Brookings Institution facts for kids

The Brookings Institution, often called Brookings, is an American organization that does research and education. It's like a "think tank" – a group of experts who study important topics and suggest ideas to help leaders make good decisions. Brookings mainly focuses on subjects like how the economy works, city planning, how governments operate, and how countries interact with each other around the world.

Brookings has five main research groups: Economic Studies, Foreign Policy, Governance Studies, Global Economy and Development, and Brookings Metro. They used to have international centers in places like Qatar, China, and India, but they have changed how they work with those centers.

Since 2008, the University of Pennsylvania has called Brookings the "Think Tank of the Year" and the "Top Think Tank in the World." Many people see it as a very important and respected organization. Brookings says its staff has many different ideas and that it doesn't favor any political party.

Quick facts for kids
The Brookings Institution

The Brookings Institution building near Dupont Circle in Washington, D.C.
Abbreviation	Brookings
Formation	1916; 109 years ago (1916)
Founder	Robert S. Brookings
Type	Public policy think tank
Headquarters	1775 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W.
Location	Washington, D.C., U.S.
President	Cecilia Rouse
Revenue (2020)	$86.28 million
Expenses (2020)	$93.372 million
Endowment	$355.2 million (2020)
Formerly called	Institute for Government Research

What is the History of Brookings?

How Brookings Began (1916–1979)

Founder Robert S. Brookings (1850–1932)

Brookings started in 1916 as the Institute for Government Research (IGR). Its goal was to be the first private group to study national public policy issues. It officially began on October 1, 1916.

The organization's main purpose is to offer new and useful ideas to help achieve three big goals:

• Make American democracy stronger.
• Improve the well-being, safety, and opportunities for all Americans.
• Create a more open, safe, rich, and cooperative international system.

The founder, a generous person named Robert S. Brookings (1850–1932), first created three separate groups. These were the Institute for Government Research, the Institute of Economics, and the Robert Brookings Graduate School. All three groups joined together to form The Brookings Institution on December 8, 1927.

During the Great Depression, which was a very tough economic time, Brookings experts studied why it was happening. President Franklin D. Roosevelt asked them to do this. Brookings scholars also disagreed with some of Roosevelt's plans, believing they slowed down economic recovery.

When the U.S. entered World War II in 1941, Brookings researchers helped the government. They did studies on how to get the country ready for war. In 1948, Brookings also helped create a plan for the European Recovery Program, also known as the Marshall Plan. This plan helped European countries rebuild after the war.

In 1952, Robert Calkins became the president of Brookings. He got money from big foundations and reorganized Brookings into its main programs: Economic Studies, Government Studies, and Foreign Policy. In 1957, Brookings moved to a new research center in Washington, D.C., near Dupont Circle.

Kermit Gordon became president in 1967. He started studies on how the government should spend its money. He also expanded the Foreign Policy program to include research on national security and defense. After Richard Nixon became president in 1968, the relationship between Brookings and the White House became difficult. Despite this, Brookings received many government research contracts throughout the 1970s.

After Gordon passed away in 1976, Gilbert Y. Steiner became the fourth president. He brought in many smart scholars who studied topics from government reform to city issues. Their work made the program more visible and important.

What Happened from 1980 to 2022?

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev at Brookings on April 14, 2010.

José María Figueres, former President of Costa Rica, speaking at Brookings Institution.

By the 1980s, Brookings faced more competition from other think tanks. A big focus for their research became how to reduce the U.S. government's debt. They also looked at problems with national security and how to make the government more efficient. Bruce MacLaury, the fifth president, started a center to hold workshops and public discussions. This helped more people learn about Brookings's research.

In 1995, Michael Armacost became the sixth president. He helped Brookings focus its mission for the new century. Under his leadership, Brookings created new research centers. One was the Center on Urban and Metropolitan Policy, which studied the strengths of cities. Another was the Center for Northeast Asian Policy Studies, which brought together experts from different Asian countries to look at regional problems.

Strobe Talbott became president in 2002. During his time, Brookings opened the Saban Center for Middle East Policy and the John L. Thornton China Center. In 2006, they announced the Brookings-Tsinghua Center in Beijing, China. In 2007, they created the Engelberg Center for Health Care Reform and the Brookings Doha Center in Qatar.

In 2011, Talbott also opened the Brookings India Office.

In October 2017, former general John R. Allen became the eighth president. He resigned in June 2022.

As of June 30, 2019, Brookings had an endowment (money saved for the future) of $377.2 million.

How Does Brookings Influence Policy?

Brookings has a long history, going back to 1916. It has helped create important things like the United Nations, the Marshall Plan, and the Congressional Budget Office. It has also helped develop policies for reducing government rules, changing tax laws, reforming welfare, and giving foreign aid to other countries.

The Foreign Policy magazine's annual think tank index ranks Brookings as the number one think tank in the U.S. The Global Go To Think Tank Index believes it is the top one in the world. Even though U.S. media mentions think tanks less often now, Brookings's research is still the most frequently cited among the top 200 think tanks.

In a 1997 survey of people who work for Congress and journalists, Brookings was seen as the most influential and trustworthy among 27 think tanks. Brookings and its researchers are more focused on academic research than on pushing a certain political idea. Along with other important groups, Brookings is considered one of the most influential policy institutes in the U.S.

What is Brookings' Political Stance?

Brookings is a nonprofit organization that says it is independent and does not favor any political party. A 2005 study found it to be "centrist." This means it was referenced almost equally by both conservative and liberal politicians in government records from 1993 to 2002. Different news outlets have described Brookings in various ways, including liberal, conservative, centrist, center-right, and center-left.

In 1977, Time magazine called Brookings the "nation's pre-eminent liberal think tank." Newsweek has called it centrist, and Politico has used the term "center-left."

Some journalists have said that Brookings' foreign policy experts were too supportive of Bush administration policies.

Brookings scholars have worked in both Republican and Democratic governments.

Brookings's board of trustees is made up of 53 trustees and many honorary trustees. These include former government officials and leaders in business and industry, like Philip H. Knight, who is a chairman emeritus of Nike, Inc.

Who are the Presidents of Brookings?

Since it became the Brookings Institution in 1927, it has been led by accomplished academics and public servants. Brookings has had eleven presidents, including some who served temporarily. The current president is Cecilia Rouse.

• Harold G. Moulton, 1927–1952
• Robert D. Calkins, 1952–1967
• Kermit Gordon, 1967–1976
• Gilbert Y. Steiner (acting), 1976–1977
• Bruce K. MacLaury, 1977–1995
• Michael Armacost, 1995–2002
• Strobe Talbott, 2002–2017
• John R. Allen, 2017–2022
• Ted Gayer (acting), 2022–2022
• Amy Liu (acting), 2022–2023
• Cecilia Rouse, 2023–present

What are Brookings' Research Programs?

Center for Middle East Policy

In 2002, Brookings created the Center for Middle East Policy. Its goal is to help people better understand the choices American leaders face in the Middle East.

Brookings-Tsinghua Center for Public Policy

In 2006, Brookings started the Brookings-Tsinghua Center (BTC) for Public Policy. This was a partnership with Tsinghua University in Beijing, China. The center aims to do research on important topics for China's growth and for relations between the U.S. and China.

21st Century Defense Initiative

Adm. Michael Mullen speaks at the Brookings Institution.

The 21st Century Defense Initiative (21CDI) focuses on research and analysis about defense. It looks at three main areas:

• The future of war.
• What the U.S. needs for defense in the future.
• The future of the U.S. defense system.

This initiative uses knowledge from other regional centers within Brookings, such as the Center on the United States and Europe and the Center for Northeast Asian Policy Studies.

P. W. Singer, who wrote Wired for War, is the Director of the 21st Century Defense Initiative. Michael O'Hanlon is the Director of Research.

WashU at Brookings

In the 1980s, a center was formed to create workshops and public discussions. In 2005, it became the Brookings Center for Executive Education. Later, it partnered with the Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis. This partnership is now known as "WashU at Brookings."

What are Some Notable Centers at Brookings?

• Center for Middle East Policy
• Center for Universal Education
• Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center

Who Funds Brookings?

Funding Details

As of 2017, the Brookings Institution had assets worth $524.2 million. Its biggest supporters include the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, JPMorgan Chase, the LEGO Foundation, David Rubenstein, the State of Qatar, and John L. Thornton.

Where are the Brookings Buildings?

The main building of the Institution was built in 1959 at 1775 Massachusetts Avenue. In 2009, Brookings bought another building across the street. This building used to be a large house built in 1922. This new part now holds the office of the President of the Brookings Institution.

See also

In Spanish: Institución Brookings para niños

• List of think tanks in the United States