The practice of implementation expert and scientific knowledge in the process of making political decisions has been formed for centuries and now it is well known as a social and political institution – think tanks. The capacity of think tanks can be analyzed from diff erent aspects. In this article the author refers to the institutional structure of think tanks and analyzes the fi nancial and legislative support of these organizations in Russia and the United States. The analysis revealed that think tanks have a long historical record in both countries and their activities are supported by a suffi ciently broad legal framework. Russian think tanks with their history stemming from the Soviet Union possess immense intellectual potential but being funded by the government they are largely controlled by the authorities in management. American NGOs are never managed by the funding authority even though they receive a signifi cant portion of their funding from the federal budget. A signifi cant advantage of American legislation is the possibility of obtaining tax incentives for non-profi t organizations. It is assumed that such a legal provision could stimulate Russian businesses and private donors to fi nance research projects. Think tanks tightly integrated in public policy require particular attention in terms of their legal regulation. On one hand, the law should grant freedom to think tanks’ research. On the other hand, think tanks need reliable legal regulation aimed at reducing risks to the national security of the country they operate in and work for.