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Brookings Institution
| Brookings Institution | |
 | |
| Basic facts | |
| Location: | Washington, D.C. |
| Type: | 501(c)(3) |
| Affiliation: | Nonpartisan |
| Top official: | Cecilia Elena Rouse |
| Founder(s): | Robert S. Brookings |
| Year founded: | 1916 |
| Website: | Official website |
| Promoted policies | |
| Foreign Policy, Economics, Development, Governance, and Metropolitan Policy | |
| Budget | |
| 2013: | $106,526,578 |
| 2012: | $100,602,993 |
| 2011: | $130,784,440 |
| 2010: | $100,222,125 |
The Brookings Institution is a policy research center based in Washington, D.C. Describing itself as independent and nonpartisan, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization was founded in 1916 as the Institute for Government Research. Brookings scholars study a range of issues, including economic policy, foreign policy and metropolitan policy.[1] It has variously been described in news reports as "liberal" and "centrist."[2][3][4]
Background
The Brookings Institution, originally the Institute for Government Research, was founded by Robert S. Brookings in 1916. IGR launched the Institute of Economics in 1922 and founded a graduate school in 1924. All three entities merged into the Brookings Institution in 1927. One of the organization's first projects was to craft legislation that created the first U.S. Bureau of the Budget.[1]
The Brookings Institution's website has the following mission statement:[2]
| “ | Our mission is to conduct high-quality, independent research and, based on that research, to provide innovative, practical recommendations that advance three broad goals.[5] | ” |
Leadership
Board members
The Board of Trustees of the Brookings Institution included the following individuals, as of July 2025:[6]
- Cecilia Elena Rouse, President - The Brookings Institution, President, The Brookings Institution
- Ankur Bhatt, Vice President and Chief Information Officer - The Brookings Institution
- Camille Busette, Vice President and Director - Governance Studies
- Suzanne Nora Johnson (Vice Chair), Former Vice Chairman, The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.
- Shawn Chernousov, Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer - The Brookings Institution
- Brahima Sangafowa Coulibaly, Vice President and Director - Global Economy and Development, Senior Fellow - Global Economy and Development
- Elisabeth Hirschhorn Donahue, Vice President for Communications and Public Affairs - The Brookings Institution
- Ben Harris, Vice President and Director - Economic Studies, The Bruce and Virginia MacLaury Chair
- Amy Liu, Presidential Advisor and Senior Fellow - The Brookings Institution, Brookings Metro
- Suzanne Maloney, Vice President and Director - Foreign Policy
- Robert Puentes, Vice President and Director - Brookings Metro
- Joe Rooney, Vice President, Executive Affairs
- Jonathan Schwartz, General Counsel - Office of General Counsel
- Mitchell Wein, Senior Vice President for Finance, Chief Operating Officer
- Glenn Hutchins, Co-Chair of the Board - The Brookings Institution, Chairman - North Island
- Suzanne Nora Johnson, Co-Chair of the Board - The Brookings Institution, Chair of the Board - Intuit, Inc.
- Pete Higgins, Vice Chair of the Board - The Brookings Institution, Founding Partner - Second Avenue Partners
- Kenneth M. Jacobs, Vice Chair of the Board - The Brookings Institution, Senior Chairman - Lazard
- Leonard D. Schaeffer, Vice Chair of the Board - The Brookings Institution, Founding Chairman and CEO - WellPoint
- Victor L. Hymes, Treasurer of the Board - The Brookings Institution, President and CEO - Legato Capital Management, LLC
- Tracy R. Wolstencroft, Secretary of the Board - The Brookings Institution, Senior Advisor - TPG Rise Climate, Former President and CEO - National Geographic Society, Former President and CEO - Heidrick & Struggles, Former Partner - Goldman Sachs
Work
According to NPR, Brookings employs "former politicians, government officials, journalists and academics spanning the ideological spectrum." It has been described by other outlets as "liberal" and "centrist."[7][2][3][4] In 2014, the Institution was ranked the most influential think tank worldwide by the University of Pennsylvania's Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program.[8]
As of July 2025, their website says the following:[2]
| “ |
Research Brookings’ research is rigorous, evidence-based, and driven by a commitment to inclusivity and open-mindedness. We aim to generate new insights to address pressing policy issues. Events Engage with leaders, experts, and policy-wonks from around the globe in-person or online at our thought-provoking panel discussions, book talks, film screenings, and more. Books' Books published by Brookings experts provide in-depth explorations of the issues that matter most to policymakers and the public alike. Podcasts From amplifying the voices of rural Americans to providing in-depth explanations about climate change, Brookings’ podcasts offer insightful perspectives on important topics. Testimony Brookings experts testify before Congress and engage with government officials in the U.S. and abroad, always striving to set an example of nonpartisanship and civil discourse. Media As leaders in their fields, our experts regularly engage with top journalists and media organizations. Brookings is the most cited think tank by news outlets worldwide.[5] |
” |
Notable endorsements
This section displays endorsements this organization made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage scope. Know of one we missed? Click here to let us know.
Finances
The following is a breakdown of the Brookings Institution's revenues and expenses from 2010 to 2023. The information comes from ProPublica
| Year | Revenue | Expenses |
|---|---|---|
| 2010[9] | $100,222,125 | $88,922,671 |
| 2011[9] | $130,784,440 | $93,962,754 |
| 2012[10] | $100,602,993 | $96,726,329 |
| 2013[10] | $106,526,578 | $99,568,985 |
| 2014 | $106,526,578 | $99,568,985 |
| 2015 | $106,387,190 | $107,926,103 |
| 2016 | $109,394,429 | $104,635,286 |
| 2017 | $112,894,566 | $100,059,312 |
| 2018 | $96,886,932 | $98,957,742 |
| 2019 | $103,852,338 | $94,913,486 |
| 2020 | $ 79,395,655 | $94,943,466 |
| 2021 | $67,901,806 | $85,684,378 |
| 2022 | $119,341,951 | $87,855,233 |
| 2023 | $89,444,146 | $98,831,178 |
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Brookings Institution. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
- Social media:
- Financial:
- Media appearances:
- Media coverage:
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Brookings Institution, "Brookings Institution History," accessed July 30, 2025
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Brookings Institution, "About Us," accessed November 19, 2016
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 News & Observer, "SC’s Nikki Haley could be DC-bound regardless of foreign policy inexperience," November 18, 2016
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Politico, "Ryan pitches conservative 'road map'," July 22, 2016
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Brookings Institution, "Board of Trustees," accessed June 8, 2015
- ↑ NPR, "What to Think about Think Tanks?" April 12, 2011
- ↑ University of Pennsylvania, "Brookings Tops List of Penn’s 2014 Global Go To Think Tank Index Rankings," January 22, 2015
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 GuideStar, "Brookings Institution IRS Form 990 (2011)," accessed June 8, 2015
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 GuideStar, "Brookings Institution IRS Form 990 (2013)," accessed June 8, 2015
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