American Enterprise Institute

The American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research is a public policy research organization at 1789 Massachusetts Avenue NW in Washington, DC. The IRS ruling recognising its exemption is dated July 1944; AEI dates its own founding to 1938. For the 2023 tax year it reported total revenue of $53.8 million and total assets of$348.4 million.

Stated mission

AEI describes itself as “a public policy think tank dedicated to defending human dignity, expanding human potential, and building a freer and safer world,” advancing ideas “rooted in our belief in democracy, free enterprise, American strength and global leadership, solidarity with those at the periphery of our society, and a pluralistic, entrepreneurial culture.” It states that it “operates independently of any political party” and takes no institutional positions, and that its scholars work with academic freedom.

Research areas

AEI organises its work into four research divisions — domestic policy studies, economic policy studies, foreign and defense policy studies, and social, cultural and constitutional studies — and runs named initiatives including a Housing Center, a Center for Technology, Science, and Energy, a Center on Opportunity and Social Mobility, and the Survey Center on American Life, which publishes original public opinion research.

Relevance to digital political discourse

AEI publishes commentary, research and podcasts on its own site, including the AEIdeas blog and the Survey Center on American Life’s polling on social and online life. Its Center for Technology, Science, and Energy covers technology and innovation policy.