Abstract
Think tanks are research, analysis, and engagement institutions that generate policy advice on domestic and international issues, enabling policymakers to make informed decisions and bridging the gap between the government and the public at large. In simpler terms, think tanks serve as “go-to” institutions when experts on particular topics are needed to provide analysis or commentary on the breaking news of the day. These organizations are classified in one of the following categories: for profit, autonomous and independent, quasi-independent, university affiliated, political party affiliated, quasi-governmental, or governmental. These categories helpfully expand the definition of think tanks to overcome the presuppositions of a Western, Anglophone perspective—as think tanks become increasingly prominent around the world, so too does their definition necessarily expand beyond its original boundaries.
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Notes
- 1.
Joseph V. Montville defines Track Two diplomacy as “an unofficial, informal interaction between members of adversary groups or nations that aims to develop strategies, influence public opinion, and organize human and material resources in ways that might help resolve their conflict.” Joseph V. Montville, “The Arrow and the Olive Branch: A Case for Track Two Diplomacy,” in The Psychodynamics of International Relations. vol 2. eds. V. D. Volkan M.D., J. Montville, and D. A. Julius (Massachusetts: Lexington Books, 1991), 162.
- 2.
The Institute for Defence and Security Studies (RUSI) founded in 1831 in London, UK, is often credited as being the first modern think tank. For a history of the growth of think tanks in the United States see Thomas Medvetz, Think Tanks in America (The University of Chicago Press, 2012); David M. Ricci, The Transformation of American Politics: The New Washington and the Rise of Think Tanks (Yale University Press, 1993); Donald E. Abelson, A Capitol Idea: Think Tanks & US Foreign Policy (McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2006).
- 3.
Lyndon B. Johnson, XXXVI President of the United States: 1963–1969, Remarks on the Occasion of the 50th Anniversary of the Brookings Institution (September 29, 1966) http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=27896, see also Andrew Rich, Think Tanks, Public Policy, and the Politics of Expertise (Cambridge University Press, 2004), 1.
- 4.
Andrew Selee, What Should Think Tanks Do? A Strategic Guide to Policy Impact (Stanford University Press, 2013), 4.
- 5.
Sandy Gordon, India’s Rise as an Asian Power, Nation, Neighborhood, and Region (Georgetown University Press, 2014).
- 6.
National Institution for Transforming India , Government of India , Overview, http://niti.gov.in/content/overview.
- 7.
Xinhuanet, “Xi Calls for New Type of Think Tanks,” http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/china/2014-10/27/c_133746282.htm, “Chinese President Xi Jinping called for a new type of think tank catered for China as the country looks to modernize its governance .”
References
Gordon, Sandy. 2014. India’s Rise as an Asian Power, Nation, Neighborhood, and Region. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press.
Johnson, Lyndon B. 1966. XXXVI President of the United States: 1963–1969, Remarks on the Occasion of the 50th Anniversary of the Brookings Institution, September 29. http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=27896.
Montville, Joseph V. 1991. The Arrow and the Olive Branch: A Case for Track Two Diplomacy. In The Psychodynamics of International Relations, ed. V.D. Volkan, J. Montville, and D.A. Julius, vol. 2. Lexington: Lexington Books.
National Institution for Transforming India, Government of India, Overview, http://niti.gov.in/content/overview.
Rich, Andrew. 2004. Think Tanks, Public Policy, and the Politics of Expertise. New York/Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Selee, Andrew. 2013. What Should Think Tanks Do? A Strategic Guide to Policy Impact. Stanford: Stanford University Press.
Xinhuanet. Xi Calls for New Type of Think Tanks. Chinese President Xi Jinping Called for a New Type of Think Tank Catered for China as the Country Looks to Modernize Its Governance. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/china/2014-10/27/c_133746282.htm.
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McGann, J.G., Shull, A. (2018). Think Tanks and Emerging Power Networks. In: McGann, J. (eds) Think Tanks and Emerging Power Policy Networks. Palgrave Pivot, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71955-9_1
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