The Thinkers:
The Rise of Partisan Think Tanks and the Polarization of American Politics
June 2024
Oxford University Press
Publication Date: June 12, 2024
In The Thinkers, E.J. Fagan tells the story of how partisan think tanks—such as the Heritage Foundation and Center for American Progress—displaced non-partisan experts to become the closest policy advisors to the Republican and Democratic Parties. He explores their history, how they influence policymakers, and how their influence impacts the polarization of American politics.
“Using a combination of case studies, data analysis, and real-life experience, this fascinating book takes us behind the scenes to show us the ways in which partisan think tanks succeed (and sometimes fail) in setting the policy agenda. The Thinkers makes a convincing case that such think tanks have played an important part in the increasingly partisan politics that have divided the United States in recent years.”
—Beth Leech, Professor of Political Science, Rutgers University
“The Thinkers explores the growth of partisan think tanks, a new and deeply troubling element of the US political scene. Far from offering neutral expertise and “speaking truth to power”, these groups are deeply connected to the very forces that have generated the polarized and dysfunctional political process we see today.”
—Frank R. Baumgartner, Professor of Political Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill