Partisan Think Tanks and the Polarization of American Politics with E.J. Fagan Event Recap
Big thanks to E.J. Fagan, Providence College class of 2009, for spending the afternoon with us! Fagan discussed how partisan think tanks like the Heritage Foundation and the Center for American Progress became major forces in American politics.
- Fagan shows that these groups have polarized American politics by linking Democrats and Republicans to partisan information sources. He also argues that, as Congress’s internal capacity to solve problems has fallen, partisan think tanks have stepped in to fill the void. Fagan used the Affordable Care Act as an example; he showed how think tanks shaped legislation and influenced the repeal debate.
- Big takeaway: As partisan think tanks gained power, Congress became more polarized
