ABSTRACT
Think tanks come in many shapes, sizes, and varieties. Thus, the distinction between a research institute and an advocacy organization is vague and often artificial. Rarely, if ever, do any of the major think tanks tell a researcher what specific conclusions to arrive at. Heritage engages in a very different type of training—assisting a large variety of smaller think tanks that operate at a state or regional level. In the Washington think tank community especially there is a very extensive and constructive movement to and from government. Meetings of the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, DC, for example, often are attended by members of the local think tanks as well as by officials in the Departments of Defense and State and other executive branch agencies. Think tank staff members who move to Washington from university positions will still find that they have to face competing pressures on the time available for their research.
