Center for American Progress

Center for American Progress
source
Name	Center for American Progress
Formation	2003
Founder	John Podesta
Type	Think tank
Headquarters	Washington, D.C.

Center for American Progress is a public policy research and advocacy organization founded in 2003. It operates in Washington, D.C., engaging with policymakers, media, and advocacy networks to shape debates on domestic and foreign policy. The organization frequently interacts with institutions and figures across the political spectrum and participates in coalitions, panels, and legislative briefings.

History

The organization was established in 2003 during the administrations of George W. Bush, drawing founders and early advisers from backgrounds linked to Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, and the Democratic National Committee. Initial staff included alumni of Brookings Institution, New America, Policy Exchange, Progressive Policy Institute, and universities such as Harvard University, Yale University, Georgetown University, and Princeton University. Early work intersected with events like the Iraq War, the 2004 United States presidential election, and debates over the No Child Left Behind Act. In subsequent years the organization engaged with policy debates during the 2008 United States presidential election, the 2009 economic stimulus, the Affordable Care Act, and the administrations of Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden.

Mission and Funding

The organization describes its mission as advancing progressive ideas through research and advocacy, collaborating with allies in labor movements such as the AFL–CIO and unions like the Service Employees International Union, as well as advocacy groups including MoveOn.org and Human Rights Campaign. Funding has come from philanthropic foundations such as the Ford Foundation, the Open Society Foundations, the Carnegie Corporation of New York, and family philanthropies linked to the Soros family and the Gates family. It has also received support from corporations and individual donors involved with firms like Microsoft, Google, Amazon (company), and investment entities connected to Warren Buffett and Bill Ackman. Financial reporting and disclosures have been compared with practices at Heritage Foundation, Cato Institute, American Enterprise Institute, and Urban Institute.

Leadership and Organization

Senior leaders have included figures who served in the Clinton administration, the Obama administration, and various congressional offices, with staff moving between roles at U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Department of State, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and committees such as the Senate Finance Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee. Boards and advisers have featured former officials from National Security Council, diplomats posted to United States Department of State, think tank directors from Center for Strategic and International Studies, and academics from institutions like Columbia University and Stanford University. Organizational structure mirrors models used by Aspen Institute and Atlantic Council, with departments focused on policy, communications, development, and events.

Research and Policy Areas

The organization's research spans topics including fiscal policy responses to crises like the 2008 financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic, health care legislation such as the Affordable Care Act, tax code changes tied to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, climate and energy policy relating to the Paris Agreement and agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency, immigration policy including debates around Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals and border enforcement, criminal justice reform discussed alongside the First Step Act, and foreign policy issues involving NATO, Iran nuclear deal, and relations with China. It publishes reports, white papers, and analysis comparable to outputs from RAND Corporation, Pew Research Center, Mercatus Center, and Economic Policy Institute.

Influence and Advocacy

The organization engages in advocacy through briefings for members of Congress such as those on the Senate Judiciary Committee and the House Appropriations Committee, testimony before panels including the Senate Finance Committee, and partnerships with advocacy coalitions like Coalition for the Homeless and voter mobilization groups active in presidential cycles. Its researchers and fellows frequently appear on networks including CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, and publications like The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Atlantic. Alumni have transitioned to roles in presidential campaigns, executive branch appointments in Department of the Treasury and Department of Homeland Security, and advisory positions for international organizations such as the United Nations and the International Monetary Fund.

Criticism and Controversies

Critics have raised concerns about funding transparency, alleged revolving-door dynamics between think tanks and administrations, and ideological influence in policymaking, paralleling critiques leveled at Heritage Foundation, Center for Strategic and International Studies, and Brookings Institution. Specific controversies have involved editorial disputes with outlets like BuzzFeed News and scrutiny from watchdogs such as Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington and Project on Government Oversight. Debates have also referenced interactions with political actors involved in the 2016 United States presidential election, congressional investigations led by the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and public disagreements with commentators from National Review and The Weekly Standard.

Category:Think tanks based in the United States