David A. Ochmanek

　　RAND and other "think tanks" help its sponsors to make better decisions and policies by providing insights that emerge from the study of specific problems. RAND conducts research and analysis on issues of both domestic policy and national security for sponsors in the United States government, for private foundations, and for friendly foreign governments. RAND also sponsors work from its own funds.

　　There are several reasons why governments find it useful to turn to places like RAND: People in government often find it difficult to set aside the time required to do in-depth research and analysis of complex issues. Government agencies often find it difficult to avoid bias in their policy recommendations. Researchers in think tanks are sometimes able to develop greater expertise in complex issues than their counterparts in government.

　　RAND is not the only think tank in the national security arena in the United States. Other federally funded defense-related research centers include the Institute for Defense Analysis (IDA), the Center for Naval Analyses (CNA), the Aerospace Corporation, and MIT's Lincoln Laboratory. Other think tanks in the United States, such as the Brookings Institution, the American Enterprise Institute, and the Cato Institute, are privately funded. The Department of Defense also frequently hires for-profit consulting companies to conduct studies or to assist them in accomplishing certain tasks. Some of these companies like to characterize themselves as "think tanks" but their work tends to be narrower and more technical than that of the true think tanks.

　　RAND publishes widely the results of its research. Almost every study done at RAND produces a written report that documents the research and presents its findings. Those that are not classified are available to the public.

　　The relationship between RAND and its government sponsors has not always been smooth. RAND works hard to maintain its reputation for independence and objectivity. Inevitably, that sometimes means that our sponsors do not always welcome our research results. Nevertheless, our sponsors have found our work over many years to be valuable to them.