The Brookings Institution think tank

The Brookings Institution think tank

The Brookings Institution traces its beginnings to 1916 with the founding of the Institute for Government Research, the first private organization devoted to public policy issues at the national level.

In 1922 and 1924, the institute was joined by two supporting sister organizations, the Institute of Economics and the Robert Brookings Graduate School. In 1927, these three groups were consolidated into one institution, named in honor of Robert Somers Brookings (1850-1932), a St. Louis businessman whose leadership shaped the earlier organizations.

In its research, The Brookings Institution functions as an independent analyst and critic, committed to publishing its findings for the information of the public.

Brookings is financed largely by endowment and by the support of philanthropic foundations, corporations and private individuals. Its funds are devoted to carrying out its own research and educational activities. It also undertakes some unclassified government contract studies, reserving the right to publish its findings.

A board of trustees is responsible for general supervision of the institution, approval of fields of investigation, and safeguarding the independence of the institution's work.