R Street

R Street
Name	R Street
Type	Think tank
Founded	2012
Headquarters	Washington, D.C.
Key people	Eli Lehrer, David Bier, Amanda Maksymiw
Focus	Public policy, regulatory reform

R Street is a Washington, D.C.–based public policy think tank focused on pragmatic, market-oriented reform across regulatory, fiscal, and social policy areas. Founded in the early 2010s, the organization engages with lawmakers, industry groups, and advocacy organizations to advance proposals on taxation, criminal justice, energy, and technology. It publishes research, hosts events, and collaborates with academic institutions and policy networks.

History

The organization emerged from a split among free-market advocates and policy analysts associated with American Enterprise Institute, Cato Institute, and Heritage Foundation circles during debates over strategy and governance in the late 2000s and early 2010s. Founders and early leadership included figures with ties to Young America's Foundation, Competitive Enterprise Institute, and state-level policy shops such as the Illinois Policy Institute and Mackinac Center for Public Policy. Early public engagements included testimony before panels convened by the United States House Committee on Oversight and Reform and participation in coalitions with Reason Foundation, Mercatus Center, and National Taxpayers Union on regulatory issues. Over time, the group expanded its footprint with staff who previously worked at Department of Transportation (United States), Department of Homeland Security (United States), and congressional offices, and it collaborated with think tanks like Brookings Institution and Hoover Institution on joint events.

Mission and Policy Positions

The organization frames its mission in terms of market solutions and limited intervention while emphasizing evidence-based reform. Policy positions have addressed taxation and fiscal policy debated in United States Congress, regulatory reform aspects overseen by the Office of Management and Budget (United States), and criminal justice measures discussed in conjunction with National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and bipartisan coalitions aligned with figures like Cory Booker and Rand Paul. It has taken public stances on energy and environmental regulation interacting with agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency and legislative measures originating in the United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. Technology and privacy policy work has engaged with developments at Federal Communications Commission and debates involving companies like Google, Facebook, and Amazon. The group has also advocated for immigration reform proposals similar to efforts by United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees partners and experts associated with Migration Policy Institute.

Organizational Structure

Leadership includes a board of directors composed of individuals with prior roles at institutions such as Goldman Sachs, AEGON, and law firms that have represented clients before the United States Supreme Court. Senior fellows and policy analysts often have affiliations or prior employment with Stanford University, Harvard Kennedy School, University of Chicago, and state policy centers including Texas Public Policy Foundation. The staff is organized into policy teams focusing on fiscal policy, criminal justice, technology, and energy, and operates a communications unit that engages with outlets like The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and broadcasters such as NPR and FOX News Channel. The governance model incorporates an advisory council with former elected officials and appointees from the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Trade Commission.

Funding and Financials

Funding sources include donations from individuals, corporate contributions, and grants from philanthropic foundations akin to Smith Richardson Foundation, Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, and grant-making entities comparable to Charles Koch Foundation and Carnegie Corporation of New York. The group has reported revenue lines from events, publications, and consulting work; financial disclosures and nonprofit filings have been discussed alongside practices at Council on Foreign Relations and American Progress. Audits and financial oversight practices reference standards used by organizations such as Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency and nonprofit watchdogs like Charity Navigator and GiveWell in public commentary.

Notable Initiatives and Publications

Major initiatives have included criminal justice reform proposals that intersected with campaigns by The Sentencing Project and legislative pushes supported by lawmakers including Mike Lee and Richard Shelby; energy and environmental policy briefs that addressed regulatory actions by the Environmental Protection Agency and infrastructure projects reviewed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; and technology policy work on data privacy and platform regulation that engaged with legal scholarship from Electronic Frontier Foundation and policy debates involving Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Publications and reports have appeared in collaboration with university centers, and staff have testified before committees such as the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary and the House Energy and Commerce Committee. The organization’s commentaries have been cited in media outlets including Politico, The Atlantic, and Bloomberg News.

Criticism and Controversies

Critics have raised concerns about funding transparency, potential conflicts of interest related to corporate donors in sectors regulated by Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and Securities and Exchange Commission, and ideological alignment with industry groups comparable to American Petroleum Institute and Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America. Some watchdog organizations and journalists at outlets like ProPublica and The Intercept have questioned staff ties to lobbying firms and previous employment histories at firms engaged in advocacy before federal agencies. Debates have also involved academics from Princeton University and Yale University who have critiqued methodological approaches in certain empirical studies produced by the organization.

Category:Think tanks based in the United States