Brookings Institution

The roots of the Brookings Institution were planted in 1916 by a group of reformers interested in a private, fact-based organization to study national policy issues. It was the first of its kind, and today the Brookings Institution enjoys wide recognition and has established itself as a respectable name in policy thought. Its work garners frequent mention in national media outlets and regularly tops lists of organizations most often cited by the U.S. Congress. Brookings operates on an annual budget of $80 million drawn from individuals, private foundations, corporations, and its $277 million endowment (as of 2008). That money is spread over five main research programs—economic studies, foreign policy, global economy and development, governance studies, and metropolitan policy. Although there is some program overlap, the smallest of these, as measured by annual funding, governance studies, houses research in the field of education. Although Brookings scholars took an interest in education policy as far back as 1936, its main contributions to the field have come more recently. It has had particular impact on the issues of school choice, national standards, college affordability, and teacher quality.

Like other think tanks, Brookings engages in the policy process through its research and analysis, books and publications, and events featuring experts in the field. Unlike other think tanks, Brookings is also able to rely upon its scholars' reputations to address policy issues in informal ways. A 1967 memorandum from the Bureau of the Budget, Executive Office of the President, to Brookings president Kermit Gordon, for example, asked Gordon to comment on a proposal to establish a separate U.S. Department of Education. While this example illustrates the influence of Brookings scholars, it is not entirely reflective of the nature of their work. Except for occasional books that are available for purchase, Brookings reports are all publicly available from its Web site; its conferences and events are free and open to the public.

The Brookings Institution has several methods of supporting scholars and their work. Fellows and senior fellows are permanent employees hired in one of the five program areas, whereas visiting fellows spend a limited time in-residence and guest scholars work independently. All scholars working in-residence have access to facilities, peers, and support staff. Brookings is governed by a board of trustees responsible for general supervision of all program areas and protecting the quality and [Page 114]independence of the work. The Institution's president, a position currently held by Strobe Talbott, who is a foreign policy expert and a former deputy secretary of state, is responsible for recommending projects, approving publications, and overseeing staff.

In 1990 the Brookings' publication of work by John Chubb and Terry Moe promoting market-oriented reform and school vouchers as a means to reform the nation's K–12 schools had a major impact on education policy. The book was controversial because it argued strongly that reformers consider the suggestion that markets and choice could radically transform the nation's schools. In using the word panacea, Chubb and Moe suggested that choice alone could solve many of the problems reformers had been trying to address. At least in part because of Brookings' reputation as a moderate organization, the work garnered significant media attention and is still considered a seminal work in education policy around school choice.

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