'This is a terrific book. It is not only the definitive political science treatment of think tanks in the United States, but also an extremely insightful study of the transformation of the policymaking community and process in Washington. Rich shows that the roles that experts play in influencing policy are severely constrained, and that think tank efforts to improve the timeliness and visibility of their policy ideas frequently come at a cost in terms of credibility. Anyone who reads this book will come away with a deeper understanding of the complex forces that shape contemporary policymaking in the United States.' R. Kent Weaver, Georgetown University

While the number of think tanks active in American politics has more than quadrupled since the 1970s, their influence has not expanded proportionally. Instead, the known ideological proclivities of many, especially newer think tanks with their aggressive efforts to obtain high profiles, have come to undermine the credibility with which experts and expertise are generally viewed by public officials. This book explains this paradox. The analysis is based on 135 in-depth interviews with officials at think tanks and those in the policy making and funding organizations that draw upon and support their work. The book reports on results from a survey of congressional staff and journalists and detailed case studies of the role of experts in health care and telecommunications reform debates in the 1990s and tax reduction in 2001.

List of tables
List of figures
Acknowledgements
1. The political demography of think tanks
2. The evolution of think tanks
3. Political credibility
4. The policy roles of experts
5. Policy influence: making research matter
6. Think tanks, experts and American politics
Appendix A: details on the characteristics, perception and visibility of think tanks
Appendix B: list of in-depth interviews
Works cited
Index.

Subject Areas: Politics & government [JP], Regional studies [GTB]