Brookings Institution

The Brookings Institution, often stylized as Brookings, is an American think tank in Washington, D.C. The institution conducts research and education in the social sciences, primarily in economics and tax policy, metropolitan policy, governance, foreign policy, global economy, and economic development. Brookings states that its staff "represent diverse points of view" and describes itself as nonpartisan. Media outlets have variously described Brookings as centrist, conservative, liberal, center-right, and center-left. An academic analysis of congressional records from 1993 to 2002 found that Brookings was cited by conservative politicians almost as often as by liberal politicians, earning a score of 53 on a 1–100 scale (with 100 representing the most liberal score). The same study found Brookings to be the most frequently cited think tank by U.S. media and politicians. The University of Pennsylvania's Global Go To Think Tank Index Report named Brookings "Think Tank of the Year – Top Think Tank in the World" every year from its first edition in 2008 through 2015, and again from 2017 through its last edition in 2020. As of 2025, Brookings is the most cited think tank in the world.