Global Think Tanks

Policy Networks and Governance

James G. McGann, Laura C. Whelan

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2020
• ISBN:
  9781000027846
• Edition: 2
• Topic: Politics & International Relations
• Subtopic: Politics
• Index: Politics & International Relations

This completely revised edition of Global Think Tanks: Policy Networks and Governance provides a clear description of, and context for, the global proliferation of think tanks. It explores the origins, development, and diversity of think tanks and policy networks, discusses past and current issues facing transnational think tanks, and considers the possible future challenges and developments. The updated content reflects recent trends such as globalization, digitalization, diversity, populism, and disinformation; and it also includes a new chapter on the impact of emerging technologies on global think tanks and governance.

The book:

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• identifies, maps, and analyzes these phenomena of proliferation, expansion, and networking;

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• provides a primer and a roadmap for global public policy practitioners, participants, and the interested public;

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• illustrates the global growth of think tanks that the world has experienced over the past eight years;

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• analyzes the impact and emerging potential of new technologies and increasing diversity; and

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• considers how global think tanks and policy networks can continue to improve their impact and overall reach.

This volume will be of great interest to all students of international relations and international organizations, alongside policy professionals working at think tanks around the world.

1

National, regional, and global think tanks

Catalyst for ideas and action

• Think tanks in civil society
• Definition of a think tank
• Role of think tanks
• Current literature on think tanks
• Common structural forms of think tanks
• Think tank affiliations
• Global think tanks and think tank networks

This chapter is designed to introduce the concept of think tanks and the varying forms they take. The differing structures of think tanks provide unique advantages and disadvantages in their ability to meet the six specific sub-themes that we explore: future-orientation, policy agenda reconfiguration, collaboration, intellectual synthesis, data dissemination, and integrating the policy process.

Think tanks in civil society

Civil society comprises a range of associations that occupy the space between a government and its citizens. Think tanks are one type of civil society organization. As objective, independent policy analysts and producers representing neither the public nor the private sector, think tanks constitute an important part of a strong civil society. This is significant when one considers the generally accepted notion that a strong and vibrant civil society is an essential component of any healthy democracy. Civil society organizations can range from sports teams to labor unions to policy research organizations. Although, ideally, civil society constitutes itself as a force separate from the state, it rarely enjoys complete independence from the state.

Like so many others in the lexicon of political science, civil society is an idea that has no single, accepted definition. We contend that there is no single civil society but many civil societies that are defined by how the space between the government and the public is configured and is affected by the nature, type, and number of non-governmental organizations there are in a given country. In certain countries and political systems, the space between the government and the public is open and unfettered, while in other countries the space and degrees of movement within the civil society is quite limited.

Naturally, the extent to which states tend to interfere with the operation of civil society depends on the nature of the legal, political, social, and economic contexts and the type of civil society association concerned. It is no surprise that, given their proximity to government and the nature of policy advice, think tanks are often targets for government intervention in countries where there are authoritarian, corrupt, non-transparent governments. Moreover, it is vital to recognize that the conditions that enable think tanks to operate as an effective counterweight to the state and for-profit sector are not necessarily present in every civil society.

The objectivity and independence, as well as the knowledge and power, of think tanks make them critical balancing forces against state power and agency. Think tanks, therefore, contribute greatly to the strength of civil society. However, certain conditions are required if think tanks are to be afforded the independence and, consequently, permitted the objectivity they require. In the advanced industrialized democracies of Europe and North America, there exist legal, political, and financial frameworks that reserve a space in the political arena for the independent policy analysis think tanks provide. In contrast, the absence or restricted nature of such frameworks in much of the developing world severely limits the intellectual freedom of think tanks in these regions. This difference will constitute an important focus for the analysis of the role and effectiveness of these organizations in the context of developing and transitional countries.

Definition of a think tank

What exactly are think tanks, and how are they different from other organizations? Defining think tanks is not as easy as it may seem. At the broadest level, think tanks are institutions that provide public policy research, analysis, and advice. Such a definition casts a wide net. Many interest groups, university research centers, and other civil society organizations carry out policy research and advice as one of their activities, even if it is not the central one. On the other hand, many government agencies also carry out policy research and offer advice as a major function. In the US government there are many such offices, such as the independent agencies of the executive branch (e.g. the Interstate Commerce Commission, Food and Drug Administration, Federal Aviation Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, etc.)

In order to narrow the scope of inquiry, academic writing about think tanks has tended to limit the definition to include only policy research organizations that are independent of government and universities and that operate on a not-for-profit basis. This definition, however, is too narrow on two counts.

First, organizations that are almost totally dependent upon government contracts for their revenues—such as the RAND Corporation and many organizations to which the think tank label is routinely applied—cannot be considered fully autonomous. Yet, they are clearly think tanks and have historically been considered as such due to their role in conducting original research with the goal of influencing and affecting public policy. Furthermore, while a high level of government support does tend to shape the agenda of a think tank, it does not necessarily distort the research function. Whether it does depends on the culture and working relationships that have developed over time and on the nature of the subjects being investigated.

Furthermore, in some continental European countries—notably Germany and the Netherlands—think tanks frequently have close financial and personal ties to political parties. Yet, despite their lack of full independence, they are certainly think tanks, and despite the possible constraints on their research agendas, their research function remains intellectually unlimited. In other parts of the world, sponsorship by a government ministry is a legal necessity for a think tank to exist, so excluding organizations with organizational links to government would convey the misleading impression that those regions host no think tanks at all. Moreover, in regions where resources for policy research are extremely scarce, for-profit linkages to university or contracting relationships with the private sector may be the only way to cover a research institute’s core personnel and facilities costs.

A middle course in defining think tanks therefore makes the most sense. Think tanks are policy research organizations that have significant autonomy from government and, by inference, from the corporate world as well. But autonomy is a relative rather than an absolute term. And while some think tanks may make a profit, their main interest is not profit but influence, defined according to the agenda of the particular institution. Adhering to this middle course, we can then define think tanks as public policy research, analysis and engagement institutions that generate policy-oriented research, analysis and advice on domestic and international issues which enable policymakers and the public to make informed decisions about public policy issues. Past names of think tanks that still seem relevant include “brain boxes,” “idea factories,” and “thinking cells.” Furthermore, think tanks have many possible sources of funding—a factor which may often affect the quality and area of research. While some that receive money from political parties or the government may seem partial in their proposed solutions, others are more independent, receiving money from a wide variety of sources that have no political agenda (such as universities or the public). The source of think tanks’ funding may also affect what type of think tank they are (advocacy, educational, etc.), as will be further discussed later in the chapter.

In summation, think tanks may be affiliated or independent institutions and are structured as permanent bodies, not ad hoc commissions. These institutions often act as a bridge between the academic and policymaking communities, serving in the public interest as an independent voice that translates applied and basic research into a language and form that is understandable, reliable, and accessible for policymakers and the public. Policy research organizations perform a variety of roles: offering original research and analysis, generating new information, providing policy advice, evaluating public policies and programs, identifying, training and developing talent, providing a home for public figures who are out of office or planning to assume key positions in future administrations, convening experts in and outside government to float policy proposals and build consensus and educating and engaging policymakers, the media and the public.¹ Think tanks have one thing in common, however: “the individuals in them attempt to make academic theories and scientific paradigms policy relevant.”²

Role of think tanks

Think tanks are also defined by their specific activities, six of which are salient. One role performed by many think tanks, especially those with staffs composed primarily of PhDs in the social sciences, is to carry out basic research on policy problems and policy solutions in a fashion similar to that done by university-based researchers. Research on policy problems may address questions such as: What are the challenges that two countries face in reunifying (such as East and West Germany) or splitting up (such as the Czech Republic and Slovakia)? How is the deregulation of financial markets or the privatization of transport likely to affect the range and price of services that are offered? How significant is the threat of nuclear proliferation among particular developing countries?

A second role performed by many think tanks is to provide advice on immediate policy concerns. Think tanks are often asked to analyze and provide advice on a range of policy issues or problems that are before Congress or the public. This can occur at several stages in the policymaking process and...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Series Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• List of tables
• About the authors
• Acknowledgments
• List of abbreviations
• Introduction
• 1. National, regional, and global think tanks: catalyst for ideas and action
• 2. Emergence of think tanks in the policy world: the United States and beyond
• 3. New institutional structures: global think tanks and policy networks
• 4. Impact of emerging technologies on global think tanks and global governance
• 5. Transnational think tanks and policy networks in action
• 6. Challenges and opportunities for global think tanks and policy networks
• 7. Conclusion
• Selected bibliography
• Index