How a Think Tank Influences Policy in Washington with Clifford May

Established months after 9/11, the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies initially focused on terrorism. Twenty years on, FDD deals with a wide range of topics, from Arab politics and biodefense to China and COVID-19. Known as (and attacked for being) a think tank that affects policy on such issues as the Iran nuclear deal and domestic extremism, its founder muses on FDD’s route to influencing policy toward strengthening U.S. national security. How is this done? What lessons can be drawn from two decades of experience?