Public policy resources

Policy Experts

Every Texan
https://everytexan.org/

Orientation: progressive. Every Texan is an independent public policy organization that uses data and analysis to advocate for solutions that enable Texans of all backgrounds to reach their full potential. Every Texan dares Texas to be the best state for hard-working people and their families. (Formerly The Center for Public Policy Priorities.)

 

Institute for Policy Innovation
http://www.ipi.org

Orientation: conservative. The Institute for Policy Innovation (IPI) is a non-profit, non-partisan public policy think tank based in Irving, Texas and founded in 1987 to research, develop and promote innovative and non-partisan solutions to today's public policy problems. The IPI approaches policy issues from a consistent philosophical viewpoint of individual liberty and responsibility, free markets, and limited government.

 

Private Enterprise Research Center
http://perc.tamu.edu

Orientation: conservative. The mission of the Private Enterprise Research Center (PERC) is to provide Texas A&M University, the state of Texas, and the nation with analysis of important policy issues. PERC actively supports academic research and market-oriented solutions to public policy problems.

 

Public Citizen - Texas State Office
http://www.citizen.org/texas/

Orientation: progressive. Founded by Ralph Nader in 1971, Public Citizen is a national, nonprofit consumer advocacy organization that represents consumer interests in Congress, the executive branch, and the courts. Since 1984, Public Citizen's Texas State Office has concerned itself with: environmental enforcement policies, global warming, promoting renewable/clean energy, product safety, nuclear safety, medical safety, auto safety/quality, pesticide safety, insurance reforms, campaign finance/ethics issues, improving state government agency operations and fair trade policies. 

 

Texas Conservative Coalition Research Institute
http://www.txccri.org/

Orientation: conservative. The Texas Conservative Coalition Research Institute (TCCRI) was founded in 1996 by a group of state leaders determined to implement conservative public policies in state government. The work of TCCRI is based upon four core principles: limited government, individual liberty, free enterprise and traditional values.

 

Texas Institute for Health Policy Research
https://www.texashealthinstitute.org/

Orientation: progressive. Created in 1964, the Texas Institute for Health Policy Research is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that takes a broad view of health care issues and their impact on people and their communities. While the Institute identifies current problems, its approach is to seek preventive solutions that provide the opportunity for all Texans to lead a healthy life.

 

Texas Public Policy Foundation
http://www.texaspolicy.com

Orientation: conservative. The Texas Public Policy Foundation is a non-profit, non-partisan research institute guided by the principles of liberty, personal responsibility, and free enterprise. The organization seeks to educate policymakers and have an impact on the public policy debate through research and outreach.

 

Annenberg Public Policy Center, University of Pennsylvania
http://www.annenbergpublicpolicycenter.org/

The Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania, established in 1993, is a communication policy center that addresses the role of communication in politics, adolescent behavior, child development, health care, and civics and mental health, among other important arenas.

 

Ashbrook Center for Public Affairs, Ashland University
http://www.ashbrook.org/

Orientation: Conservative. The Ashbrook Center, an independent center at Ashland University, aspires to restore and strengthen the capacities of the American people for constitutional self-government. To fulfill this mission, Ashbrook offers educational programs for students, teachers, and citizens

 

Harris School of Public Policy, University of Chicago
http://harris.uchicago.edu/

The Harris School of Public Policy has sought to enhance the University of Chicago's role in shaping and understanding public life by conducting policy-relevant research and preparing talented individuals to become leaders and agents of social change.

 

Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University
http://www.ipr.northwestern.edu/

The Institute for Policy Research (IPR) is an interdisciplinary public policy research institute founded in 1968 at Northwestern University. Its mission is to stimulate and support excellent social science research on significant public policy issues and to disseminate the findings widely—to students, scholars, policymakers, and the public.

 

The James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy, Rice University
http://www.bakerinstitute.org/

Founded in 1993, the Baker Institute is a non-partisan public policy think tank at Rice University. Key research programs include energy, health, conflict resolution, science and technology, tax and expenditure policy, and Latin America and China studies.

 

John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University
http://www.hks.harvard.edu/

The mission of the John F. Kennedy School of Government is to train enlightened public leaders and to generate the ideas that provide the solutions to our most challenging public problems.

 

Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, The University of Texas at Austin
http://lbj.utexas.edu/

The LBJ School of Public Affairs is the only public policy school tied to a top-tier research university, a presidential library, a state capital, and a foreign border. It is committed to improving the quality of public service in the United States and abroad at all levels of governance and civic engagement.

 

Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government, State University of New York at Albany
http://www.rockinst.org/

The Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government, founded in 1981, is a public policy think tank that aims to enhance the capacities of state governments and the federal system to deal effectively with the nation's domestic challenges. It conducts research and analysis on the challenges facing communities nationwide and connects that research with the public and with decision makers who can make a difference.

 

Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research
http://siepr.stanford.edu/

The Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR) is a research organization committed to scholarship that helps address the real-world challenges facing governments and businesses in the United States and around the world. SIEPR's mission is to create and promote evidence-based knowledge about pressing economic issues, leading to better-informed policy decisions that will measurably improve the lives of all people.

 

Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University
http://wws.princeton.edu/

The Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs serves interests in both domestic public policy and international affairs and emphasizes experiential, policy-oriented research and learning in its graduate program. The School sponsors 20 research centers and programs that focus on issue areas ranging from health and well-being to law and public affairs, science, technology, and public policy.

 

American Enterprise Institute
http://www.aei.org/

Orientation: conservative. The American Enterprise Institute (AEI) is a public policy think tank dedicated to defending human dignity, expanding human potential, and building a freer and safer world. The work of its scholars and staff advances ideas rooted in AEI's belief in democracy, free enterprise, American strength and global leadership, solidarity with those at the periphery of society, and a pluralistic, entrepreneurial culture. AEI is committed to making the intellectual, moral, and practical case for expanding freedom, increasing individual opportunity, and strengthening the free enterprise system in America and around the world.

 

Brookings Institution
http://www.brookings.org/

Orientation: centrist. The Brookings Institution is a nonprofit public policy organization based in Washington, DC. Its mission is to conduct in-depth research that leads to new ideas for solving problems facing society at the local, national and global level.

 

Cato Institute
http://www.cato.org/

Orientation: libertarian. The Cato Institute is a public policy research organization dedicated to the principles of individual liberty, limited government, free markets and peace. Its scholars and analysts conduct independent, nonpartisan research on a wide range of policy issues.

 

Center for Data-Driven Policy

The Center for Data-Driven Policy is part of the MITRE Corporation, a not-for-profit organization that runs federally-funded research and development centers (FFRDCs) and works in partnership with industry and academia. The Center works with MITRE's subject matter experts to examine policy issues on a wide range of topics, generally falling in four cross-cutting domains: national security; science and technology; cyber; and domestic policy, and creates objective analysis on current government affairs.

 

Center for Public Integrity
http://www.publicintegrity.org/

Orientation: progressive. The Center for Public Integrity (CPI) is one of the country's oldest and largest nonpartisan, nonprofit investigative news organizations. Its mission is to counter the corrosive effects of inequality by holding powerful interests accountable and equipping the public with knowledge to drive change. CPI is dedicated to investigating systems and circumstances that contribute to inequality in the U.S.

 

Center for American Progress
http://www.americanprogress.org/

Orientation: progressive. The Center for American Progress (CAP) is an independent nonpartisan policy institute that is dedicated to improving the lives of all Americans through bold, progressive ideas, as well as strong leadership and concerted action. As progressives, CAP believes America should be a land of boundless opportunity, where people can climb the ladder of economic mobility. CAP believes we owe it to future generations to protect the planet and promote peace and shared global prosperity. Finally,  CAP believes an effective government can earn the trust of the American people, champion the common good over narrow self-interest, and harness the strength of our diversity.

 

Center on Budget & Policy Priorities
http://www.cbpp.org/

Orientation: progressive. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) is a nonpartisan research and policy institute. It advances federal and state policies designed both to reduce poverty and inequality and to restore fiscal responsibility in equitable and effective ways. The CBPP applies its deep expertise in budget and tax issues and in programs and policies that help low-income people, in order to help inform debates and achieve better policy outcomes.

 

Century Foundation
http://www.tcf.org/

Orientation: progressive. The Century Foundation is a progressive, independent think tank that conducts research, develops solutions, and drives policy change to make people’s lives better. The Foundation pursues economic, racial, gender, and disability equity in education, health care, and work, and promotes U.S. foreign policy that fosters international cooperation, peace, and security.

 

Economic Policy Institute
http://www.epi.org/

Orientation: progressive. The Economic Policy Institute (EPI) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank created in 1986 to include the needs of low- and middle-income workers in economic policy discussions. EPI believes every working person deserves a good job with fair pay, affordable health care, and retirement security. To achieve this goal, EPI conducts research and analysis on the economic status of working America. EPI proposes public policies that protect and improve the economic conditions of low- and middle-income workers and assesses policies with respect to how they affect those workers.

 

Heartland Institute
http://www.heartland.org/

Orientation: libertarian. The Heartland Institute's mission is to discover, develop, and promote free-market solutions to social and economic problems. Those solutions include parental choice in education, market-based approaches to environmental protection, privatization of public services, and deregulation in areas where property rights and markets do a better job than government bureaucracies.

 

Heritage Foundation
http://www.heritage.org/

Orientation: conservative. Founded in 1973, The Heritage Foundation is a research and educational institution whose mission is to formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong national defense.

 

Hudson Institute
http://www.hudson.org/

Orientation: conservative. The Hudson Institute challenges conventional thinking and helps manage strategic transitions to the future through interdisciplinary studies in defense, international relations, economics, health care, technology, culture, and law. Hudson seeks to guide policymakers and global leaders in government and business through a robust program of publications, conferences, policy briefings, and recommendations.

 

Institute for Policy Studies
http://www.ips-dc.org/

Orientation: progressive. The Institute for Policy Studies (ISP) is a progressive organization dedicated to building a more equitable, ecologically sustainable, and peaceful society. In partnership with dynamic social movements, IPS aims to transform policy ideas into action.

 

Manhattan Institute
http://www.manhattan-institute.org/

Orientation: conservative. The Manhattan Institute for Policy Research (MI) is a leading voice of free-market ideas, shaping political culture since its founding in 1977. Ideas that have changed the United States and its urban areas for the better—welfare reform, tort reform, proactive policing, and supply-side tax policies, among others—are the heart of MI's legacy.

 

National Bureau of Economic Research
http://www.nber.org/

Orientation: centrist. Founded in 1920, the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) is a private, non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to conducting economic research and to disseminating research findings among academics, public policy makers, and business professionals. Key focus areas include developing new statistical measurements, estimating quantitative models of economic behavior, and analyzing the effects of public policies.

 

National Center for Public Policy Research
http://www.nationalcenter.org/

Orientation: conservative. The National Center for Public Policy Research (NCPPR) is a communications and research foundation supportive of a strong national defense and dedicated to providing free market solutions to today's public policy problems. NCPPR believes that the principles of a free market, individual liberty and personal responsibility provide the greatest hope for meeting the challenges facing America in the 21st century.

 

Pew Research Center for the People and the Press
http://people-press.org/

Orientation: centrist. Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, content analysis and other data-driven social science research, and does not take policy positions.

 

Progressive Policy Institute
https://www.progressivepolicy.org/

Orientation: progressive. Founded by the Democratic Leadership Council in 1989, PPI's mission is to create radically pragmatic ideas for moving America beyond ideological and partisan deadlock. PPI is developing fresh proposals for stimulating U.S. economic innovation and growth; equipping all Americans with the skills and assets that social mobility in the knowledge economy requires; modernizing an overly bureaucratic and centralized public sector; and defending liberal democracy in a dangerous world.

 

Public Agenda
http://www.publicagenda.org

Orientation: centrist. Founded in 1975, Public Agenda is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization. Public Agenda believes that a strong democracy requires informed citizens, engaged communities, productive public conversations, and policies that reflect the public’s concerns and values. Through nonpartisan research and public engagement, the organization works to make these essentials a reality while fostering progress on the issues people care about most, particularly those essential to expanding opportunity for all Americans.

RAND Corporation
http://www.rand.org/

Orientation: centrist/conservative. The RAND Corporation is a research organization that develops solutions to public policy challenges to help make communities throughout the world safer and more secure, healthier and more prosperous. RAND is nonprofit, nonpartisan, and committed to the public interest.

 

Reason Foundation
http://reason.org/

Orientation: libertarian. Reason Foundation advances a free society by developing, applying, and promoting libertarian principles, including individual liberty, free markets, and the rule of law. RF's nonpartisan public policy research promotes choice, competition, and a dynamic market economy as the foundation for human dignity and progress.

 

State Policy Network
http://www.spn.org/

Orientation: libertarian. Founded in 1992 by Tom Roe at the urging of Ronald Reagan, State Policy Network (SPN) is the only group in the country dedicated solely to improving the practical effectiveness of independent, non-profit, market-oriented, state-focused think tanks.

 

Urban Institute
http://www.urban.org/

Orientation: centrist/progressive. The Urban Institute is a nonprofit research organization that provides data and evidence to help advance upward mobility and equity. The organization's mission is to open minds, shape decisions, and offer solutions through economic and social policy research. Its research portfolio ranges from the social safety net to health and tax policies; the well-being of families and neighborhoods; and trends in work, earnings, and wealth building.