# Hudson Institute The most defense-hawkish of the traditional conservative think tanks. Founded in 1961 by **Herman Kahn** — a RAND Corporation nuclear strategist famous for "thinking about the unthinkable" (the title of his 1962 book on thermonuclear war) — Hudson has maintained its national security focus for six decades, producing research on defense modernization, China/Indo-Pacific strategy, technology policy, and alliance management. Hudson's $25-30M annual budget is modest compared to Heritage or Brookings, but its influence on defense and foreign policy is disproportionate — partly because of its focused scope, partly because its scholars rotate into senior defense positions, and partly because its funding from defense contractors and allied foreign governments aligns its research agenda with the security establishment's priorities. ## Key Research Areas - **China and Indo-Pacific:** Hudson has been among the most hawkish institutions on China, producing research on PLA modernization, South China Sea, Taiwan contingencies, and technology competition - **Defense modernization:** Advocacy for increased defense spending, new capabilities, and faster procurement - **Technology and AI policy:** Analysis of military AI, autonomous systems, quantum computing, and technology competition with China - **Middle East:** Israeli security, [[Iran]] containment, Gulf state relationships - **Japan and allied defense:** Strong focus on Japan's defense modernization and the U.S.-Japan alliance ## Notable Fellows and Alumni - **[[Mike Pompeo]]** — Distinguished fellow; former CIA Director and Secretary of State - **[[H.R. McMaster]]** — Japan Chair; former National Security Advisor - **[[Walter Russell Mead]]** — Global View columnist (*WSJ*), foreign policy intellectual - **John Lee** — China policy analyst - **Eric Brown** — Defense technology and innovation - **Herman Kahn** (founder) — Nuclear strategy, scenario planning, futurism ## Foreign Government Funding Hudson has disclosed funding from foreign governments, particularly: - **Japan:** Significant funding, aligned with Hudson's strong Japan policy focus - **Taiwan:** Funding that corresponds to Hudson's pro-Taiwan advocacy - **Other allied governments:** Various levels of support This funding is disclosed under agreements prompted by Congressional scrutiny of think tank foreign government funding (following the 2014 NYT investigation of Brookings). Critics argue it creates a conflict of interest where Hudson's policy recommendations serve donor-government interests. Defenders argue that allied government funding is qualitatively different from adversary-state influence. ## The RAND → Hudson DNA Herman Kahn left RAND in 1961 partly because RAND's institutional culture was becoming too technocratic and insufficiently willing to engage with controversial strategic questions. Hudson was designed to be bolder — more willing to challenge conventional wisdom and explore uncomfortable scenarios. This intellectual boldness manifests in Hudson's willingness to advocate hawkish positions that other institutions consider too aggressive: preemptive military options, aggressive technology competition with China, and forward defense postures that increase risk of escalation. ## Defense Tech Connection Hudson's defense research directly overlaps with the [[Defense Tech Ecosystem]]: - Analysis of autonomous weapons systems, military AI, and defense innovation - Advocacy for faster procurement and non-traditional defense contractors - Fellows who consult with defense tech companies and serve on advisory boards - Research on the U.S.-China technology competition that drives defense tech investment Hudson is to defense *policy* what RAND is to defense *analysis* — it shapes the strategic arguments that justify defense tech procurement. ## See Also - [[RAND Corporation]] — Intellectual ancestor (Kahn was a RAND alumnus) - [[American Enterprise Institute]] — Fellow center-right defense think tank - [[Heritage Foundation]] — Movement-right defense policy - [[Bradley Foundation]] — Funder - [[Think Tank Ecosystem]] — Full think tank landscape - [[Defense Tech Ecosystem]] — The ecosystem Hudson's analysis supports