1. Brief History
2. Early Successes
3. Establishment of the Center for Tax Policy
4. Establishment of the Education Program
5. Establishment of the Center for Health Policy Studies
6. Establishment of the Social Security / Medicare Program
7. Establishment of the Criminal Justice Center
8. Establishment of the Center for the Environment and Energy
9. Establishment of Women in the Economy
10. Establishment of the Welfare Program
11. International Focus
12. Institutional Growth
    • Revenue Growth
    • Washington Office
    • New Personnel
    • A new Publications Strategy
    • Marketing Innovations
13. Secrets of Success
    • Allowing the Customer to Come First
    • Adopting the Right Board of Directors
    • Developing Innovative Ideas
    • Incorporating Business Marketing Techniques
    • Adopting a Long-Term Strategy

A major stimulus in the foundation of the NCPA was the support of founding board member Sir Antony Fisher who, through the Atlas Foundation, helped establish more than 40 think tanks around the world before he died. This origin played a vital role in the NCPA’s international focus. Working through the Atlas Foundation's international network of think tanks, NCPA personnel often conduct annual seminars on such subjects as budgeting and cash flow management for developing think tanks. The following are a few NCPA studies which have been especially useful to policymakers and think tanks in other countries:

• NCPA Senior Fellow Gerald Scully estimated an international Laffer curve in 1991, finding that countries maximize tax revenues at 43 percent of the GDP but maximize economic growth when taking no more than 19 percent.
• A 1995 international study by Scully found that countries with more political and civil liberty have higher rates of economic growth. He also discovered that culture has a significant effect on economy: non-Muslim countries are more liberated than Muslim countries, common law countries are freer than civil law countries and countries with an independent judiciary are emancipated more so than those without.
• A 1997 study by Scully found that the world is becoming more peaceful because governments are finding more value in productive citizens; countries that dispose of significant numbers of their own citizens sacrifice, on average, a fifth of the country’s potential GDP.
• In 2001, an NCPA study Waging the New War on Terrorism argued that in addition to military action to win this war, the U.S. must delegitimize hostile regimes and effectively use economic measures against terrorist organizations and their support networks.
• Another 2001 study, Crisis Policy-Making: Immediate Action, Prolonged Regret, showed that wars and crises often are excuses for unjustified increases in the size and power of government.

Consistent with its international focus, the NCPA usually conducts at least one international conference every year. Conferences have been held in Santiago, Chile, Britain's Windsor Castle, Prague Castle in the Czech Republic and the Forbes chateau in France.