Why Establish Non-Representative Organizations? Rethinking the Role, Form and Target of Think Tanks

Abstract

This considers the organizational ecology of ideas in modern capitalism, including the different forms of think tanks and other ‘permanent persuaders’, and focuses on the ‘why’ of think tanks. Permanent persuaders differ by categorization – for example, are they representative or non-representative; are they of the left or the right; are they internally or externally oriented; and at what spatial level do they operate? All, though, aim to influence policy-makers . Distancing, economies of scale and networks are important. Distancing gives corporate ideas a legitimacy they otherwise would not possess. This helps make market liberal policies more acceptable to policy-makers . It is not without its problems: think tanks, along with representative organizations , tend to develop their own internal logic. Understanding the role of think tanks also brings to mind the concept of ideological power and other forms and faces of power . In the meantime, counter-hegemonic think tanks persist as long as some are willing to put resources into ideas that challenge the interests of capital.