Put together by the Wilson Center, the Atlantic Council and the University of Pennsylvania’s Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program, the following video is of a panel discussion that took place yesterday in Washington, DC. The program calls for a discussion of “the current era of political and digital disruption and the role of think tanks and policy-developers”.

Washington Post Columnist Josh Rogin moderated the event with opening remarks by the Honorable Jane Harman from the Wilson Center and closing remarks by Atlantic Council President and CEO Frederick Kempe. The Wilson Center actually posted an amazing event “Webcast Recap” and cleverly offered some choice quotes from the discussion. For example, Jane Harman was pointed out, “We need think tanks. More than ever, think tanks and the work we do matter. The information we produce matters. The safe political space we provide matters, and it matters to everyone: left, right, and center.” And Josh Rogin added:

“When the Trump administration came into power—actually after the election—there was a panic, let’s say, in the think tank community. Born out of the election, born out of the primary, many think tanks stood neutral, some didn’t. Some scholars did, some didn’t. So I decided to collect the conventional wisdom at the time, as is my want, and I wrote a column and it was called “this is the death of think tanks as we know them” . . . you know, a year into it, the reports of the death of the think tank community have been largely exaggerated—by me.”

Panelists at the event included:

• Ambassador Ivo H. Daalder – President, Chicago Council on Global Affairs
• Kay Coles James – President, The Heritage Foundation
• James McGann – Senior Lecturer, International Studies and Director, Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program, University of Pennsylvania; Editor, Global Go To Think Tank Index
• Eric Rosenbach – Co-Director, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School
• Neera Tanden – President and CEO, Center for American Progress
• Sarah Rosen Wartell – President, Urban Institute
• Kenneth R. Weinstein – President and CEO, Hudson Institute

The event is about an hour and a half. Enjoy…!