Brookings Institution

Washington, DC, USA
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Political bias: Liberal

The Brookings Institution (“Brookings”) is the premier think tank in the US, if not the world. It was founded through the merger of three Washington-based, social science and public policy research organizations in 1927. One of these, the Institute for Government Research, had been founded by wholesale distribution and shipping magnate turned philanthropist, Robert S. Brookings (1850–1932) in 1916.

The Heritage Foundation

Washington, DC, USA
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Political bias: Conservative

The Heritage Foundation (“Heritage”) is the largest and most-influential American think tank with a conservative political viewpoint. It was founded in 1973 by political activist Paul Weyrich (1942–2008) and policy analyst Edwin J. Feulner, Jr. (b. 1941), with financial backing from beer dynasty scion Joseph Coors, Sr. (1917–2003). Former public servant Kay C. James (b. 1949) served as President of Heritage from 2018 through the spring of 2021, when she announced her intention to step down.

Council on Foreign Relations

New York, New York, USA
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Political bias: Liberal

Founded in 1921, the Council on Foreign Relations (“CFR”) is now celebrating its centennial. As its name suggests, CFR focuses on US foreign policy and international relations. One of the many ways in which it exerts influence in these areas is through its widely read journal, Foreign Affairs.

Cato Institute

Washington, DC, USA
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Political bias: Libertarian

The Cato Institute (“Cato”) was founded in 1974 in Wichita, Kansas, by three individuals: the libertarian economist and political philosopher, Murray Rothbard (1926–1995), the Libertarian Party activist, Edmund Harold Crane (b. 1944), and the billionaire entrepreneur and philanthropist, Charles Koch (b. 1935). It was originally named the Charles Koch Foundation. In 1976, the name was changed to its present form at Rothbard’s suggestion. In 1981, Cato moved to its present location in the nation’s capital.

Center for Strategic and International Studies

Washington, DC, USA
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Political bias: Centrist

The Center for Strategic and International Studies (“CSIS”) began its life in 1962 under the auspices of Georgetown University. The brainchild of founders US Navy Admiral, Arleigh Burke (1901–1996), and historian and public servant, David Manker Abshire (1926–2014), CSIS specializes in strategic analyses of international relations, politics, and economics in relation to US defense and national security.

American Enterprise Institute

Washington, DC, USA
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Political bias: Neo-conservative

The American Enterprise Institute (“AEI”) was established in 1938 in response to President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal. Founded by a group of businessmen led by industrialist Lewis H. Brown (1894–1951), AEI originally focused on politics, economics, and domestic government policy in areas such as welfare.

RAND Corporation

Santa Monica, California, USA
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Political bias:Centrist

The RAND Corporation (“RAND”) is a non-profit American think tank headquartered in Santa Monica, California. RAND, whose name is an acronym for “Research and Development,” is primarily focused on research in the areas of defense and global policy.

The RAND corporation traces its origins to 1945, when Project RAND was created via a special contract with the Douglas Aircraft Company after discussions with the War Department and the Office of Scientific Research and Development. In 1948, it was established as a separate organization when Douglas Aircraft Company expressed concern over a potential conflict of interest.

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Washington, DC, USA
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Political bias: Liberal

The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (“CEIP”) is an American nonprofit think tank headquartered in Washington, DC. Focused on global policy matters, the CEIP accordingly has centers around the world, including in Beijing, New Delhi, and Moscow.

Atlantic Council

Washington, DC, USA
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Political bias: Centrist

The Atlantic Council is a non-partisan, non-profit think tank established in 1961. As its name indicates, its primary orientation is Atlanticist—that is, its work is focused on the formal alliances and more-informal economic, political, and military relationships between North America (primarily, the US and Canada) and Europe (the UK and the EU). The Atlantic Council is headquartered in Washington, DC.

Hoover Institution

Stanford, California, USA
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Political bias: Conservative

Headquartered on the campus of Stanford University in Stanford, California, the Hoover Institution (“Hoover”) recently passed its centennial mark. Hoover is named in honor of the 31st US President, Herbert Hoover (1874–1964), who served in office from 1929 until 1933. Hoover (the institution) is committed to supporting the standard pillars of American conservatism: private enterprise, personal freedom, and representative government.

Aspen Institute

Washington, DC, USA
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Political bias: Liberal

The Aspen Institute (“Aspen”) is an international, non-profit think tank that was founded in 1950. Headquartered in Washington, DC, it has campuses around the US (Aspen, Colorado—the original location; San Francisco, New York; and Wye River, Maryland) and around the globe (Paris; Lyon; Madrid; Rome; Berlin; Prague; Bucharest; Kiev; New Delhi; Tokyo; Mexico City), as well as other leadership initiatives in the US, in Central America, in India, and on the African continent. Aspen’s activities are focused on promoting a “free, just, and equitable society.

Economic Policy Institute

Washington, DC, USA
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Political bias: Progressive

Established in 1986, the Economic Policy Institute (“EPI”) is an American non-profit think tank dedicated to economic policy. EPI was founded by the economist, author, and public servant, Jeff Faux (b. 1936)—with the participation of other prominent economists, including Lester Thurow (1938–2016), Robert Kuttner (b. 1943), and Robert Reich (b. 1946)—in order to provide an intellectual counterweight to the administration of President Ronald Reagan (1981–1989).

Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars

Washington, DC, USA
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Political bias: Liberal

The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars (“Wilson Center”) was established by the Smithsonian Institution in 1968 through an act of Congress. It is officially designated the United States Presidential Memorial and is a component part of the Smithsonian Institution system, in addition to playing its role as an independent think tank.

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

Washington, DC, USA
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Political bias: Progressive

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (“CBPP”) is a non-profit think tank founded in 1981. Like EPI (see #12 above), CBPP was founded explicitly to oppose the policies of the Reagan administration, which had assumed office that same year. As its name suggests, CBPP is mostly focused on public policy issues, especially those relating to budget and tax proposals.

Peterson Institute for International Economics

Washington, DC, USA
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Political bias: Centrist

The Peterson Institute for International Economics (“PIIE”) was originally founded in 1981 by the economist and public servant, C. Fred Bergsten (b. 1941), as the Institute for International Economics. In 2006, the institute’s name was changed to its current form in honor of Peter G. Peterson , who spearheaded a major capital campaign to increase its endowment.

European Council on Foreign Relations

Berlin, Germany
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Political bias: Liberal

The European Council on Foreign Relations (“ECFR”) is a pan-European think tank headquartered in Berlin, but with offices in London, Paris, Madrid, Rome, Warsaw, and Sofia. It was founded in 2007 by British political scientist, Mark Leonard (b. 1974), and focuses on foreign policy and security matters relating to the European Union and Europe more broadly.

International Institute for Strategic Studies

London, England, United Kingdom
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Political bias: Liberal

The first British think tank to make our list, the International Institute for Strategic Studies (“IISS”) has been influencing British foreign policy since 1958.

Headquartered in London, the IISS was founded by the Oxford military historian, Michael Howard (1922–2019), together with Labour MP Denis Healey (1917–2015) and defense policy journalist Alastair Francis Buchan (1918–1976). Beyond its headquarters, the IISS has branches in Washington, DC, Singapore, and Manama, Bahrain.

The Heartland Institute

Arlington Heights, Illinois, USA
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Political bias: Libertarian

The Heartland Institute (“Heartland”) was established in 1984 in a Chicago suburb by the entrepreneur David Padden (1927–2011). Heartland’s work is primarily focused on research and advocacy in support of the libertarian vision of limited government, especially in relation to governmental regulations concerning health and the environment. Over the years, Heartland has often courted controversy by challenging the dominant mainstream narrative on the extent and nature of the dangers associated with such things as smoking, hydraulic fracking, global warming, and more.

Center for a New American Security

Washington, DC, USA
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Political bias: Liberal

The Center for a New American Security (“CNAS”) focuses mostly on national security issues, especially terrorism and asymmetric and irregular warfare. It was founded in 2007 by two public servants, Michèle Flournoy (b. 1960) and Kurt M. Campbell (b. 1957).

Demos

New York, New York, USA
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Political bias: Progressive

Demos was founded in 2000 by the lawyer and political activist, Charles Halpern (born c. 1939). Halpern, who was also founding dean of the CUNY School of Law, pioneered the practice known as public interest law. He is also an adept of transcendental meditation.

Demos sees its purpose as “[powering] the movement for a just, inclusive, multiracial democracy.” Thus, political activism is baked into its organizational DNA.

Freedom House

Washington, DC, USA
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Political bias: Centrist

Freedom House is a non-profit, private think tank focused on issues relating to democracy and human rights. It was founded in 1941 by a group of politically prominent citizens, including First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt (1884–1962), 1940 Republican Presidential nominee, Wendell Willkie (1892–1944), New York City Mayor Fiorello La Guardia (1882–1947), and political scientist, diplomat, and 1950 Nobel Peace Prize recipient, Ralph Bunche (1903–1971).

Hudson Institute

Washington, DC, USA
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Political bias: Centrist

The Hudson Institute (“Hudson”) was established in the town of Croton-on-Hudson, New York, in 1961 by Herman Kahn (1922–1983) and others as a spin-off of the RAND Corporation (see #7 above). Whereas RAND is primarily focused on defense-related rese

Chatham House

London, England, USA
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Political bias: Centrist

Established in 1920, Chatham House is a non-profit, non-governmental UK think tank headquartered in London. Chatham House, also officially titled the Royal Institute of International Affairs, was founded by the British diplomat, Lionel Curtis (1872–1955). Curtis’s aim was to create an organization focused on fostering mutual understanding between nations.

International Crisis Group

Brussels, Belgium
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Political bias: Centrist

As its name suggests, the International Crisis Group (“ICG”) is a non-profit, non-governmental think tank dedicated to researching and analyzing global crises. Though headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, ICG is a transnational organization. It was established in 1995 in response to the genocides which took place in Bosnia, Croatia, and Kosovo during the Yugoslav civil war and in Rwanda in the early 1990s.

Competitive Enterprise Institute

Washington, DC, USA
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Political bias: Libertarian

The Competitive Enterprise Institute (“CEI”) was founded in 1984 by the political scientist and economist, Fred L. Smith (b. 1940). CEI is focused on advancing the libertarian ideals of free enterprise, personal liberty, and limited government.

Fraser Institute

Canada
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Political bias: Conservative

The Fraser Institute (“Fraser”) was established in 1974 by the Canadian businessman, T. Patrick Boyle (c. 1918–2015), and the economist and journalist, Michael Walker (b. 1945). Headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, Fraser has regional offices in Calgary, Alberta; Toronto, Ontario; and Montreal, Quebec. The institute is named for the Fraser River, which runs the length of British Columbia, debouching into the Strait of Georgia (which separates the mainland from Vancouver Island) at the city of Vancouver.

Center for Immigration Studies

Washington, DC, USA
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Political bias: Conservative

The Center for Immigration Studies (“CIS”), a think tank established in 1985, advertises itself as “the nation’s only think tank devoted exclusively to research and policy analysis of the economic, social, demographic, fiscal, and other impacts of immigration on the United States.” CIS was founded by the historian, Otis L. Graham (1935–2017), and the ophthalmologist and population- and immigration-control activist, John Tanton (1934–2019).

Adam Smith Institute

London, England, United Kingdom
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Political bias: Libertarian

Headquartered in London, the Adam Smith Institute (“ASI”) was founded in 1977. Its name is an homage to the Scottish philosopher, Adam Smith (1723–1790), author of the Wealth of Nations, published in 1776, which most scholars consider to be the founding document of the science of economics. ASI is committed to supporting free-market capitalism and limited government.

Center for Economic and Policy Research

Washington, DC, USA
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Political bias: Progressive

The Center for Economic and Policy Research (“CEPR”) is a progressive think tank focused on economic issues, policy decisions, and public awareness. It was established in 1999 by the economist, Dean Baker (b. 1959), and the economist and columnist, Mark Weisbrot (b. 1954).

Institute of Economic Affairs

London, England, United Kingdom
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Political bias: Libertarian

The Institute for Economic Affairs (“IEA”) is a libertarian (or “neoliberal”) think tank established in 1955. It is dedicated, first and foremost, to promoting free-market capitalism through publications in a variety of media, as well as through events and lectures. A British think tank, IEA is headquartered in London.

Bruegel

Saint-Josse-ten-Noode, Brussels, Belgium
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Political bias: Liberal

The Brussels-based think tank Bruegel (named for the famous Bruegel family of Flemish painters) was established in 2005. It is primarily focused on economic policy in the European Union (EU) and is often cited among the best economics think tanks in the world.

Gatestone Institute

New York, New York, USA
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Political bias: Neo-conservative

The Gatestone Institute (“Gatestone”) was founded in 2008 by Sears Roebuck heiress, philanthropist, and political activist, Nina Rosenwald (probably born sometime around 1950). She remains Gatestone’s President to this day. Gatestone’s name was originally “Stonegate,” after a location on Staten Island, but it had to be changed for legal reasons.

Institute for Public Policy Research

London, England, United Kingdom
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Political bias: Progressive

The British left-wing think tank Institute for Public Policy Research (“IPPR”) was founded in 1988. It is headquartered in London but has offices around the UK IPPR owes its founding to British businessman, Clive Hollick, Baron Hollick (b. 1945), and economist and Queens’ College University of Cambridge President, John Eatwell, Baron Eatwell (b. 1945).

Center for Security Policy

Washington, DC, USA
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Political bias: Conservative

The Center for Security Policy (“CSP”) was founded in 1988 by foreign policy analyst and former public servant, Frank Gaffney (b. 1953). CSP states that its purpose is to “secure America’s founding principles and freedom through forthright national security analysis and policy solutions.”

German Marshall Fund

Washington, DC, USA
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Political bias: Centrist

In spite of its name, the German Marshall Fund (“GMF”) is an American think tank headquartered in Washington, DC, with field offices in Ankara, Belgrade, Berlin, Brussels, Bucharest, Paris, and Warsaw.

GMF was founded in 1972 by the Swiss-born political scientist and philanthropist, Guido Goldman (1937–2020), with a gift from the German Federal Republic (whence the name) to establish GMF as a memorial to the post–World War II Marshall Plan to reconstruct Europe.

Manhattan Institute for Policy Research

New York, New York, USA
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Political bias: Conservative

The International Center for Economic Policy Studies was established in New York City in 1977 by British businessman, Antony Fisher (1915–1988), and former US CIA director, William J. Casey (1913–1987). The name of the organization was changed to the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research (“MI”) in 1981. The original name was retained as a sort of sub-title.

Berggruen Institute

Los Angeles, California, USA
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Political bias: Progressive

The Berggruen Institute (“BI”) was founded in 2010 by Paris-born investor, philanthropist, and political activist, Nicolas Berggruen (b. 1961). Though he was born and raised in France, Berggruen’s parents were of German-Jewish and Albanian-Catholic descent. German was the language of his home.

Observer Research Foundation

New Delhi, Delhi, India
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Political bias: Centrist

The Observer Research Foundation (“ORF”) is an independent Indian think tank based in New Delhi, with offices in Mumbai (Bombay), Chennai (Madras), and Kolkata (Calcutta).

ORF was established in 1990 by the family of Indian business tycoon, Dhirubhai Ambani (1932–2002), founder of the massive, multinational conglomerate, Reliance Industries.

Information Technology and Innovation Foundation

Washington, DC, USA
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Political bias: Centrist

The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (“ITIF”) is a non-profit, Washington-based think tank focused on emerging issues in technology and technological policies. It was founded in 2006 by Canadian-born economist, Robert D. Atkinson (b. 1954). Its stated goal is “to formulate, evaluate, and promote policy solutions that accelerate innovation and boost productivity to spur growth, opportunity, and progress.”

Congressional Research Service

Washington, DC, USA
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Political bias: Centrist

A branch of the Library of Congress, the Congressional Research Service (“CRS”) is a nonpartisan, governmental think tank headquartered in the nation’s capital.

CRS was established in 1914 at the suggestion of Senator Robert M. La Follette, Sr. (1855–1925), and Representative John M. Nelson (1870–1955) to develop a special reference unit of the US Library of Congress.

Institute for Government

London, England, United Kingdom
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Political bias: Centrist

The Institute for Government (“IfG”) is an independent British think tank founded in 2008 by the Gatsby Charitable Foundation, at the suggestion of Labour Party supporter and Cambridge University Chancellor, David Sainsbury, Baron Sainsbury of Turville (b. 1940). IfG’s motto is: “Working to make government more effective.”

Centre for Social Justice

London, England, United Kingdom
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Political bias: Centrist

The Centre for Social Justice (“CSJ”) is a non-profit think tank headquartered in London. Relatively young, CSJ was established in 2004 by Royal Air Force flying ace and former Conservative Party leader, Iain Duncan Smith (b. 1954), economist, Conservative Party supporter, and blogger, Tim Montgomerie (b. 1970), entrepreneur Mark Florman (b. 1958), and social worker and author, Philippa Stroud, Baroness Stroud (b. 1965).

Discovery Institute

Seattle, Washington, USA
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Political bias: Conservative

The conservative, non-profit think tank Discovery Institute (“Discovery”) is headquartered in Seattle, Washington. Established in 1990 as an offshoot of the Hudson Institute (see #22 above), Discovery focuses on public policy questions surrounding science and technology. Discovery is best known for its work on intelligent design, which it argues is a scientific alternative to neo-Darwinian evolution.

Fabian Society

London, England, United Kingdom
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Political bias: Socialist

Headquartered in London, the Fabian Society (“FS”) is a socialist think tank established in 1884, making it the oldest think tank on our list. It is primarily focused on advancing democratic socialism in the UK through policy reform.

Third Way

Washington, DC, USA
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Political bias: Progressive

Third Way is an American public-policy think tank headquartered in Washington, DC. (It should not be confused with the former British think tank of the same name.) Third Way was founded in 2005 by the political aid and policy analyst, Jonathan Cowan (b. 1965), the lawyer and political operative, Matt Bennett (born c. 1965), the political aid and policy analyst, Jim Kessler (b. 1960), and the political activist, Nancy Hale (born c. 1952).

Institute of Public Affairs

Melbourne, Australia
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Political bias: Conservative

The Institute of Public Affairs (“IPA”) is a conservative, non-profit think tank headquartered in Melbourne, Australia. It is mostly focused on economic policy, government oversight, and issues affecting the free operation of businesses.

Civitas

London, England, United Kingdom
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Political bias: Libertarian

Civitas was founded in London in 2000 by publisher and author, David George Green (b. 1951), who remains its CEO. Civitas describes itself as “classically liberal.” This is a term of art used by political economists to refer to the views of the original political liberals of the late-eighteenth and early-nineteenth centuries, who advocated free trade, free markets, and limited government. In the interest of intelligibility by a twenty-first century, non-specialist American public, we refer to them as “libertarian.”

Terra Nova

France
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Political bias: Progressive

Terra Nova is a progressive French think tank founded in 2008. It has been often associated with the French Socialist Party, as well as with the administration of President Emmanuel Macron (2017–present). The group is focused on promoting progressive and democratic-socialist ideas and policy both in France and in Europe more broadly.

Reform

London, England, USA
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Political bias: Centrist

Headquartered in London, Reform is a British think tank focused on issues of public services and economics. It was founded in 2001 by Nick Herbert (b. 1963), a former Conservative Party MP.

Mercatus Center

Arlington, Virginia, USA
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Political bias: Libertarian

The Mercatus Center (“MC”) was originally founded by the economist and businessman, Richard Fink (b. 1951), as the Center for the Study of Market Processes at Rutgers University. In 1980, the center was moved to George Mason University. In 1999, its name was changed to its current form (“mercatus” is the Latin word for “market”).