Int his essay, the authors identify and problematize the claims and activities of four think tanks supported by contributions from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Kovacs and Christie attempt to show that these contributions support scholars and research of dubious quality, engage in political science abuse, and perpetuate discourses and narratives that stand in opposition to democratic school alternatives. They call for cultivation of relationships with pro-democracy reformers in areas such as economics and urban planning, as these individuals may be helpful in reaching wider and larger audiences using language that may be unfamiliar to scholars who spend most of their time in the world of educational policy. (Contains 1 figure and 104 notes.)