Items41The creator’s order
  1. 1Brookings InstitutionBrookings InstitutionOrientation: usually described as centrist or centre-left; Brookings calls itself nonpartisan. Funding: a large endowment plus foundations, corporations, wealthy individuals and some foreign governments, the last of which has drawn press scrutiny. Founded in 1916, it is the institution later think…0
  2. 2The Heritage FoundationThe Heritage FoundationOrientation: conservative; its president since 2021, Kevin Roberts, has described its role as institutionalising Trumpism. Funding: individual donors and foundations; Heritage says it takes no government money of any kind and does no contract research. Its signature product is the transition…0
  3. 3American Enterprise InstituteAmerican Enterprise InstituteOrientation: centre-right, favouring free enterprise and limited government, and more establishment in tone than Heritage. Funding: foundations, corporations and individuals. AEI's best-known intervention is Choosing Victory, the January 2007 plan by Frederick Kagan and retired General Jack Keane…0
  4. 4Cato InstituteCato InstituteOrientation: libertarian, which means it fits neither party neatly: it argues for lower taxes and lighter regulation alongside open immigration, ending the war on drugs and a restrained foreign policy. Funding: private contributions only, with no government money; in its 2024 to 2025 financial year…0
  5. 5Center for American ProgressCenter for American ProgressOrientation: progressive, created in 2003 by John Podesta as a Democratic answer to Heritage and AEI. Funding: individual donors, foundations, labour unions and corporations; critics have faulted it for not disclosing all its donors. CAP sits closer to Democratic administrations than most think…0
  6. 6RAND CorporationRAND CorporationOrientation: independent and nonpartisan, with a technocratic, evidence-first style rather than an ideological one. Funding: mostly the US federal government; in 2024 about $328 million of its $514 million in revenue came from federal sources, the rest from foundations, companies, universities and…0
  7. 7Council on Foreign RelationsCouncil on Foreign RelationsOrientation: describes itself as independent and nonpartisan, and its membership spans both parties' foreign policy professionals. Funding: individual and corporate memberships, foundations and a sizeable endowment. Founded in 1921, the Council publishes Foreign Affairs, the journal that in 1947…0
  8. 8Carnegie Endowment for International PeaceCarnegie Endowment for International PeaceOrientation: nonpartisan and internationalist; it takes no institutional policy positions and has no political lobbying arm. Funding: an endowment that began with Andrew Carnegie's $10 million gift in 1910, plus foundation grants, individual donors and some government grants, with donors listed by…0
  9. 9Atlantic CouncilAtlantic CouncilOrientation: Atlanticist, committed to close ties between North America and Europe and broadly pro-NATO; it calls itself nonpartisan and independent of the US government and NATO. Funding: foundations, corporations, individuals and governments; a 2025 Quincy Institute study found it received almost…0
  10. 10Economic Policy InstituteEconomic Policy InstituteOrientation: left of centre and openly pro-union, founded in 1986 by economists including Robert Reich and Lester Thurow. Funding: foundations and labour unions; eight unions pledged support at its founding, and unions supplied about 29 per cent of its funding between 2005 and 2009. EPI is best…0