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Brookings Institution
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Brookings Institution

Washington think tank founded 1916; non-partisan research authority on economics, governance, and Foreign Policy.

On 22 March, a Brookings working paper warned that AI-driven displacement could erode the Labour-tax base behind roughly three-quarters of US federal revenue.

Last refreshed: 22 September 2026 · Appears in 2 active topics

Key Question

Can Brookings remain non-partisan when its AI research is being weaponised by opposing political camps?

Timeline for Brookings Institution

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Background

Brookings Institution is a Washington think tank that publishes research on economics, governance and Foreign Policy. Its work is relevant because policymakers, journalists and other research organisations use it to frame public questions that cross party and sector boundaries.

Founded in 1916, Brookings presents itself as non-partisan. Its research spans public finance, institutions, elections and international affairs, allowing different readers to use its analysis in disputes over policy without making the institution itself a political party.

Its continuing value lies in turning technical policy problems into research that legislators and the public can assess. The 22 March Labour-tax paper illustrates that role: it connected AI-driven Labour change to the federal revenue base and to choices about future taxation.

Key Issues
AI labour policy

Brookings frames the payroll tax risk

On 22 March, Brookings researchers Anton Korinek and Benjamin Lockwood warned that extensive AI-driven displacement could weaken Labour-tax revenue, which supplies roughly three-quarters of US federal revenue. The finding put Brookings at the centre of a policy argument about how government finances would adapt if employment income shrank.

By 22 March, Senator Bernie Sanders was drafting a levy on firms replacing workers with AI, using the Brookings finding as part of the case. The institution's work supplies a fiscal frame, rather than a forecast of any single firm's job losses.

Common Questions

Reference

Is Brookings Institution liberal or conservative?
Brookings describes itself as non-partisan and centrist. It employs scholars from across the political spectrum. In practice, its 2026 AI research has been cited by progressive Democrats advocating a robot tax and by Republican deficit hawks pushing structural fiscal Reform — opposite policy conclusions from the same data.Source: Brookings Institution
What is the Hamilton Project at Brookings?
The Hamilton Project is a Brookings-based economic policy initiative launched in April 2006. It produces policy analyses guided by an advisory council of academics, business leaders, and former policymakers, with a focus on broadening economic opportunity and fiscal sustainability.Source: Hamilton Project official
What is Brookings predicting for the 2026 midterm elections?
Brookings electoral analysis tracks generic congressional ballot swings and maps cumulative shifts to projected Republican seat losses. A 9.1-point Democratic swing recorded by April 2026 across three competitive special elections informed Brookings projections of 12 to 20 Republican seat losses.Source: Brookings Institution
How does Brookings track the Iran war in Congress?
Brookings war-powers research is cited in congressional debates over the legal basis for US military operations in Iran, including successive War Powers Resolution votes and competing AUMF proposals from senators including Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins, and Thom Tillis.Source: Brookings Institution
What did Brookings say about AI and the US tax system?
A 2026 Brookings working paper by Anton Korinek and Benjamin Lockwood found AI-driven labour displacement threatens the payroll tax base, which funds roughly 84% of US federal revenue, and argued this structural erosion could force a shift toward consumption-based taxation.Source: Korinek & Lockwood, Brookings
How large is the Brookings Institution?
As of 2023, Brookings held an endowment of approximately $538 million and generated annual revenue of $89.4 million. It is the oldest think tank in the United States, founded in 1916, and operates programmes covering economics, governance, Foreign Policy, and electoral analysis.Source: Wikipedia / Brookings financial disclosures
How does Brookings analyse the Iran conflict and US war powers?
Brookings researchers examine the constitutional limits of executive military action under Article II and the War Powers Resolution. Their analysis sets benchmarks for whether US strikes on Iran require a new AUMF, and has been entered into the Senate record as senators debate competing authorisation proposals.Source: Brookings war powers research
What has Brookings found about AI and job displacement?
A Brookings working paper by Anton Korinek and Benjamin Lockwood found that AI-driven labour displacement threatens the payroll-tax base that funds the bulk of US federal revenue, and argued this may force a structural shift toward consumption-based taxation. The affiliated Hamilton Project has published complementary research on the distributional consequences of automation.Source: Brookings Institution working paper
Who are the STARs and why does Brookings say they are at risk from AI?
STARs are workers Skilled Through Alternative Routes rather than formal degrees. A Brookings and Opportunity@Work study found roughly 11 million STARs are concentrated in AI-exposed occupations, with limited adaptive capacity and largely missed by degree-focused retraining programmes.Source: Brookings / Opportunity@Work
Source Material
Hamilton ProjectThe Brookings InstitutionBrookings Institution — Reuters coverageBrookings Institution — Official WebsiteBrookings Institution — Wikipedia