LibGuides: Sociology Research Resources: Think Tanks, Policy Institutes & Research Centers

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Think Tanks and Research Centers

Harvard Kennedy School Think Tank Search

Think Tank Search is a custom Google search of over 1200 think tank websites.

For the purposes of this search, think tanks are defined as institutions affiliated with universities, governments, advocacy groups, foundations, non-governmental organizations, and businesses that generate public policy research, analysis, and activity.

PRO TIP: Always look at the "About Us" page and the organization's mission statement to find out what a think tank's biases and goals are. See the chart on the left for more details

Influential Think Tanks/Policy Centers

Non-partisan does *not* mean that an organization does not have a political agenda; many do and some do not (notably, the Pew Research Center, which bills itself as a "fact tank" to highlight this difference). Be sure to look at the organization's mission statement and the "about us" sections of the site.

Pew Research Center

"Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions."

The Brookings Institution
Our mission is to conduct in-depth research that leads to new ideas for solving problems facing society at the local, national and global level.

Brookings Social Mobility Memos
"short pieces on the challenges of promoting greater social mobility and opportunity."
The Brennan Center for Justice
The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law is a nonpartisan law and policy institute that seeks to improve our systems of democracy and justice."
Sentencing Project
The Sentencing Project works for a fair and effective U.S. criminal justice system by promoting reforms in sentencing policy, addressing unjust racial disparities and practices, and advocating for alternatives to incarceration.
Urban Institute
In 1968, President Lyndon Johnson founded the Urban Institute to “help solve the problem that weighs heavily on the hearts and minds of all of us—the problem of the American city and its people.”