The NY Times published a fascinating article about the think tanks that have sullied their reputations by acting as spokesmen for corporations who contribute to them. The nation relied on think tanks to be independent to make pronouncements on public policy based on hard evidence, not corporate donations. We have now seen the emergence of think tanks with an ideological/political agenda.The Brookings that I knew in the early 90s was a place of knowledgable scholars, with experience in the federal government, and were independent, thoughtful, and always open for a good discussion. I was with Brookings for many years, in residence and as a Nonresident Senior Fellow, serving without pay in that role until 2012. After I left, I heard stories about the pressure on scholars to raise money for their activities. But I could not have imagined this scenario that was reported in the Times."
At dianeravitch.net
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