Think Tanks and Policy Research

The Ideas Industry

Think tanks are organizations that produce policy research, analysis, and recommendations. They occupy a unique position between academia and government — more accessible and timely than academic research, more rigorous and independent than government reports (at least in principle). There are an estimated 11,000 think tanks worldwide, with the United States hosting by far the most.

For policy analysts, think tanks are indispensable sources of evidence, analysis, and ideas. But they are not neutral. Every think tank has a perspective — shaped by its founding mission, its funding sources, its intellectual tradition, and its institutional incentives. Using think tank research effectively requires understanding both its value and its limitations.

The Think Tank Spectrum

Think tanks range from rigorously academic to overtly ideological:

Academic-style think tanks prioritize methodological rigor and employ researchers with PhD-level training. The Brookings Institution, RAND Corporation, and the Urban Institute in the US, and Chatham House and the Institute for Fiscal Studies in the UK, fall into this category. Their research undergoes peer review and is generally regarded as credible across the political spectrum. They are not bias-free — all have institutional perspectives — but they follow evidence where it leads.

Advocacy think tanks start with a policy position and produce research to support it. The Heritage Foundation (conservative) and the Center for American Progress (progressive) in the US, or the Adam Smith Institute (free-market) and the Fabian Society (social democratic) in the UK, are explicit about their orientation. Their research can be high-quality but is selected and framed to advance their agenda.

Contract research organizations conduct research for paying clients — governments, foundations, or international organizations. The RAND Corporation and Abt Associates in the US, and the Institute for Government in the UK, combine independent research with commissioned work. The quality is generally high, but the research agenda is shaped by whoever is funding the study.

Party-affiliated think tanks are explicitly linked to political parties and exist to develop the party's policy platform. Germany's Konrad Adenauer Foundation (CDU) and Friedrich Ebert Foundation (SPD) are prominent examples.

Using Think Tank Research Effectively

Think tank research is most valuable when used with critical awareness:

Triangulate across perspectives. On any major policy issue, read research from think tanks on different sides of the spectrum. If Brookings and Heritage agree on a finding, that finding is probably robust. If they disagree, the disagreement itself is informative — it reveals which aspects of the issue are empirically contested versus ideologically driven.

Evaluate methodology, not just conclusions. A well-designed study from an advocacy think tank may be more reliable than a poorly designed study from an academic think tank. Look for: clear methodology sections, acknowledged limitations, reproducible data, and conclusions that follow from the evidence presented.

Distinguish research from commentary. Think tanks produce multiple types of content: peer-reviewed studies, working papers, policy briefs, op-eds, and blog posts. These have vastly different levels of rigor. A Brookings blog post is an expert's opinion; a Brookings working paper is a researched analysis. Cite appropriately.

Check the author, not just the institution. Individual researchers within a think tank may have varying levels of expertise and rigor. A senior fellow who is a recognized authority on trade policy may be more credible than a junior analyst writing outside their area.