One of the most peculiar, and least understood, features of
the Washington policy process is the extraordinary dependence of
policymakers on the work of think tanks. Most Americans — even most
of those who follow politics closely — would probably struggle to name
a think tank or to explain precisely what a think tank does. Yet over the
past half-century, think tanks have come to play a central role in policy
development — and even in the surrounding political combat.

Caption
Richard Nixon gives his well-known two-armed victory salute during a campaign stop in El Paso. (Getty Images)