On April 8, the National Defense University (NDU) hosted Director of South Asia Programs Jeff M. Smith for a talk on U.S. national security policy at the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies’ annual seminar for Next Generation Leaders. In this iteration, young leaders from countries throughout the Middle East gathered at the NDU headquarters to learn about national security policymaking in the United States. Smith’s talk focused on the role of think tanks in the national security process, how they interact with and inform government, how they serve can serve as a check on government policies, and their role in the public education process.