I am Patrick M. Brenner, a free-market consumer advocate and the President of the Southwest Public Policy Institute. My work sits at the intersection of economics, public policy, and consumer protection, with a focus on how regulatory systems shape everyday life. I believe that policy should be judged not by its intent, but by its outcomes, and that the most important outcomes are whether people can build stable, independent, and prosperous lives.
I founded the Southwest Public Policy Institute in 2022 with the belief that many policy debates were failing consumers by prioritizing political signaling over measurable results. What began as a state-focused think tank serving the American Southwest quickly evolved into something larger. As our research gained traction, it became clear that the issues we were studying were not confined to any one state or region. Credit access, housing affordability, retirement security, and regulatory overreach are national problems, and the work required a national voice. Today, SPPI is recognized for its research and commentary across multiple states and at the federal level.
Much of my early work focused on consumer credit markets and lending regulation. Through projects such as the No Loan For You research series, I examined how well-intentioned interest rate caps and regulatory restrictions often reduce access to credit for the very consumers they are designed to protect. That work challenged prevailing narratives and forced policymakers to confront uncomfortable tradeoffs between access and restriction. Over time, my research expanded to include housing finance, retirement systems, financial technology, and administrative law, all of which share a common thread: when markets are distorted by rigid rules, consumers pay the price.
My approach to free-market advocacy is not ideological for its own sake. I believe markets work best when competition is real, information is transparent, and consumers are treated as capable decision-makers. I am skeptical of one-size-fits-all regulations that assume policymakers can centrally plan better outcomes than individuals making informed choices. At the same time, I believe defending markets carries responsibility. Consumer choice must be voluntary, informed, and sustainable. A market that depends on confusion or coercion is not a healthy one.
Throughout my career, I have worked to translate complex policy issues into language that reflects how people actually experience them. I am less interested in abstract models than in how policies affect access to housing, the ability to build credit, the opportunity to invest for retirement, and the capacity to weather financial shocks. I believe that policy discussions too often ignore second- and third-order effects, particularly on low- and moderate-income consumers, and much of my work is aimed at making those consequences visible.
In addition to research and advocacy, I am an active public commentator. I regularly write for national and regional media outlets on issues related to consumer finance, regulatory authority, and economic opportunity. My commentary has addressed subjects ranging from mortgage markets and credit card regulation to retirement investment restrictions and the growing power of administrative agencies. I view public writing as an extension of policy work itself. If research cannot be communicated clearly to the public, it fails to achieve its purpose.
My background includes nonprofit leadership, strategic communications, and policy analysis, which has allowed me to engage effectively with lawmakers, journalists, business leaders, and advocacy organizations. I have testified, participated in coalitions, supported litigation efforts, and advised on policy strategy, always with the goal of grounding debates in evidence rather than ideology. I am particularly interested in how regulatory structures evolve over time and how institutional incentives shape outcomes, often in ways that are invisible to the public.
At a personal level, my views on policy are shaped by a belief in long-term thinking. I am skeptical of systems that prioritize short-term political wins over durable solutions. Whether the issue is housing, credit, or retirement security, I believe policies should encourage ownership, delayed gratification, and sustained participation in the economy rather than dependency or financial fragility.
I also believe that institutions matter. Strong legal frameworks, clear rules, and accountable governance are essential to functional markets. When regulatory power becomes too centralized or insulated from democratic accountability, consumers lose leverage and trust erodes. Much of my recent work has focused on the growth of the administrative state and the need to restore balance between regulators, markets, and the people affected by both.
Looking forward, my work continues to focus on reshaping how policymakers and the public think about consumer protection and economic freedom. I am interested in policies that expand access rather than restrict it, that empower individuals rather than substitute bureaucratic judgment for personal decision-making, and that recognize tradeoffs honestly instead of obscuring them.
I believe better policy leads to better lives. That belief continues to guide my work, my writing, and my leadership.