What Niskanen Center does
The Niskanen Center is a Washington, D.C.–based nonprofit public policy think tank that says it advances prosperity, opportunity, and human flourishing by combining policy research with advocacy targeted at legislative and executive decision-makers. Its stated approach emphasizes evidence-based theory of policy change, and it presents itself as ideologically open—seeking credibility across multiple parts of the political spectrum—while pursuing a coherent agenda focused on effective governance and market-led innovation.
Programmatically, the organization frames its work across four linked initiatives—Open Society, State Capacity, Abundance and Dynamism, and Captured Economy—covering topics including climate and energy, immigration, technology and civil liberties, and social policy.
As of 2026, Niskanen is undergoing leadership transition: its President, Ted Gayer, stepped down effective March 1, 2026, with Board Chair Richard (“R.J.”) Lyman serving as Acting President while Gayer remains affiliated as a senior advisor through the end of May.