for others.

The third smallest state, Connecticut has a rich history that is deeply entwined with the nation as a whole. One of the original 13 colonies, Connecticut was originally settled by Puritans and over time served as the birthplace of many American staples, including lobster rolls and hamburgers.

In recent years, the Constitution State’s legislature has been largely blue. With this overwhelming majority has come a host of policy decisions with negative impacts on the state’s residents and businesses. Connecticut has been ranked as one of the nation’s most burdensome tax climates, is home to a declining education system, and is expanding an electric vehicle program looking to replace gas vehicles. 

While some might take an “all-is-lost” attitude in the face of this adversity, that isn’t an option for Yankee Institute. Yankee fights tirelessly every day to expand freedom and serve as a watchdog against harmful government policies. Led by President Carol Platt Liebau, Yankee Institute has remained a beacon of hope in even the toughest of landscapes. It has pushed back against some of the governor’s top priorities, like tolls and the electric vehicle mandate, while also instituting positive fiscal reforms, such as a constitutionally mandated spending cap. Thanks to Carol’s leadership, Yankee Institute has become a voice that’s impossible to ignore.

Carol grew up in St Louis, Missouri, with her two brothers — one older and one her twin. Her father was a doctor at Alton Memorial Hospital while her mother stayed home, took care of the family, and volunteered in the community in several capacities. 

After attending an all-girls school from 5th to 12th grade, Carol went on to Princeton University to study at what was then the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. During her time there, she was the editorial chairman of the school’s newspaper, an experience that would serve her well in law school. 

After graduation, Carol attended Harvard Law School, where she was elected the first female managing editor of the Harvard Law Review. This historic appointment came only a year after the Review elected its first black president—future president Barack Obama. Law degree in hand, Carol clerked for Reagan appointee Judge David B. Sentelle of the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit and worked as a legislative assistant to Sen. Christopher S. “Kit” Bond of Missouri, for whom she had previously interned doing opposition research. She also practiced law in her hometown. 

Time eventually led Carol and her husband to California, where they raised their twin daughters. Carol also worked in freelance policy and writing. 

Once her children reached school age, Carol decided to reengage in the political world. She saw that Yankee Institute was looking for a new president and — despite never having worked in state policy — decided to take the leap and apply. 

“I believe you bloom where you’re planted,” says Carol, “and the people of Connecticut get bullied a lot by a state government that takes too much and appreciates them too little. I thought there should be some organization that articulates a principled case for going about things a different way.” 

SPN facilitated her transition, helping her identify top priorities and cut through the clutter. While Carol had a wide variety of experiences that made her the perfect person for the job, one area she had no experience in was fundraising. Daniel Erspamer, SPN’s former vice president of development and current CEO of the Pelican Institute, trained her in the delicate art of asking for money. 

“I was so grateful. I don’t know where I would have been able to get that kind of information otherwise. I credit SPN with a lot of the growth that Yankee Institute has been able to achieve, and we’ve been able to increase our operating budget by about eight times since I’ve been here.” 

“I was so grateful. I don’t know where I would have been able to get that kind of information otherwise. I credit SPN with a lot of the growth that Yankee Institute has been able to achieve, and we’ve been able to increase our operating budget by about eight times since I’ve been here.” 

She also joined SPN’s CEO peer network, finding support from CEOs at think tanks in states with similar political landscapes. These invaluable relationships helped Carol immerse herself in the think tank world, and she forged many friendships that she continues to hold today. 

From the start, Carol’s goal was to make Yankee Institute an organization that would represent the interests of people and could present legislators with a more effective way of governing. To Carol, Yankee Institute is the eyes, ears, and voice of those who want a more prosperous Connecticut. 

In the time since Carol has taken the helm, Yankee Institute has achieved several significant wins, both offensive and defensive. In 2018, the state legislature sought to implement 72 toll gantries. In addition to the already high gas taxes and road taxes, this would have put a significant burden on Connecticut residents who would have paid an estimated $240 a month just to commute to work. 

Enter Yankee Institute. The organization launched an awareness s campaign with a demonstration on the state house lawn. Yankee placed 72 numbered “toll trolls” on the lawn—one for each proposed toll. The campaign was a success, and Yankee Institute was featured in news segments from every major TV station in the state. 

The plan worked. Five days before the end of Connecticut’s legislative session, the House Speaker postponed the vote due to lack of support. 

In recent years, Yankee has had a hand in everything from taking down tax increases, to passing a fiscal guardrails bill outlining what kind of spending the legislature can do, to ending a government union practice that automatically approved any union contract that sat before the legislature for more than 30 days. 

Most recently, Yankee Institute tackled one of Governor Ned Lamont’s top priorities: an electric vehicle mandate. The law sought to ban all gas-powered vehicles in the state by 2035, requiring any new cars sold to be zero-emission. Yankee Institute worked tirelessly to raise awareness of the pernicious reform, urging supporters to reach out directly to their legislators to ask them to push back against it. While the reform was temporarily stalled late last fall, Yankee remains vigilant against attempts to push it through during a special session or immediately following the election this November. 

But Yankee isn’t always working in opposition to the state’s leadership. During the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, Yankee Institute released pandemic policy papers on reducing economic fallout, positioning Connecticut for the end of the pandemic, and emphasizing the value of deregulation not just in a crisis but in the years that follow. The governor adopted three of Yankee’s provisions, including the removal of occupational licensing barriers and the creation of a task force to plan for the reopening of the state. Importantly, the task force contained a diverse makeup of residents across the state, including small business owners who are often overlooked. 

One powerful tool that Yankee Institute uses to raise aware- ness around certain topics and reach new audiences is its investigative journalism outlet, the Connecticut Inside Investigator. The award-winning newsroom seeks to tell stories that might never see the light of day in a traditional news outlet. 

“People can see through news stories written with bias,” says Carol, “but they can’t always see through another type of bias—when the story doesn’t get written at all.” 

The Investigator connects with Connecticut residents who may not resonate with the Yankee Institute brand but might be interested in learning more. Dedicated to uncovering government corruption, Connecticut Inside Investigator has broken stories about the Department of Human Services falling down on the job, the botched rollout of legalized marijuana, and sexual harassment scandals. 

One recent example of the outlet’s impact centers around the Connecticut Green Bank, which was found to be awarding no- bid contracts to its own nonprofit, made up of Green Bank employees. Reporter Marc E. Fitch broke the story on how this nonprofit, Inclusive Prosperity Capital, was requesting bid amounts ranging from 7 to 73 percent higher than the lowest bidder. As a result, Connecticut Green Bank was stripped from a solar bill, allowing municipalities applying for school construction grants to use the contractor of their choice. 

In addition to its journalism, Yankee Institute has opened up the Connecticut Center for Educational Excellence, which gives scholarships of up to $2,500 to K–8 students for use on education -related expenses. The first scholarships were given out due to the COVID-19 pandemic when more and more parents were becoming aware of how their children were being underserved by their schools. 

Yankee Institute is also a part of SPN’s Organization Accelerator program. In this program, SPN forms a deep connection with the organization and helps it think through strategy, messaging, and a host of other organizational positioning topics. To Carol, one of the most beneficial sessions was a branding exercise that helped Yankee refine its brand. 

“I’m very grateful for the expertise that SPN shares with us. As we think ahead to strategic planning, priorities, and general strategy, especially in a state where it can be a bit of an uphill battle, the resources and professionals that SPN makes available to us are incredibly helpful.” 

“I’m very grateful for the expertise that SPN shares with us. As we think ahead to strategic planning, priorities, and general strategy, especially in a state where it can be a bit of an uphill battle, the resources and professionals that SPN makes available to us are incredibly helpful.” 

Carol is excited to implement all that she’s learned as Yankee Institute continues to hold the government accountable. The organization is looking toward the renegotiation of government union contracts in the next couple of years and has hired Frank Ricci, a former union member who works with local government officials to train them on negotiating union contracts. His work across the state and country has increased Yankee Institute’s influence, as well as lawmakers’ knowledge of the best practices in union negotiation. 

As the work continues, Carol looks forward to sharing Yankee’s successes with her peers, other CEOs in the SPN Network: “The peer relationships that SPN has fostered have been invaluable. You have a Network of people to consult, to learn from, and occasionally even commiserate with. I treasure the friendships I’ve forged through SPN, and I’ve learned so much from other organization leaders.”

“The peer relationships that SPN has fostered have been invaluable. You have a Network of people to consult, to learn from, and occasionally even commiserate with. I treasure the friendships I’ve forged through SPN, and I’ve learned so much from other organization leaders.”