Think Tank Quickies #16

• What role do Britain's think tanks play in Lib Dem policy?
• WPost-BPC joint convention event takes heat for being too cozy with oil lobby. 
• Dowd: Republicans have outsourced their brains to right-wing think tanks such as AEI. 
• Think tanks already preparing for a Romney loss? 
• Iran's think tank outreach. 
• CEIP asks India to prepare for threats along northern borders.
• Two members of PIIE say that China has not been the major perpetrator of currency aggression.

Think Tanker Creates Buzz About Hillary 2016

Here is what Politico reports:

One question was driving the conversation Monday morning at the Clinton Global Initiative after Secretary of State Hillary Clinton addressed the New York City-based philanthropic summit: Is she laying the groundwork for a presidential run in 2016?

That assessment of the chatter comes from Gayle Tzemach Lemmon, a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations who hosted forums at the event.

“Everybody at Clinton Global was asking that in the lobby,” Lemmon said on CNN’s “Newsroom,” when asked whether Clinton looks primed for a 2016 run. “…I think people who work around her, near her, with her are, of course, very quiet. But everybody knows she is drawn to service, so, let’s wait and see.”

Although Hillary Clinton is currently not a member of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), her husband Bill and daughter Chelsea are both members.

Increase in Overseas Visiting Fellows at Think Tanks

Many think tanks host visiting fellows from overseas or sponsor US citizens at various institutions abroad.  Those visiting fellow programs seem to be increasing all the time.  Following are a few examples:

• The Wilson Center just announced its 2012-2013 Fellowship class which includes scholars from the US, Argentina, Canada, China, Germany, Ireland, and the United Kingdom.
• In August 2012 Brookings announced its fifteenth class of Visiting Fellows to join the Center for Northeast Asian Policy Studies.  The visiting fellows include scholars from China, Korea, and Japan.
• The East-West Center in Washington, DC has recently announced a new class of visiting fellows.
• Here is a link to the Council on Foreign Relations' (CFR) various fellowship programs, which are mainly for US citizens.
• The Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) has a large visiting fellows program, particularly through its Japan Chair.
• Here is a link to various German Marshall Fund (GMF) fellowships.

Longest Think Tank Abbreviation?

The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) announced today that Ernest Bower would become the chair of the new Sumitro Djojohadadikusumo Center for Emerging Economies in Southeast Asia (SDCEESEA).  Do you know any longer abbreviations in the think tank world?

Bower is currently Senior Adviser and Chair for Southeast Asia Studies at CSIS.

US-Iran War Games Staged at Brookings

Here is how the Washington Post's David Ignatius describes the US-Iran war games that were held this week at the Brookings Institution.

Perhaps it was the “fog of simulation.” But the scariest aspect of a U.S.-Iran war game staged this week was the way each side miscalculated the other’s responses — and moved toward war even as the players thought they were choosing restrained options.

The Iran exercise was organized by Kenneth Pollack, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution’s Saban Center for Middle East Policy. It included former top U.S. officials as Washington policymakers, and prominent Iranian American experts playing Tehran’s hand. I was allowed to observe, on the condition that I wouldn’t name the participants.

The bottom line: The game showed how easy it was for each side to misread the other’s signals. And these players were separated by a mere corridor in a Washington think tank, rather than half a world away.

War simulation is nothing new for think tanks.  Back in June, Brookings, along with the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) and the Institute of War Study held a one-day crisis simulation titled "Unraveling the Syria Mess: A Crisis Simulation from the Syrian Civil War."  Some in Turkey apparently were quite alarmed by that simulation.

Also, cyber war games were recently held between the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations (CICIR).

New Book on The Rise of Chinese Think Tanks

A new book is being released this month titled "The Rise of Think Tanks in China."  The 224-page book was written by Xufeng Zhu, Professor in the Zhou Enlai School of Government at Nakai University, China.

Here is what the Amazon.com book description says:

Despite continuing criticism of the Chinese authoritarian political system, the range of participants in the decision-making process has widened, with different social actors now playing an increasingly important role in the Chinese policymaking process. Accordingly, the role of think tanks in the policymaking process has generated great interest within and outside China. This book explores the behaviour and influence of China’s think tanks, and explains the reasons and social consequences of the rise of think tanks in China.

The book raises several questions on the topic: How did think tanks emerge in China? What are the essential factors that determine think tanks in terms of building their governmental and personal networks? How do think tanks work and build their influence in the Chinese policy process? What happens to Chinese society when think tanks become important policy participants in the policy process? The book goes on to discuss new perspectives on policy processes and elite politics in China, and empirically, with comparative case study and data from nationwide questionnaire surveys, provides a comprehensive picture of think tanks in the current political system of the country.

CAP's Podesta to Become Next Energy Secretary?

Politico speculates that John Podesta, Chair and Counselor of the liberal Center for American Progress (CAP) and the Center for American Progress Action Fund (CAPAF), could become the next Energy Secretary if President Barack Obama wins a second term.  Podesta served as White House Chief of Staff under Bill Clinton.  He also served as co-chair of President Obama's transition team, but declined to take a position in the first four years of Obama's Administration.  Says Politico:

John Podesta, chairman of the Center for American Progress and former chief of staff and current wingman to Bill Clinton, could have almost any job he wants. Podesta has turned down earlier offers but left the impression with officials he might take a prominent role in running energy policy, perhaps as energy secretary.

On the Power of Chinese Think Tanks

This is from an article in today's China Daily:

...The institute is just one of 31 research units at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS). For 35 years, the academy has been studying both theoretical and practical topics. Some of its leading figures have been elected as representatives for the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.

At least 20 leaders from research institutions in Beijing will attend the congress. Among them, the most prominent scholars are Li Wei, president of the Development Research Center of the State Council, Li Jingtian, deputy president of the Party School of the Central Committee of the CPC, and Li Jianhua, deputy president of the Chinese Academy of Governance.

These institutions, plus CASS, work primarily as think tanks for the central government and the Central Committee of the CPC. They said the increasing involvement of researchers indicates that the CPC is now drawing on a wider range of sources and opinions as part of the decision-making process.

Directly administered by the State Council, CASS was founded in May 1977, when 2,200 researchers at 14 institutes specializing in philosophy and social sciences moved to the new organization from the Chinese Academy of Sciences. In the following four years, a further 16 research and publishing institutes were established, including the Institute of Population and Labor Economics.

More than 3,200 employees research topics such as economics, finance and international politics, and the results of that research are passed on to the government.

CASS sends its researchers around the country to investigate specific topics. In 2010, the academy conducted 102 surveys into social conditions nationwide. From January to October 2011, it submitted 211 reports to the central government based on the results of 621 surveys...

Other think tanks work in a similar way, but their focus is more diverse. The Chinese Academy of Governance, one of the country's most prestigious training schools, has specialized in policy consultation since its foundation in 1994.

Every year, CAG trains a huge number of high-ranking officials. In 2011, it trained more than 7,700. In the first half of this year, the number was roughly 7,000, according to Zhang, and the total is expected to rise to more than 15,000 by year-end.

In 2008 the Brookings Institution, arguably the most "powerful" think tank in the world, held an event titled "Think Tanks in China: Growing Influence and Political Limitations."  A transcript of can be found at the link provided.

Here is a March 2012 report from Indiana University's Research Center for Chinese Politics and Business, written by UPenn think tank expert Dr. James McGann.  It is titled "Chinese Think Tanks, Policy Advice and Global Governance."

Think Tankers Dominate Most Powerful Foreign Policy Wonk List

Foreign Policy's recently-released list of the 50 most powerful Democrats and list of the 50 most powerful Republicans is filled with think tankers.  How many can you find?

The Think Tank Behind Romney's 47% Comment

Back in May 2012, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney said that 47% of Americans would automatically vote for President Barack Obama because they were dependent  on the government, in part because they received government benefits and paid no federal income taxes.

It has been widely reported that a 10-page Tax Policy Center (TPC) study released July 2011 is where Romney got his 47% figure from.

Says The Hill:

The most recent study by the Center, in 2011, found that 46 percent of taxpayers would not be eligible to pay the federal individual income tax either because of their low income or owing to specific tax breaks.

But in 2009, it estimated that threshold was set at 47 percent.

Due to much misunderstanding of the report, the TPC issued a blog post on July 27, 2011 to clarify a few points.

TPC is a partnership of the liberal Urban Institute and Brookings Institution.

The authors of that study are Rachel Johnson, James Nunns, Jeffrey Rohaly, Eric Toder, and Roberton Williams.

Here is what the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBBP) has to say about the TPC study.

Here is what Media Matters has to say about how Republicans have portrayed TPC.  Also, here is a previous Think Tank Watch post on TPCs analysis of Romney's tax plan and push-back from American Enterprise Institute (AEI) and others.

Here is a piece that William Gale and Donald Marron wrote for the Washington Post titled "5 Myths about the 47 Percent."

Funders of TPC include: AARP, American Bar Association, Amgen, Ford Foundation, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, New York University School of Law, and The Rockefeller Foundation.  A more complete list of TPC funders can be found here.

Donald Marron, a former George W. Bush economic official, is the Director of TPC.  That said, TPC has plenty of Democrats, including "Affiliated Staff" Alice Rivlin, the former Director of the OMB in the Clinton Administration.

Think Tankers Co-Author Romney Jobs Plan

Think tankers are in overdrive cranking out position papers for the 2012 presidential campaigns.  One of the latest examples is an economic white paper released by the Mitt Romney campaign in early August.

Four conservative economists (Glenn Hubbard, Gregory Mankiw, John Taylor, and Kevin Hassett) co-authored the report titled "The Romney Program for Economic Recovery, Growth, and Jobs."

• Glenn Hubbard is a Visiting Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI).
• Gregory Mankiw served as the Director of the Monetary Economics Program at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER).
• John Taylor is the George P. Shultz Senior Fellow in Economics at Stanford University's Hoover Institution.
• Kevin Hassett is a Senior Fellow and the Director of Economic Policy Studies at AEI.

The report has taken a beating from the left.  The Center for American Progress Action Fund (CAPAF), the lobbying arm of the liberal-leaning Center for American Progress (CAP), bashed the plan.  Economist and former Clinton official Brad DeLong joined in on the bashing, along with the Washington Post's Ezra Klein.

Here and here are previous Think Tank Watch posts on Romney campaign think tank connections.

Think Tank Quickies #15

• Stimson Center estimates cost to operate and modernize current nuclear arsenal at $352 billion over a decade.
• Heritage Foundation study suggests Chinese imports support nearly 600,000 American jobs in the apparel and toy industries alone.
• Heritage Foundation sponsors conservative Values Voter Summit Sept. 14-16. 
• Video: Think tank effect on political life in Britain. 
• Tony Blair's favorite think tank Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) to become first outside group to be allowed to develop policy alongside civil servants.
• Politicians to attend launch of Schwarzenegger's think tank.
• Judge rules against American Tradition Institute (ATI) in global warming case.
• A survey of European think tanks.

Think Tanks Active at the GOP Convention

Here is how the National Journal describes a night at the GOP Convention in Tampa, Florida with Grover Norquist, founder of the "think tank" Americans for Tax Reform (ATR), which has been described by The Wall Street Journal as the "Grand Central Station" of American conservatism.

Liberty Plaza was a clutch of hastily assembled tents that flapped in the tropical wind. Outside, to help beat the heat, the Heritage Foundation was handing out red, white, and blue Popsicles. Inside the biggest tent, the temporary plastic floors were muddy and slippery. The lighting was dim and blue.

The party was being given in Norquist’s honor by Frontiers of Freedom, a conservative think tank that’s been especially active in crusading against the science of global warming. His fans, dressed in Harley Davidson T-shirts and jean shorts, milled about. Arrayed on folding tables were plates of pulled pork from Jimmy John’s, beef tacos, Chex Mix, and Rice Krispies treats. At the bar, there was Bud Light and, to Norquist’s relief, Diet Coke.

Conservative Think Tanks Battle over Slogan

Although the Koch v. Cato battle has been resolved, two lesser-known think tanks have been battling it out over the use of slogan, "Peace Through Strength," made famous by Ronald Reagan.

Here is how the Washington City Paper describes the battle between the American Security Council Foundation (ASCF) and Center for Security Policy (CSP):

In the crowded world of Washington think tankery, eggheads need every advantage they can get. So it's only natural that two of Washington's most bellicose think tanks have been feuding for more than a year over which of them can use just three words as their motto. Now the dispute's headed to the only two places a dispute this thorny can be settled: federal court, and Wikipedia.

The prize here is "Peace Through Strength," a phrase made famous by Ronald Reagan. The antagonists are the similarly-named American Security Council Foundation and the Center for Security Policy, both based in D.C. The ASCF has trademarked "Peace Through Strength" and wants the CSP to stop using it, but so far, the CSP hasn't budged.

Things heated up in May 2011, when ASCF president Dr. Henry A. Fischer sent CSP president Frank Gaffney a passive-aggressive letter mentioning their shared concerns (Iran, China, "the ever increasing Muslim population growth in Europe")—and oh, by the way, that's our slogan.

"I would like to give you an update on the issues we are concentrating on as a band of like minded brothers," Fischer wrote, while making sure to plaster every mention of "Peace Through Strength" with registered trademark marks.

Proving that they really believe in peace through strength, ASCF soon hired mega law firm Holland & Knight, which sent Gaffney a cease-and-desist. That apparently didn't work, because the ASCF filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against Gaffney and his think tank last week.

CSP, a conservative think tank focusing on national security, was founded in 1988 by Frank Gaffney.  [He recently made Foreign Policy's list of the 50 most powerful Republicans in foreign policy.]  ASCF, a conservative think tank, was founded in 1958 and it was originally known as the Institute for American Strategy.  The current President & CEO is Henry Fischer.

In the most recently available public documents, CSP had net assets of around $1.26 million with $4.1 million in total revenue.  Frank Gaffney's salary was $299,063.  ASCF had net assets of around $5.78 million with $204,160 in total revenue.  John Fischer's salary was $42,804.

Here is a Wikipedia article on the slogan "Peace Through Strength."

Think Tank Quickies #14

• New trends for Chinese think tanks.
• On the state of Japanese think tanks.
• New Cato president wants to remold the think tank in the Ayn Rand image.
• Think tank coalition (BPC, Concord Coalition, and CRFB) warn about fiscal cliff in Politico ad.
• CSBA's Todd Harrison releases analysis of defense budget sequestration saying it would be three or four years before contractors felt the full effects of sequestration.
• CAP defends study critical of Romney health plan.
• Conservative Acton Institute gets new headquarters.
• Wilson Center's Budget Hero game.

Think Tanks & Election Activities

The NonProfit Times (NPT) has a recent article titled "With Election Around The Corner, Charities Must Tread Carefully."  It discusses 501(c)(3) entities (which most think tanks are) and what types of political activities they are legally allowed to engage in.

Following are some excerpts:

The presidential election is less than 100 days away. Federal tax law strictly prohibits 501(c)(3) organizations from engaging in activities to support or oppose candidates for public office. However, there are still a number of ways that 501(c)(3)s can be involved in the political process without running afoul of the law.

Unfortunately, the line between prohibited and permissible activities is murky and can be easily crossed if proper managers of the 501(c)(3) are not careful in how they plan and execute the activities. Now might be a good time to review the rules that will help stay on the right side of the line while involved in the process.

If done correctly, 501(c)(3)s can:

• Help register voters;
• Conduct get-out-the-vote (GOTV) activities;
• Publish voter guides;
• Create candidate questionnaires;
• Host candidate appearances;
• Host debates;
• Conduct issue advocacy;
• Allow leadership and staff to be politically active; and,
• Create an affiliated organization.

The key is to remember that these activities must be nonpartisan, and not favor one candidate over another.

Here is some more information from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) about 501(c)(3) think tank restrictions on their lobbying and political activities.

CAP Feted at Democratic National Convention

The liberal-leaning think tank Center for American Progress (CAP), which has strong connections to the Obama Administration, was feted by Wal-Mart at this year's Democratic National Convention (DNC).

Here is how the Free Beacon describes the event:

The party, first reported by Politico, will reunite Center for American Progress chairman John Podesta with his brother Tony Podesta, whose Podesta Group lobby shop is cohosting the party, and which also has a lengthy roster of controversial corporate clients including bailed out Bank of America and GE, which paid no federal taxes in 2010. John Podesta helped found the lobbying group with his brother before starting the Center for American Progress with undisclosed funds.

While CAP does not disclose its donors, Wal-Mart has disclosed giving between $500,000 and $1 million to the group over the last decade.

CAP pointedly has avoided criticism of Wal-Mart despite the company’s anti-union activism, focusing its attacks on companies such as Koch Industries, which has thousands of union employees but has refused to donate funds to the Center for American Progress.

The Charlotte party will offer a chance for Tony Podesta’s clients to network with Center for American Progress “policy experts,” and for companies like Wal-Mart to stay in the good graces of an influential organization with close ties to the Obama administration.

Here is a link to the RSVP page for the party (sorry, it's already over).  The link says that the party, which occurred on September 5, 2012, was hosted by Heather Podesta, John Podesta, Leslie Dach, and Mary Dickie.  It took place at King's Kitchen in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Aung San Suu Kyi to Hit the Think Tank Circuit

The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) and the Asia Society will be hosting an event next week with Myanmar's opposition politician Aung San Suu Kyi.  Although now sold out, one can still watch a live webcast.  Asia Society will present her with its Global Vision Award.

As Think Tank Watch noted earlier, Aung San Suu Kyi will also be receiving the Global Citizens Award in New York City from the Atlantic Council.

Aung San Suu Kyi will also be giving a speech before the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) where she will be receiving their 2012 Democracy Award.

Here is more on her first visit to the US in more than 20 years.

In late 2011, Aung San Suu Kyi briefed the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) by video about  political reform in Myanmar.

Think Tank Quickies #13

• Western think tanks had no clue about the "Arab Revolution."
• Brookings scholar William Galston, a co-founder of No Labels, dukes it out with AEI scholar Nicholas Eberstadt over entitlements in the weekend section of the WSJ.
• Breugel Senior Fellow Nicolas Vernon makes "super influential" list of finance people. 
• Think tanks to pressure donors over pledges. 
• On foreign funding of the Fraser Institute. 
• Video: CNAS co-founder Michele Flournoy participates in DNC convention.

Think Tank-Congress Connections

Many current and former Members of Congress have various affiliations with think tanks.  Following are a few examples.  This is by no means a comprehensive list.

Council on Foreign Relations (CFR):

• Former Sen. Howard Baker (R-TN): Member of CFR
• Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME): Member of CFR
• Former Sen. Tom Daschle (D-SD): Member of CFR
• Rep. Geoff Davis (R-KY): Member of CFR
• Former Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-CT): Member of CFR
• Rep. David Dreier (R-CA): Member of CFR
• Sen. John Kerry (D-MA): Member of CFR
• Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT): Member of CFR
• Sen. John McCain (R-AZ): Member of CFR
• Former Sen. John Warner (R-VA): Member of CFR
• Former Rep. Tom Foley (D-WA): Member of CFR
• Former Rep. Harold Ford (D-TN): Member of CFR
• Former Rep. Newt Gingrich (R-GA): Member of CFR
• Former Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE): Member of CFR
• Former Rep. Lee Hamilton (D-IN): Member of CFR
• Former Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA): Member of CFR
• Former Sen. Gary Hart (D-CO): Member of CFR 
• Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC): Member of CFR

Third Way:

• Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC): Honorary Co-Chair
• Rep. John Dingell (D-MI): Honorary Co-Chair
• Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI): Honorary Co-Chair
• Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-NY): Honorary Co-Chair
• Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D-PA): Honorary Co-Chair
• Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO): Honorary Co-Chair
• Sen. Thomas Carper (D-DE): Honorary Co-Chair
• Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO): Honorary Co-Chair
• Sen. Mark Udall (D-CO): Honorary Co-Chair
• Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH): Honorary Co-Chair
• Sen. Kay Hagan (D-NC): Honorary Co-Chair
• Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE): Honorary Co-Chair
• Former Rep. Ellen Tauscher (D-CA): Co-Chair
• Former Rep. Gabrille Giffords (D-AZ): Emeritus
• Former Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA): Emeritus
• Former Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR): Emeritus
• Former Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN): Emeritus
• Former Rep. Melissa Bean (D-IL): Emeritus
• Former Sen. Mark Pryor (D-AR): Emeritus

Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC):

• Former Sen. Howard Baker (R-TN): BPC Founder
• Former Sen. Tom Daschle (D-SD): BPC Founder
• Former Sen. Bob Dole (R-KS): BPC Founder
• Former Sen. George Mitchell (D-ME): BPC Founder
• Former Sen. Chuck Robb (D-VA): BPF Board of Directors
• Former Sen. Robert Bennett (R-UT): BPC Senior Fellow
• Former Rep. Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY): BPC Senior Fellow
• Former Sen. John Danforth (R-MO): BPC Senior Fellow
• Former Sen. Pete Domenici (R-NM): BPC Senior Fellow
• Former Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND): BPC Senior Fellow
• Former Sen. Bill Frist (R-TN): BPC Senior Fellow
• Former Rep. Richard Gephardt (D-MO): BPC Senior Fellow
• Former Rep. Dan Glickman (D-KS): BPC Senior Fellow
• Former Sen. Slade Gorton (R-WA): BPC Senior Fellow
• Former Sen. Trent Lott (R-MS): BPC Senior Fellow
• Former Rep. Christopher Carney (D-PA): Panel Member of BPC's Homeland Security Project

Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS):

• Former Sen. Sam Nunn (D-GA): Chairman of the Board of Trustees and Counselor at CSIS
• Former Sen. Bill Frist (R-TN): CSIS Trustee
• Former Sen. John Warner (R-VA): CSIS Counselor
• Former Sen. William Brock (R-TN): CSIS Counselor
• Rep. Howard Berman (D-CA): CSIS Advisory Board
• Rep. David Dreier (R-CA): CSIS Advisory Board
• Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA): CSIS Advisory Board
• Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX): CSIS Advisory Board
• Sen. Richard Lugar (R-IN): CSIS Advisory Board
• Sen. John McCain (R-AZ): CSIS Advisory Board
• Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI): CSIS Advisory Board
• Sen. John Rockefeller (D-WV): CSIS Advisory Board

Atlantic Council of the United States (ACUS):

• Former Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE): Chairman of the Atlantic Council of the United States (ACUS)
• Former Sen. John Warner (R-VA): Honorary Director of ACUS
• Former Rep. Ellen Tauscher (D-CA): Director of the International Advisory Board at ACUS
• Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA): Director of the International Advisory Board at ACUS 
• Former Rep. John Tanner (D-TN): Director of the International Advisory Board at ACUS

German Marshall Fund (GMF):

• Former Sen. Robert Bennett (R-UT): German Marshall Fund (GMF) Board of Trustees
• Former Rep. Robert Wexler (D-FL): GMF Board of Trustees
• Former Rep. Jim Kolbe (R-AZ): GMF Senior Transatlantic Fellow
• Former Rep. Glenn Nye (D-VA): GMF Senior Transatlantic Fellow 
• Sen. Richard Lugar (R-IN): He will become a GMF Senior Transatlantic Fellow 

Brookings Institution:

• Former Rep. Lee Hamilton (D-IN): Brookings Honorary Trustee
• Former Rep. Bill Frenzel (R-MN): Brookings Guest Scholar
• Former Rep. Dick Gephartdt (D-MO): Brookings Hamilton Project Advisory Council Member
• Former Rep. David Dreier (R-CA): Brookings Distinguished Fellow

Center for American Progress:

• Former Sen. Tom Daschle (D-SC) is a Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress (CAP). 
• Former Rep. Tom Perriello (D-VA) is the President and CEO of the Center for American Progress Action Fund (CAPAF).  He is also Counselor to CAP.
• Former Rep. Brad Miller (D-NC) is a Senior Fellow at CAP.
• Former Rep. Patrick Murhpy (D-PA) has been named a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress (CAP).

Heritage Foundation:

• Former Rep. Ernest Istook (R-OK): Heritage Foundation Distinguished Fellow
• Former Rep. Jim Talent (R-MO): Heritage Foundation Distinguished Fellow
• Former Rep. John Shadegg (R-AZ): Heritage Foundation Distinguished Fellow

Wilson Center:

• Former Rep. James Leach (R-IA): Wilson Center Public Member 
• Former Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA): Wilson Center Director/President/CEO; Aspen Institute Board of Trustees
• Former Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY): Wilson Center Public Member

American Security Project (ASP):

• Former Sen. Gary Hart (D-CO) is the Chairman of the American Security Project (ASP)
• Former Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE) is on the Board of Directors of ASP
• Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) is on the Board of Directors at ASP

American Enterprise Institute (AEI):

• Former Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ): AEI Visiting Fellow and Co-Chair of the American Internationalism Project.
• Former Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT): Co-Chair of the American Internationalism Project.
• Former Rep. Newt Gingrich (R-GA): Former Senior Fellow at AEI.  He is a member of the Terrorism Task Force at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR).
• Former Sen. Phil Gramm (R-TX): AEI Visiting Scholar.

Others:

• Former Rep. Ike Skelton (D-MO): Center for a New American Security (CNAS) Board of Advisors 
• Former Sen. Bill Bradley (D-NJ) has contributed financial support to the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (CEIP). 
• Former Sen. Sam Nunn (D-GA) is the Annenberg Distinguished Visiting Fellow at Stanford's Hoover Institution. 
• Former Rep. Jim Marshall (D-GA) has been named as the new President of USIP. 
• Former Rep. Robert Wexler (D-FL) is the President of the S. Daniel Abraham Center for Middle East Peace.
• Former Rep. Phil Sharp (D-IN) is the President of Resources for the Future (RFF).
• Former Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) started his own think tank called the Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prospertiy.

Governors and former governors are also affiliated with various think tanks.  Current and former Cabinet members are also affiliated with think tanks.

Here is a Muckety Map showing some think tank-Congress connections.

Foreign Influence in US Think Tanks

Many current and former foreign government officials are connected to US think tanks.  Following are a few examples.

• Mario Draghi, President of the European Central Bank, is an Honorary Trustee at Brookings.
• Itamar Rabinovich, former Israeli Ambassador to the US, is a Distinguished Senior Fellow at Brookings and is an International Advisory Board Member there. 
• Javier Solana, the former Secretary-General of Western European Union, and former Secretary-General of the Council of the European Union, is a Distinguished Senior Fellow at Brookings.
• Queen Noor, the last wife and widow of King Hussein of Jordan, is on the Board of Trustees at the Aspen Institute.
• Margaret Thatcher, former Prime Minister of Great Britain, is a Patron of the Heritage Foundation.  She is also an Honorary Fellow at Stanford's Hoover Institution.
• Kofi Annan, the former Secretary General of the United Nations (UN), is on the Board of Trustees at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (CEIP).  He is also on the Global Board of Advisors (GBA) at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR).
• Alvaro Uribe, former President of Colombia, is a Senior Fellow at the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC). 
• Sadako Ogato, former President of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), is a Distinguished Fellow at Brookings. 
• Husain Haqqani, former Pakistan Ambassador to the US, is a Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute. 
• John Richardson, former Ambassador and head of the European Commission's delegation to the United Nations in New York, is a Senior Resident Fellow at the German Marshall Fund (GMF). 
• Peter Semneby, former EU Special Representative for the South Caucuses, is a Senior Fellow at GMF. 
• Tarja Halonen, former President of Finland, is on CFR's Global Board of Advisors.
• Charles David Powell, a life peer in Britain's House of Lords, is on CFR's Global Board of Advisors.
• David Miliband, former British Foreign Secretary, and a current British Labour Party politician, has been named as a Distinguished Senior Fellow at Center for American Progress (CAP). 
• Ernesto Zedillo, former President of Mexico, is an Advisory Board member at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). 
• Jean-David Levitte, former French Ambassador to the US, is a Distinguished Fellow at the Brookings Institution.
• Vaclav Klaus, former President of the Czech Republic, is a Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute.
• Arturo Sarukhan, former Mexican Ambassador to the US, is a Distinguished Affiliate at the Brookings Institution.  He is also an Advisory Board Member of the Mexico Institute at the Wilson Center.
• Richard Reeves, former Director of Strategy to the UK's Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, is an Economic Studies Program Fellow, and Director for the Center on Children and Families.

The Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE) has quite a few current/former foreign government officials who are affiliated with the think tank.  Following are some examples:

• Chen Yuan, Governor of the China Development Bank, is a Board Member at the Peterson Institute of International Economics (PIIE).
• Lee Kuan Yew, the former Prime Minister of Singapore, is an Honorary Director of PIIE.
• Ernesto Zedillo, the former President of Mexico, is a Board Member of PIIE.
• Jean-Claude Trichet, former President of the European Centeral Bank (ECB), is a Board Member of PIIE.
• Sheikh Hamad Saud Al-Sayari, former Governor of the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency, is a Board Member of PIIE.
• Jacob Frenkel, former Governor of the Bank of Israel, is a Board Member of PIIE.
• Arminio Fraga, former President of the Central Bank of Brazil, is a Board Member of PIIE.
• Leszek Balcerowicz, former Deputy Prime Minister of Poland, is a Board Member of PIIE.

Foreign governments also give financial support to think tanks.  For example, at CEIP, support has come from the governments of Japan, France, Norway, and Sweden.

Please note that the list is periodically updated.