The Crisis of Liberalism and the Future of Think Tanks

The future of think tanks in the United States is imperiled by dual crises of liberalism and of elite institutions. These crises present a fundamental challenge to think tanks as researchers, curators, guardians, and expositors of public policy ideas. Either a significant decline in normative liberalism or the continued faltering of elite institutions will render think tanks effectively unable to operate.

So far, think tanks have not sufficiently risen to the challenge. 

This chapter was published in the volume The Future of Think Tanks and Policy Advice in the United States, edited by James McGann. Buy the book here. 

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