Brookings Institution

The National Academy of Sciences was signed into being by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863, at the height of the Civil War. The Academy is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research that is dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. The National Academy of Sciences is governed by a council comprised of 12 members and five officers elected from among its membership. The council is responsible to the membership for the activities undertaken by the organization and for the corporate management of the National Academy of Sciences. The Academy membership is comprised of approximately 2,000 members and nearly 350 foreign associates, of whom more than 190 have won Nobel Prizes.

The American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research is a nonpartisan, nonprofit institution that is dedicated to research and education on issues of government, politics, economics and social welfare. Founded in 1943, it is home to public policy experts in areas of economics, law, political science, defense and foreign policy, ethics, theology and medicine. The institute sponsors research and conferences and publishes books, monographs and periodicals. The American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research's purpose is to defend the principles and improve the institutions of American freedom and democratic capitalism, such as limited government, private enterprise, individual liberty and responsibility, effective defense and foreign policies, political accountability and open debate. Its work is addressed to government officials and legislators, teachers and students, business executives, professionals, journalists and citizens interested in understanding government policy, the economy and social and political developments.