ABSTRACT
The recommendations that follow are based in part on the results of the survey but are also informed and defined by my 23 years of studying, consulting, and surveying think tanks in the United States. In addition, they flow from two previous studies: “Thinking about the Future of Think Tanks” (FPRI 1999) and “Responding to 9/11: Are US Think Tanks Thinking Outside the Box?” (FPRI July 2003), which addressed some of the issues facing public policy research organizations. These reports, however, only identified problems; they did not set out to recommend a corrective course of action. The recommendations provided below are intended to serve as a starting point for further development, a process that will hopefully lead to a new architecture for how think tanks operate and are funded. At this stage in the process, not all the institutions that participated in the study have endorsed the proposed recommendations. Specific interventions also need to be mounted that will help develop the critical mass of researchers and analysts that will be needed to confront the domestic and international challenges that lie ahead. If think tanks are to effectively challenge the conventional wisdom in Washington, DC and around the country, they must be prepared to strengthen their institutions so that innovation, diversity, and collaboration can flourish. Finally, the recommendations are not intended to focus exclusively on the 23 institutions that participated in the study, but rather on the entire think tank community of 1,736 institutions. Provided below are a few modest recommendations for improving the quality and sustainability of independent public policy research, analysis and engagement organizations in the United States:
1 Convene a working group involving a broad cross section of think tanks to develop a set of strategies and recommendations for improving the funding environment for public policy research organizations.
