Think tanks set out to inform and influence public policy ideas and decisions. And yet, the ways they actually achieve impact or measure progress remain unclear and underexplored.

Andrew Selee, the Wilson Center’s Vice President for Programs, explores these issues and more in his new book, What Should Think Tanks Do? A Strategic Guide for Policy Impact. We asked Andrew to provide insight into the role and activities of think tanks. What are they? What do they do? And how do they do it?