Think Tank Quickies (#195)

• Think tanks close to the Chinese government calling for a two-child policy.
• "America's colleges are liberal think tanks."
• Phebe Novakovic, CEO of General Dynamics, "notably scarce" on the Washington think tank circuit.
• Rep. Paul Ryan's (R-WI) soon-to-be chief of staff David Hoppe has, like many lobbyists, "moved back and forth between government, think tanks, and K Street."  
• Think tank R Street Institute: 15 Reasons Why CRS Reports Should be Public.  (One reason is "they cannot freely share their work with peers in academia and think tanks.")
• Foreign Policy: Qatar boosts outreach to US think tanks.
• Abdulateef Al-Mulhim: Saudi Arabia doesn't have any proper think tanks.
• Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) calling for ExxonMobil probe for its funding of certain think tanks.
• Ryan Lance, CEO of ConocoPhillips on ending ban on crude oil exports: "All the universities, the think tanks have studied it.  It's good for the consumer, it's good for the country, it's good for government."
• Brookings says end war on medical marijuana research.

One-Stop-Shop Created for Conservative Think Tank Ideas

The news site Opportunity Lives has just launched a new Solutions Center aimed at organizing conservative policy ideas - including those from think tanks - in one location.

The site currently has categories for education, health care, energy, taxes, upward mobility, and retirement security.

For example, for energy, the site lists ideas of scholars from Heritage Foundation, American Enterprise Institute (AEI), Mercatus Center, R Street Institute, and Manhattan Institute.

According to The Examiner, the site is meant to be a tool for aspiring Republican candidates trying to beef up on policy.