In an age where the power of a computer chip at least doubles every 18 months, where the average young adult will have nine careersânot jobsâin their lifetime, and where flying halfway around the world requires less than a day, the resulting surge of new information often raises more questions than it answers. Henry Kissinger once remarked that being a policymaker was like being at the end of a fire hose. Today policy and the public must both deal with the endless avalanche of information . In this increasingly complex, independent, and information-rich world, governments and individual policymakers face the common problem of bringing expert knowledge to bear in governmental decision-making. These incessant technological advances, combined with the forces of globalization , have contributed to a growth of public policy research organizations, or think tanks, over the last few decades that has been nothing less than explosive. Not only have these organizations increased in number, but the scope and impact of their work has also expanded dramatically at the national, regional, and global levels. Twenty-two years ago, when the first global meeting of think tanks in Barcelona, Spain was organized, many of my colleagues suggested that the term âthink tankâ did not travel well across borders. Today, the term has become an accepted transnational concept.
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 âgo-toâ 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 perspectiveâas think tanks become increasingly prominent around the world, so too does their definition necessarily expand beyond its original boundaries (Table
1.1).
Table 1.1Think tank typology
The following table sets out examples of each category, using some of the more well-known think tanks in the world (Table
1.2).
Table 1.2Classification of think tanks worldwide (illustrative examples)
However, a finer line separates internationally oriented think tanks with a domestic focus from those that are truly global or transnational. Being a global think tank requires many of the traits of a multi-national corporation, including established operational centers linked by a shared mission in two or more continents, programs, and operations including field offices with local staff and scholars, product offerings for a global audience, and a variety of international funding sources. International, however, does not necessarily mean global. Many think tanks conduct research on international issues without being global think tanks. To be a global institution, a think tank must operate on two or more continents and have networked global operations. Some think tanks are regional or merely transnational, meaning they operate in two or more states. When we use these parameters, there are just a dozen or so think tanks that are global and a slightly larger number that are transnational. But the numbers are growingâthink tanks have finally gone global. If we count both global and transnational organizations, there are now approximately 60 think tanks that have cross-border operations (see Global Think Tanks, Policy Networks and Governance McGann 2011 for a more detailed discussion). Navigating through different global issues and regions poses a unique challenge for global think tanks and global policy networks which domestic policy research institutes do not face. Various global think tanks have distinct approaches to research in the international sphere, which emphasizes that multiple paths can be taken to go global. Flexibility in structure and diversity in funding are key attributes to tackle the politics of separate regions and international issues.
In different regions, global think tanks act differently. Networks are important for sharing reference points and collaboration in various regions. Think tank networks, as well as national, regional, and global policy networks, have emerged over the last two decades and have become a power force in work politics. They facilitate the use of diversity between perspectives as an advantage (Hayes 2015). Some think tanks, most notably those originating in Britain, opt out of thinknets, preferring an independent approach. Although engaged in global research, most British think tanks would rather not complicate the situation by networking (Pautz 2014). Top German global think tanks contrast the British in that they embed themselves in more regions, making them indisputably global (Thunert 2000). US think tanks are open to networking and collaborate overseas, as well as with Canada and Mexico , on shared issues (Drezner 2015). Global Asian think tanks recently expanded their networks. Because of globalization , Asian think tanks are usually defined by ânationalism, the extent of pluralism or liberalization , and the concentration of powerâ (Hayes 2015). These characteristics shape the way they operate. Variation is limited because of governmental restrictions, which force all Chinese think tanks to be dependent on the government to some extent (Shambaugh 2002). Nevertheless, Chinese and Asian think tanks mark an opposing Eastern perspective to policy research against the traditionally dominant Western perspective.
While the primary function of these civil society organizations is to help governments understand and make informed choices about issues of domestic and international concern, they also have a number of other critical roles, including playing a mediating function between the government and the public that helps builds trust and confidence in public officials; serving as an informed and independent voice in policy debates; identifying, articulating, and evaluating current policy issues, proposals, and programs; transforming ideas and emerging problems into policy issues; interpreting issues, events, and policies for the electronic and print media, thus facilitating public understanding of domestic and international policy issues; providing a constructive forum for the exchange of ideas and information between key stakeholders in the policy formulation process; facilitating the construction of âissue networksâ; providing a supply of personnel for the legislative and executive branches of government; and challenging the conventional wisdom, standard operating procedures, and business-as-usual of bureaucrats and elected officials. The activities involved in fulfilling these functions require a balance of research, analysis, and outreach. The range of activities that think tanks engage in includes: framing policy issues; researching and writing books, articles, policy briefs, and monographs; conducting evaluations of government programs; disseminating their research findings and conducting various outreach activities (public testimony before congress, media appearances, and speeches); creating networks and exchanges via workshops, seminars, and briefings; and supporting midcareer and senior government officials when they are out of office (what I described as a âHuman Resource Tankâ). Think tanks are a diverse set of institutions that vary in size, financing, structure, and scope of activity. There are currently over 7500 think tanks or policy research centers around the world.
For decades, scholars have tried to define the role of think tanks in the foreign policy process. Wallace (1994) has argued that policymakers need advisers in order to rethink the dominant assumptions of policy. Think tanks provide this ârethinkingâ and generate new, innovative ideas when necessary. The data collected and analyzed by McGann (1990 and 2010) supports this observation by providing evidence of surges in the establishment of think tanks clustered around periods of domestic or international upheaval, such as wars or economic crises. Others have identified think tanks as the bridges between academia and the policymaking process, making academic research findings more palatable for politicians and practitioners (Hass 2002; McGann 2002; Stone 2007). Hass and McGann explored the role think tanks play in foreign policy, while Stoneâs conceptualization of think tanks consists of experts that provide policy analysis rather than produce new knowledge . In both cases, whether creating, translating, or transforming knowledge , think tanks can set the policy agenda and prioritize certain topics, thus playing an important role in policy design. While definitions and explanations of the exact nature of think tanks vary, two key conclusions permeate the entire literature on think tanks: (a) think tanks play a partâwhether large or smallâin the policymaking process, be it through setting agendas, legitimating processes, or formulating policy; and (b) think tanks become particularly relevant in moments of change or transformation and in the face of more complex policy demands. Todayâs ongoing transformation of the international environment i...
