Our History | Brookings (2024)

1916: The Institute for Government Research (IGR) is founded by Robert S. Brookings.

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1958: Brookings Institution Press, an integral part of the Brookings mission since its founding, grows from an outlet for institutional research into a scholarly press publishing a range of peer-reviewed titles and joins the Association of American University Presses.

1959: Brookings’ Marshall Robinson publishes “The National Debt Ceiling: An Experiment in Fiscal Policy,” which argues that the debt ceiling had not only failed but backfired. Robinson wrote, “Elimination of the debt ceiling…[would] end the spectacle of our Government resorting to the petty practice of evading its bills.” The study is cited in policy debates about the debt ceiling during the 1960s and onward, including as recently as 2023.

1963: Brookings Foreign Policy and Government Studies programs partner with several Latin American research organizations to study trade and investment policies, a collaboration that lasts into the early 1980s.

1966: Brookings establishes the Social Science Computation Center for Research, offering state-of-the-art computational research support for scholars, including use of a mainframe computer.

1969: Brookings establishes the Defense Analysis Project to study issues such as defense support costs and U.S., NATO, and Soviet force structures.

1970: Brookings scholars Arthur Okun and George Perry introduce the first edition of the Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, a highly influential and respected economics journal that continues today as a journal and semi-annual conference. Learn more about BPEA »

1975: In “Equality and Efficiency,” Brookings scholar Arthur Okun explores “the big tradeoff” between society’s desire to reduce inequality and the risk of impairing economic efficiency. The book also examines how redistributing income affects economic growth. Learn more »

1971: Brookings begins a new series of studies on the federal budget and congressional spending choices, and eventually pushes for the creation of the Congressional Budget Office. Brookings scholar Alice Rivlin becomes its founding director in 1975.

1978: Brookings publishes Gary Orfield’s book, “Must We Bus? Segregated Schools and National Policy,” a seminal work that examines racial segregation in U.S. schools and the contentious practice of mandatory busing. The book provides valuable insights into the historical context, legal battles, and policy implications of school desegregation, informing efforts to combat segregation and promote equal access to education.

1979: Brookings scholar Leslie Gelb and Brookings research associate Richard Betts conclude in “The Irony of Vietnam,” that while the foreign policy outcome of America’s involvement in Vietnam was a failure, the decision-making system worked as designed. Yale historian Gaddis Smith wrote that “If an historian were allowed but one book on the American involvement in Vietnam, this would be it.”

1986: Brookings scholar Joseph Pechman’s research on the need for comprehensive reform of the U.S. tax code leads to the Tax Reform Act of 1986, a major bill with profound impacts on the American economy.

1992: Brookings scholar Thomas Mann and Norman Ornstein of the American Enterprise Institute issue their first report on ways to improve Congressional debate and action on legislation, enhance relationships between parties, rectify the campaign finance system, and repair the internal support structure of Congress; their work makes a significant contribution to the debate about Congressional reform.

1995: The Brookings Institution joins the online world with the launch of its website. Learn more »

1994:In his book “The Great Transition,” Raymond Garthoff, a Brookings scholar and former U.S. diplomat, offers a comprehensive analysis of the diplomatic and political dynamics that led to the end of the Cold War. Drawing on extensive research and access to classified documents, Garthoff provides valuable insights into the intricate relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union. He sheds light on key negotiations, regional conflicts, and the evolving dynamics within the Soviet Union itself. Widely acclaimed as a seminal work in Cold War studies, “The Great Transition” remains a significant resource for understanding this transformative period in history.

2003: The Continuity of Government Commission, a joint effort between Brookings and the American Enterprise Institute, issues the first of a set of reports on how to carry on the functions of government in the event of a massive and catastrophic attack on the main institutions of the U.S. government. These reports are:

• “The Continuity of Congress” (2003)
• “The Continuity of the Presidency” (2009)
• “The Continuity of the Supreme Court” (2011)

2004: The Metropolitan Policy Program is established at Brookings. Emerging from the Center on Urban and Metropolitan Policy, it becomes the Institution’s fourth research program. Bruce Katz and Amy Liu are the program’s co-founders.

The first annual Brookings Blum Roundtable focuses on America’s role in the fight against global poverty. Learn more »

Brookings scholars William Gale, J. Mark Iwry, and Peter Orszag make the case that helping Americans save for retirement requires financial incentives for low- and middle-income workers coupled with new corporate practices to make saving easier; the legislation inspired by their work makes them three of the most-quoted and most-influential economists in the United States.

2006: Brookings establishes its fifth research program, Global Economy and Development. Lael Brainard is the program’s first vice president and director. She later serves as undersecretary of the Treasury for International Affairs and a Federal Reserve governor.

2006: Michael O’Hanlon, William Quandt, Martin S. Indyk, Carlos Pascual, Kenneth Pollack, Shibley Telhami, and Strobe Talbott advise the bipartisan Iraq Study Group, which evaluates U.S. strategy in Iraq, recommending intensified diplomacy and increased numbers of U.S. combat troops in Iraq. Brookings scholars continue to provide analysis and recommendations throughout the Iraq War.

2009: Brookings publishes “Bending the Curve,” a seminal report that tackles the challenge of escalating healthcare costs and offers comprehensive recommendations for transforming the U.S. healthcare system. Widely recognized for its impact, the report has influenced policy discussions and provided a roadmap for policymakers, healthcare providers, and stakeholders seeking innovative approaches to improve healthcare quality and control costs.

2011: The Presidential Appointment Efficiency and Streamlining Act of 2011 is enacted, incorporating key recommendations from the Brookings report, “A Half-Empty Government Can’t Govern,” by experts E.J. Dionne, Jr. and William Galston.

2013: Brookings scholars provide formative input on the development of the United Nations’ Millennium Sustainable Development Goals. Homi Kharas is appointed lead author and executive secretary for the “Report of the Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda,” which provides a road map for the future of global development efforts.

2016: The work of the Global Cities Initiative leads to over 28 regions in the United States—representing 30 percent of the U.S. economy—producing global trade and investment strategies focused on exports, foreign direct investment, and other drivers of global competitiveness.

2017: Brookings scholarship, through the work of experts like William G. Gale and Adam Looney, as well as the research conducted by the Tax Policy Center, plays a crucial role in informing the development of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.