> Krugman, for example, pointed out that a place like Cato is
>never going to publish calls for government expansion. Fair enough; but
>is a place like Brookings (no offense, Bill) going to publish vocal
>cries for the abolition of popular programs?
Why wouldn't we? Depending on what you mean by popular programs Brookings scholars
have always been in the business of advocating against poorly conceived programs. For
example, Joe Peckman's often repeated mantra of "broaden the base and lower the
rates," was meant to apply to all sorts of popular tax deductions including the
mortgage interest deduction. Brookings is unique in having a large fraction of its
budget come from income from its endowment. We are truly beholden to no one. Although
we receive government contracts, corporate and individual donations, and foundation
money, no source is essential. A far more valuable asset to us than any funding source
is our reputation for independent research.
Another thing. Although Brookings is sometimes called a "liberal" think tank, that
label ignores a fair amount of diversity in our make-up. The last two presidents
appointed at Brookings were Republicans, and the head of the foreign policy program
now is a Republican. There are several Republican Senior Fellows including a former
Republican congressman. Several members of the staff who have Democratic leanings
have, none the less, served in Republican administrations (heck, I was invited to
serve as a Senior Economist to Bush's (the last one) CEA twice).
Further, the Brookings charter gives a very minimum of ideological guidance. Some
people on this list might consider the institution's purpose of improving the
operation of government ideological, but that's pretty broad guidance compared to the
much narrower and less inclusive guidance in the charters of organizations like Cato,
Heritage and AEI. There is no ideological test for work done at Brookings period. If
anything,there is a bit of premium for coming up with a good idea which bucks the
orthodoxy -- no matter which one. How many other institutions can honestly make that
claim? I wouldn't have left a tenured job at U.C. Berkeley for this place if it was
any other way.
-- Bill Dickens
William T. Dickens
The Brookings Institution
1775 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: (202) 797-6113
FAX: (202) 797-6181
E-MAIL: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
AOL IM: wtdickens
