The Hoover Institution is an American public policy think tank which promotes personal and economic liberty, free enterprise, and limited government. While the institution is formally a unit of Stanford University, it maintains an independent board of overseers and relies on its own income and donations. It is widely described as conservative, although its directors have contested the idea that it is partisan.
The Hoover Institution in May 2014
Former United States Secretary of Defense Ash Carter speaks about defense innovation at the institution in Washington, D.C. in September 2016
Former Secretaries of State Condoleezza Rice and Rex Tillerson during a Hoover forum in January 2018
View of the Hoover Institution's headquarters, including the Hoover Tower, among the Stanford University campus
A think tank, or policy institute, is a research institute that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, technology, and culture. Most think tanks are non-governmental organizations, but some are semi-autonomous agencies within government, and some are associated with particular political parties, businesses or the military. Think tanks are often funded by individual donations, with many also accepting government grants.
Brookings Institution, founded in 1916 in Washington, D.C.
The Heritage Foundation, founded in 1973 in Washington, D.C.
Stanford University's Hoover Institution, founded in 1919 by U.S. President Herbert Hoover