The Atlantic Council is proud to once again be recognized by University of Pennsylvania’s Global Go To Think Tank Index as one of the world’s leading think tanks.

For the sixth consecutive year, the Atlantic Council rose in the index, ranking #7 in the category of “2020 Top Think Tanks in the United States,” a rise from #8 last year. The Council also ranked #10 globally and #6 among US think tanks for “Top Foreign Policy and International Affairs Think Tanks,” a rise from #14 and #10, respectively, in last year’s index.

As the Atlantic Council’s global audience grows rapidly, the index ranked the organization as the #7 “Think Tank to Watch,” an increase from #8 last year.

The Council continues to stand out among its peers in several other categories, including #8 for “2020 Top Defense and National Security Think Tanks,” #16 globally for “Think Tanks with the Most Significant Impact on Public Policy,” and, for the first time, recognized among “2020 Best Regional Studies Centers,” with a #19 ranking globally.

Today’s rankings are recognition of the Atlantic Council’s extraordinary growth, and bold, innovative programing and bodies of work. The rankings also recognize the Council as a leader in the field for its management, new ideas, and public conferences. The Council will build upon this momentum in 2021 as it executes an ambitious agenda to shape the global future together with allies and partners around the world.

The rankings are the result of an international survey of over 70,000 scholars, public and private donors, policymakers, and journalists who helped rank more than 8,000 think tanks using a set of criteria developed by the Think Tank and Civil Societies Program (TTCSP) at the University of Pennsylvania under Dr Jim Mcgann. These rankings are tabulated via an open access survey in addition to a peer and expert survey. The goal is to increase the profile and accountability of think tanks and to raise public awareness as to the important role that think tanks play in governments and civil societies around the globe.

“Our goal is to increase the profile and performance of think tanks and raise the public awareness of the important role think tanks play in governments and civil societies around the globe,” writes Dr. McGann, a senior lecturer at the Lauder Institute of the Wharton School and the School of Arts and Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania.

The full rankings can be found here: 2020 Global Go To Think Tank Index Report (upenn.edu)