Monday, January 30, 2017

Heritage Foundation to Host "Death of Think Tanks" Event

The conservative think tank Heritage Foundation will soon be holding an event on the hottest think tank topic of 2017: the death of think tanks.  Here is a description of the event:

The role of think tanks has risen significantly over the past half century. Increasingly, Washington, D.C.-based think tanks have served as a resource for newly elected politicians, including presidential administrations. These "newcomers" draw on think tanks for potential staff members and policy support.
As President Trump continues to fill his administration with successful businesspeople and military leaders, it seems he is determined to change that narrative. The think tank community must now ask itself what its role will be in this new era. Is this the death of think tanks as we have come to know them? Join us for a discussion on the evolution and future of think tanks in the era of the Trump Administration.

The event, entitled "The Death of Think Tanks in the Trump Era," will take place on February 7.  Speakers include:
  • Andrew Selee, Executive Vice President of the Wilson Center
  • Josh Rogin, Columnist at The Washington Post
  • Rebeccah Heinrichs, National Security Policy Analyst at the Hudson Institute

The event will be hosted by James Jay Carafano, Vice President and Fellow at the Heritage Foundation who served on Donald Trump's transition team.  His recent piece entitled "Think Tanks Aren't Going Extinct.  But They Have to Evolve," can be found here.

Here is some required reading before you attend, including Josh Rogin's recent piece on the death of think tanks.

As Think Tank Watch has just reported, the Trump White House is forming its own internal think tank as it works to bypass the role of traditional think tanks.

Stay tuned for another Think Tank Watch piece tomorrow on how the Washington think tank landscape is quickly changing...