FEE Award for Best Book in Austrian Economics (November 2012): Awarded by the Foundation for Economic Education (FEE) and the Society for Development of Austrian Economics (SDAE) at the Southern Economics Association convention in New Orleans, for the Independent Institute's book, Living Economics: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, by Peter J. Boettke.

Established in 2003, the Templeton Freedom Award for “Free Market Solutions to Poverty” is named for late investor and philanthropist Sir John Templeton, and is now the largest international prize program that celebrates organizational contributions to the understanding of liberty.

Gold Medal IPPY Award Winner (May 2010): Awarded by The Jenkins Group and IndependentPublisher.com to Recarving Rushmore: Ranking the Presidents on Peace, Prosperity, and Liberty by Ivan Eland, and to the Independent Institute, in the category of Reference.

The Annual Independent Publisher Book Awards (the IPPYs) honor the year’s best independently published titles. The “IPPY” Awards were conceived as a broad-based, unaffiliated awards program open to all members of the independent publishing industry, and are open to authors and publishers worldwide who produce books written in English and intended for the North American market. Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals are awarded to each recipient during the annual BookExpoAmerica publishing convention.

The Annual Independent Publisher Book Awards (the IPPYs) honor the year’s best independently published titles. The “IPPY” Awards were conceived as a broad-based, unaffiliated awards program open to all members of the independent publishing industry, and are open to authors and publishers worldwide who produce books written in English and intended for the North American market. Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals are awarded to each recipient during the annual BookExpoAmerica publishing convention.

The New Holy Wars: Economic Religion vs. Environmental Religion in Contemporary America by Robert H. Nelson (The Independent Institute and Pennsylvania State University Press) was selected as the Grand Prize winner for the Eric Hoffer Book Awards.

The Eric Hoffer Award for short prose and books was established at the start of the 21st century as a means of opening a door to writing of significant merit and to honor freethinking writers and independent books of exceptional merit. It honors the memory of the great American philosopher Eric Hoffer by highlighting salient writing, as well as the independent spirit of small publishers. The winning stories and essays are published in Best New Writing, and the book awards are covered in the US Review of Books.

The Grand Prizes
Two grand prizes are awarded annually: one for short prose (i.e. fiction and creative nonfiction) and one for independent books from small, micro, and academic presses, as well as self-published books. Prizes include a $500 award for short prose and a $1,500 award for best independent book. In addition to the two main grand prize awards, various other honors and distinctions are given for both prose and books.

Benjamin Franklin Award (May 2009)

The Independent Book Publishers Association awarded first place to Twilight War: The Folly of U.S. Space Dominance by Mike Moore and the Independent Institute in the category Political/Current Events.

Named in honor of America's most cherished publisher/printer, the Benjamin Franklin Awards recognize excellence in independent publishing. Books grouped by genre are judged on editorial and design merit by top practitioners in each field. The trophies are awarded to the best books in several categories and are presented to the publishers during a gala ceremony on the opening night of BookExpo America, the book publishing industry’s annual convention of booksellers and publishers.

The Founders’ Second Amendment: Origins of the Right to Bear Arms by Stephen P. Halbrook (The Independent Institute and Ivan R. Dee, Publisher) was also recognized as a finalist in the Professional/Technical category.

Silver Medal IPPY Award Winner (May 2009): Awarded by The Jenkins Group and IndependentPublisher.com to Twilight War: The Folly of U.S. Space Dominance by Mike Moore, and to the Independent Institute, in the category of Science.

The Annual Independent Publisher Book Awards (the IPPYs) honor the year’s best independently published titles. The “IPPY” Awards were conceived as a broad-based, unaffiliated awards program open to all members of the independent publishing industry, and are open to authors and publishers worldwide who produce books written in English and intended for the North American market. Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals are awarded to each recipient during the annual BookExpoAmerica publishing convention.

The Annual Independent Publisher Book Awards (the IPPYs) honor the year’s best independently published titles. The “IPPY” Awards were conceived as a broad-based, unaffiliated awards program open to all members of the independent publishing industry, and are open to authors and publishers worldwide who produce books written in English and intended for the North American market. Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals are awarded to each recipient during the annual BookExpoAmerica publishing convention.

Outstanding Academic Book (January 2008): Awarded by Choice Magazine (American Library Association)
Awarded to The Independent Institute for the book, Depression, War, and Cold War: Studies in Political Economy, by Robert Higgs

“This prestigious list reflects the best in scholarly titles reviewed by Choice and brings with it extraordinary recognition of the academic library community. The list is quite selective. . . . In awarding Outstanding Academic Titles, the editors apply several criteria to reviewed titles: overall excellence in presentation and scholarship, importance relative to other literature in the field, distinction as a first treatment of a given subject in book or electronic form, originality or uniqueness of treatment, value to undergraduate students, and importance in building undergraduate library collections.”

Sir Antony Fisher International Memorial Award (2008): Awarded by the Atlas Economic Research Foundation

Street Smart: Competition, Entrepreneurship, and the Future of Roads edited by Gabriel Roth (Research Fellow, The Independent Institute, and former transportation economist for the World Bank). Honors think tank publications that made the greatest contributions to the public understanding of the free society during the prior year.

Heartland Liberty Prize (October 2008): Awarded by the Heartland Institute

Awarded to Research Fellow S. Fred Singer for “extraordinary contributions to the preservation of liberty in the United States”

Adam Smith Free Enterprise Award (2008): Awarded by the American Legislative Exchange Council

Awarded to Richard K. Vedder, Senior Fellow, The Independent Institute.

The Independent Institute Awarded 4-Star Rating (February 2008) by Charity Navigator

Of 322 leading policy organizations in the United States, regularly examined by Charity Navigator, the premier evaluator of public charities, the Independent Institute ranks in the top 4% with a highest 4-Star Rating, above virtually all other think tanks. The rating is based on a weighted assessment of organizational efficiency (fundraising efficiency, fundraising expenses, program expenses, and administration expenses) and capacity (average annual growth of primary revenue, average annual growth of program expenses, and working capital ratio). And of all organizations rated, the Institute is almost alone in having a written privacy policy.

2007 Gary G. Schlarbaum Prize for Lifetime Achievement in the Cause of Liberty (October 12, 2007); Awarded by the Ludwig von Mises Institute

Robert Higgs, Senior Fellow in Political Economy and Editor of The Independent Review at the Independent Institute, received the Gary G. Schlarbaum Prize for his pioneering work revealing how government grows and usurps liberty by exploiting fears in order to expand its power at the behest of special interests. Acceptance speech by Dr. Higgs.

Young Global Leader for 2007 (January 2007): Awarded by the World Economic Forum

Alvaro Vargas Llosa, Senior Fellow and Director of the Center on Global Prosperity at the Independent Institute, was named one of 250 Young Global Leaders for 2007 by the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Drawn from a pool of over 4,000 candidates, the Young Global Leaders for 2007 have been chosen by a selection committee of 34 eminent international media leaders, including Marjorie Scardino (Chief Executive, Pearson, United Kingdom), Arthur Sulzberger (Chairman and Publisher, The New York Times Company), Tom Glocer (Chief Executive Officer, Reuters, United Kingdom), and Hisashi Hieda (Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Fuji Television Network, Japan). The committee is chaired by Queen Rania of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

“Social Science Book of the Month” (January-February 2007)

Awarded by Society Magazine to the Independent Institute book, Depression, War and Cold War, by Robert Higgs, Senior Fellow in Political Economy.

“Top 10” Book for 2007 in Urban Planning, Design, and Development Community (December 2006): Awarded by Planetizen, the Planning & Development Network to Street Smart: Competition, Entrepreneurship and the Future of Roads, edited by Gabriel Roth, foreword by Mary Peters

According to Planetizen, “STREET SMART provides a cogent challenge to the public sector’s monopoly on roads. In this provocative and enlightening compilation, the leading thinkers on privatization put forth market-based solutions for providing roadways and dealing with traffic congestion. Contributors to the volume provide both historic and modern day examples of private sector road services, and outline the case for taking politics out of transportation and unleashing the power of competition. A valuable resource for understanding the argument for privatization.”

Thomas S. Szasz Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Cause of Civil Liberties (December 2006): Awarded by the Center for Independent Thought

Robert Higgs, Senior Fellow in Political Economy and Editor of The Independent Review at the Independent Institute, received the Thomas S. Szasz Award for his pioneering work revealing how government grows and usurps liberty by exploiting fears in order to expand its power at the behest of special interests. The award was presented at a special reception and forum hosted by the Independent Institute in Oakland, Calif.

Peter Shaw Memorial Award for 2006 (November 2006): Awarded by the National Association of Scholars

Awarded to Research Fellow Donald A. Downs, Professor of Political Science, University of Wisconsin; author of Restoring Free Speech and Liberty on Campus

Freedom Award for Brave Defense of Liberty (November 2006): Awarded by the Fundacion Atlas in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Awarded to Research Analyst Gabriel Gasave for his "permanent contribution to the defense of liberty."

First Annual Juan Bautista Alberdi Award (November 2006): Awarded by the Hispanic American Center for Economic Research (HACER)

Alvaro Vargas Llosa, Senior Fellow and Director of the Center on Global Prosperity at the Independent Institute, was presented with the First Annual Juan Bautista Alberdi Award, from the Hispanic American Center for Economic Research (HACER). The award was presented at the Mt. Pelerin conference in Guatemala City.

Lysander Spooner Award for Advancing the Literature of Liberty (September 2006): Awarded by The Center for Libertarian Thought

Awarded to Robert Higgs, Senior Fellow in Political Economy, The Independent Institute; author, Depression, War and Cold War: Studies in Political Economy. Bestowed monthly to honor the most important contributions to the literature of liberty, the award is named for the 19th century constitutional lawyer, abolitionist, and author, Lysander Spooner, who also earned acclaim for starting the first private postal service in the United States, challenging the government's monopoly of the mails and forcing the Post Office to drastically reduce the price of postage.

Friedrich von Wieser Memorial Prize for Excellence in Economic Education (2006): Awarded by the Liberal Institute, Prague, Czech Republic

Awarded to Robert Higgs, Senior Fellow in Political Economy, The Independent Institute

Sir Antony Fisher International Memorial Award (2006): Awarded by the Atlas Economic Research Foundation

Liberty for Latin America (Spanish edition, Rumbo a la Libertad), by Alvaro Vargas Llosa (Senior Fellow and Director, Center on Global Prosperity, The Independent Institute).

Adam Smith Award (2006): The highest award presented by the Association of Private Enterprise Education

Awarded to Bruce L. Benson, Senior Fellow, The Independent Institute.

Lysander Spooner Award for Advancing the Literature of Liberty (December 2005): Awarded by The Center for Libertarian Thought

Awarded to Robert Higgs, Senior Fellow in Political Economy, The Independent Institute; author, Resurgence of the Warfare State: The Crisis Since 9/11. Bestowed monthly to honor the most important contributions to the literature of liberty, the award is named for the 19th century constitutional lawyer, abolitionist, and author, Lysander Spooner, who also earned acclaim for starting the first private postal service in the United States, challenging the government's monopoly of the mails and forcing the Post Office to drastically reduce the price of postage.

The Independent Institute Awarded 4-Star Rating (2005) by Charity Navigator

Of 222 leading policy organizations in the United States, regularly examined by Charity Navigator, the premier evaluator of public charities, the Independent Institute ranks in the top 10% with a highest 4-Star Rating, above virtually all other think tanks. The rating is based on a weighted assessment of organizational efficiency (fundraising efficiency, fundraising expenses, program expenses, and administration expenses) and capacity (average annual growth of primary revenue, average annual growth of program expenses, and working capital ratio).

Medal of the President of the Italian Republic (2004): Awarded by the Pio Manzù Research Centre

Ivan Eland was awarded the Medal of the President of the Italian Republic by President of the Pio Manzù Research Centre, Mikhail Gorbachev, and Vice-President and Special Advisor to the UN Secretary-General, Giandomenico Picco at the 30th Pio Manzù International Conference in Rimini, Italy, October 16-18.

“Director of the Center on Peace & Liberty of the Independent Institute, Oakland, California, Ivan Eland is one of the USA’s leading experts on foreign policy, security and defense.... His knowledge of the most recent American choices in terms of military strategy makes him one of the world’s best-informed experts on White House foreign and military policy. He has written numerous studies on strategy and foreign policy, including his new book, The Empire Has No Clothes: U.S. Foreign Policy Exposed, in which he questions the historical and theoretical assumptions on which the current U.S. interventionist foreign policy is based. To Ivan Eland goes the wholehearted recognition of all those seeking to comprehend the origins and the significance of the political decisions of our times in terms of war and peace.”
—Mikhail Gorbachev

Liberty in Media Awards (2003)

Congressman Ron Paul’s third Liberty in Media Awards (LIMA) has chosen the article, “An Anniversary That We Must Never Forget,” by Anthony Gregory (The Independent Institute, April 16, 2003).

Freedom of Expression Award (2003): Awarded by the Organization of Ibero-American Journalists

Awarded to Alvaro Vargas Llosa, Research Fellow, The Independent Institute, for his work as a writer and distinguished journalist:

“The Organization of Ibero-American Journalists (OPI), whose purpose is the defense of the freedom of expression, the preservation of human rights and the professional advancement of Ibero-American journalists, has unanimously agreed to grant you the Freedom of the Press Award in recognition for your well-known and distinguished career, sustained by sound ethical principles.”

Certificate of Excellence (2000): Awarded by TIAA-CREF

Awarded to Shawn Everett Kantor and Price V. Fishback for their book, A Prelude to the Welfare State: The Origins of Workers’ Compensation, based in part on their earlier article, “How Minnesota Adopted Workers’ Compensation,” in The Independent Institute’s quarterly journal, The Independent Review (Spring 1998, vol. II, no. 4, pp. 557-578)

Sir Antony Fisher International Memorial Award (2000): Awarded by the Atlas Economic Research Foundation

To Serve and Protect: Privatization and Community in Criminal Justice by Bruce L. Benson, foreword by Marvin E. Wolfgang

4M: Highest Rating for Ethics in Social and Public Policy (2000): Awarded by the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, University of Santa Clara

Amazon.com #1 Bestseller (Antitrust) (1999)

Winners, Losers & Microsoft: Competition and Antitrust in High Technology
by Stan J. Liebowitz and Stephen E. Margolis, foreword by Jack Hirshleifer

Best Paper Award (1999): Awarded by the Association of Private Enterprise Education

Awarded to Bruce L. Benson, Senior Fellow, The Independent Institute, for his paper, “Market Alternatives for Crime Control: Entrepreneurial Responses to Government Failure,” from To Serve and Protect: Privatization and Community in Criminal Justice

Templeton Honor Rolls Award on Education in a Free Society (1998)

Awarded to Robert Higgs, Senior Fellow in Political Economy, The Independent Institute; author, Crisis and Leviathan: Critical Episodes in the Growth of American Government

Sir Antony Fisher International Memorial Award (1998): Awarded by the Atlas Economic Research Foundation

Taxing Choice: The Predatory Politics of Fiscal Discrimination edited by William F. Shughart II, foreword by Paul W. McCracken

Sir Antony Fisher International Memorial Award (1997): Awarded by the Atlas Economic Research Foundation

The Academy in Crisis: The Political Economy of Higher Education edited by John W. Sommer, foreword by Nathan Glazer

Mencken Award Finalist for Best Editorial (1995): Awarded by the Free Press Association

“Immigration Doesn’t Displace Natives”, by Richard K. Vedder, The Wall Street Journal, March 28, 1994

Sir Antony Fisher International Memorial Award (1995): Awarded by the Atlas Economic Research Foundation

Beyond Politics: Markets, Welfare and the Failure of Bureaucracy by William C. Mitchell and Randy T. Simmons, foreword by Gordon Tullock

Mencken Award Finalist for Best Book (1994): Awarded by the Free Press Association

Out of Work: Unemployment and Government in Twentieth-Century America by Richard K. Vedder and E. Lowell Gallaway, foreword by Martin Bronfenbrenner

Sir Antony Fisher International Memorial Award (1994): Awarded by the Atlas Economic Research Foundation

Out of Work: Unemployment and Government in Twentieth-Century America by Richard K. Vedder and E. Lowell Gallaway, foreword by Martin Bronfenbrenner

Leavey Award for Excellence in Private Enterprise Education (1988): Awarded by Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge

Awarded to E. C. Pasour, Jr., Research Fellow, The Independent Institute; Author, Agriculture and the State: Market Processes and Bureaucracy