The United Kingdom's Prospect Magazine has just announced the 2015 winners of its annual think tank awards.
Here is who won for the US side:
*Best economic/financial think tank: Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC)
(Reason and Peterson Institute for International Economics were on the shortlist)
*Best social policy think tank: New America Foundation (NAF)
(RAND Corp. and Brookings were on the shortlist)
*Best energy/environment think tank: RAND Corp.
(Brookings and World Resources Institute were on the shortlist)
*Best international affairs think tank: Brookings Institution
(Migration Policy Institute and Carnegie Endowment for International Peace were on the shortlist)
For the UK, the "think tank of the year" award went to the Institute for Fiscal Studies.
There have been various questions about how the awards, which are underwritten by oil giant Shell, are actually chosen, including some speculation that they may be rigged.
We should also mention that a think tank has to actually enter to win. Think Tank Watch conclusion: lame.