AEI Reviews

AEI is most definitely a political place. Regardless of being officially non-partisan, they are 100% conservative, Republican, neo-con, etc. If that side of the spectrum is not where your viewpoints lie, it can be a stifling environment. Your experience there also heavily depends on the department in which you work. In conferences and development departments, the work is menial. Your function is purely to secure donations and make AEI look successful - very nonpartisan, but boring. In the policy area departments, it very much depends on who the Resident Scholar is. The hours are long, crazy, and the work never, ever stops.

There's a strong conservative ideology at AEI and very little else from along the rest of the spectrum. I've found that AEI's reputation on the outside isn't as good as people at AEI think it is. Many people see it less of a think-tank and more of an ideology-center. So, if you want to pursue research and you're already firmly rooted in a conservative position, then this might be a good stepping stone for you. If you're a moderate or liberal person, AEI's a good place to be exposed to to understand what it's like and get the viewpoint, but you'll probably not want to stay here long.