Citizendia
Your Ad Here

For other uses, see Think tank (disambiguation).

A think tank (also called a policy institute) is an organization, institute, corporation, or group that conducts research and engages in advocacy in areas such as social policy, political strategy, economy, science or technology issues, industrial or business policies, or military advice. Research is defined as Human activity based on Intellectual application in the investigation of Matter. [1] Many think tanks are non-profit organizations, which some countries such as the US and Canada provide with tax exempt status. A non-profit organization ( abbreviated "NPO" also "not-for-profit" is a legally constituted Organization whose objective is to support or engage A tax exemption is an exemption from all or certain Taxes of a state or nation in which part of the taxes that would normally be collected from an individual or an organization While many think tanks are funded by governments, interest groups, or businesses, some think tanks also derive income from consulting or research work related to their mandate. An interest group (also advocacy group, lobby group, pressure group or special interest group) is an organized collection of people who seek [2]

There are different opinions about think tanks; supporters like the National Institute for Research Advancement hail them as "one of the main policy actors in democratic societies . The National Institute for Research Advancement (NIRA is a Japanese independent policy research Think tank based in Tokyo founded in 1974 under the . . , assuring a pluralistic, open and accountable process of policy analysis, research, decision-making and evaluation". [3] Opposing them, critics like SourceWatch have called them "little more than public relations fronts . SourceWatch (formerly Disinfopedia) is an internet site which is a "collaborative project" of the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD . . generating self-serving scholarship that serves the advocacy goals of their industry sponsors. Bias is a term used to describe a Tendency or Preference towards a particular perspective, Ideology or result especially when the tendency interferes "[4]

Contents

History

Since "think tank" is a term that has only found use since the 1950s, there is still some debate over what constitutes the first think tank. One candidate is the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies (RUSI), founded in 1831 at the initiative of the Duke of Wellington. The Royal United Services Institute (in full the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies and commonly abbreviated to RUSI) is a British The Dukedom of Wellington, derived from Wellington in Somerset, is an hereditary title and the senior rank in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. Another is the Fabian Society of Britain, founded in 1884 to promote gradual social change. The Fabian Society is a British Intellectual Socialist movement whose purpose is to advance the principles of Social democracy via Gradualist The Brookings Institution, founded in the US in 1916 is another candidate for the first think tank. The Brookings Institution is a nonprofit public policy organization based in Washington D The term think tank itself, however, was originally used in reference to organizations that offered military advice, most notably the RAND Corporation, formed originally in 1946 as an offshoot of Douglas Aircraft and which became an independent corporation in 1948. The RAND Corporation ( R esearch AN d D evelopment is a Nonprofit global policy Think tank first formed to offer research and analysis

Until around 1970, there were no more than several dozen think tanks, mostly focused on offering non-partisan policy and military advice to the United States government, and generally with large staffs and research budgets. After 1970, the number of think tanks exploded, as many smaller new think tanks were formed to express various ideological views.

Until the 1940s, most think tanks were known only by the name of the institution. During the Second World War, think tanks were referred to as "brain boxes" after the slang term for the skull. The phrase "think tank" in wartime American slang referred to rooms in which strategists discussed war planning. The first recorded use of the phrase to refer to modern think tanks was in 1959, and by the 1960s the term was commonly used to describe RAND and other groups assisting the armed forces. The RAND Corporation ( R esearch AN d D evelopment is a Nonprofit global policy Think tank first formed to offer research and analysis In recent times, the phrase "think tank" has become applied to a wide range of institutions, and there are no precise definitions of the term. Marketing or public relations organizations, especially of an international character, sometimes refer to themselves as think tanks, for example.

Types of think tanks

Think tanks represent a variety of ideological perspectives. Some think tanks, such as the Heritage Foundation, are clearly aligned with conservative causes. The Heritage Foundation is an American conservative Think tank. Others, especially those focused on social and environmental reforms, such as the Tellus Institute, are viewed as clearly liberal. The Tellus Institute is a non-profit research and policy organization based in Boston Massachusetts, in the United States. Still others, such as the Cato Institute, promote libertarian social and economic reforms. The Cato Institute is a Libertarian Think tank headquartered in Washington D

A new trend, resulting from globalization, is collaboration between think tanks across continents. Globalization (or globalisation) in its literal sense is the process of transformation of local or regional phenomena into global ones For instance, the Brookings Institution, Washington DC, collaborates with Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Qatar for an initiative on West-Islam relations. The Brookings Institution is a nonprofit public policy organization based in Washington D For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. Also in the area of West-Islam relations, Strategic Foresight Group, a think tank based in India, works closely with the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in the European Parliament. Strategic Foresight Group (SFG is a Think tank based in India that helps Policy makers to anticipate and shape the future in uncertain times The World Economic Forum has created a Council of 100 Leaders on West-Islam relations, which brings together heads of major global think tanks ranging from Oxford Islamic Centre at Oxford University to Strategic Foresight Group, Observer Research Foundation,CASS-India, CSDS, Centre for Policy Research, ETC in Delhi of India and Al-Azhar University in Egypt. The World Economic Forum (WEF is a Geneva -based Non-profit foundation best known for its Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland The University of Oxford (informally "Oxford University" or simply "Oxford" located in the city of Oxford, Oxfordshire, England is the Strategic Foresight Group (SFG is a Think tank based in India that helps Policy makers to anticipate and shape the future in uncertain times India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Al-Azhar University (pronounced "az-HAR" الأزهر الشريف, "the Noble Azhar" in Egypt, founded in 975 is the chief centre of

Criticism

Critics such as Ralph Nader have suggested that, because of the private nature of the funding of think tanks, their results are biased to a varying degree. Ralph Nader (born February 27 1934 is an American Attorney, Author, Lecturer, political activist, and independent candidate for President Some argue members will be inclined to promote or publish only those results that ensure the continued flow of funds from private donors. This risk of distortion similarly threatens the reputation and integrity of organizations such as universities, once considered to stand wholly within the public sector. A university is an institution of Higher education and Research, which grants Academic degrees in a variety of subjects The public sector is the part of economic and administrative life that deals with the delivery of goods and services by and for the Government, whether national Regional Defenders state that think tanks arose to challenge alleged liberal orthodoxy of the universities in place starting in the 1970s.

Some critics go further to assert think tanks are little more than propaganda tools for promoting the ideological arguments of whatever group established them. They charge that most think tanks, which are usually headquartered in state or national seats of government, exist merely for large-scale lobbying to form opinion in favor of special private interests. For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government. Lobbying includes all attempts to influence Legislators and officials whether by other legislators constituents or organized groups They give examples such as organizations calling themselves think tanks having hosted lunches for politicians to present research that critics claim is merely in the political interest of major global interests such as Microsoft, but that the connections to these interests are never disclosed. Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational Computer technology Corporation, which rose to dominate the Home computer They charge, as another example, that the RAND Corporation issues research reports on national missile defense that accelerate investment into the very military products being produced by the military manufacturers who control RAND. The RAND Corporation ( R esearch AN d D evelopment is a Nonprofit global policy Think tank first formed to offer research and analysis National missile defense (NMD as a generic term is a type of Missile defense: a military strategy and associated systems to shield an entire country against incoming Critics assert that the status of most think-tanks as non-profit and tax exempt makes them an even more efficient tool to put special interest money to work. A non-profit organization ( abbreviated "NPO" also "not-for-profit" is a legally constituted Organization whose objective is to support or engage A tax exemption is an exemption from all or certain Taxes of a state or nation in which part of the taxes that would normally be collected from an individual or an organization An interest group (also advocacy group, lobby group, pressure group or special interest group) is an organized collection of people who seek The Discovery Institute has generated a great deal of controversy by injecting the controversial concept of intelligent design into public debate. The Discovery Institute is a conservative public policy US Think tank based in Seattle Washington, best known for its advocacy of Intelligent Intelligent [5] [6] [7]

In some cases, corporate interests have found it useful to create "think tanks" that are thinly disguised vehicles for corporate propaganda. For example, The Advancement of Sound Science Coalition was formed in the mid 1990s to dispute research finding a link between second-hand smoke and cancer. The Advancement of Sound Science Center (TASSC, formerly the Advancement of Sound Science Coalition is an industry-funded Lobby group which promotes the idea that environmental [8] According to an internal memo from Philip Morris, "the credibility of the EPA is defeatable, but not on the basis of ETS (environmental tobacco smoke) alone. It must be part of a larger mosaic that concentrates all the EPA's enemies against it at one time. " [9]

Asian think tanks

Chinese think tanks

In the People's Republic of China a number of think tanks are sponsored by governmental agencies but still retain sufficient non-official status to be able to propose and debate ideas more freely. Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES Indeed, most of the actual diplomacy between China and the United States has taken the form of academic exchanges between members of think tanks. Diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting Negotiations between representatives of groups or states China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National The United States of America —commonly referred to as the

Hong Kong think tanks

In Hong Kong, those early think tanks established in the late 1980s and early 1990s including Hong Kong Transition Project, Hong Kong Democratic Foundation and The One Country Two Systems Research Institute focused on the political development including first direct Legislative Council members election in 1991 and the political framework of “One Country, Two Systems” manifested in the Sino-British Joint Declaration. Civic Exchange ( is a non-government public policy Think tank and registered Charity group based in Hong Kong. The Lion Rock Institute ( 獅子山學會 is a public policy Think tank advocating Free market solutions for Hong Kong's policy challenges After the return of sovereignty to the Mainland China in 1997, more and more think tanks were established by various groups of intellectuals and professionals. They have various missions and objectives including promoting civic education; undertaking research on economic social and political policies (the mission of the Civic Exchange); promoting “public understanding of and participation in the political, economic, and social development of the Hong Kong SAR” (one of the objectives of Savantas).

Iranian think tanks

Asef Think Tank, another Iranian Think Tank, is founded by Aghil Malakifar in 2004[10]. The Ravand Institute for Economic and International Studies is the first Iranian Think tank of its kind A think tank (also called a policy institute) is an organization institute corporation or group that conducts Research and engages in advocacy in areas such It has been offering a blend of interdisciplinary research, global focus, and accessible writing that has made it a leading source of Farsi information on the interactions among key driving forces of the future.

European think tanks

Denmark

In Denmark, the Copenhagen Institute is the first free-market think tank, founded in 2003. The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe The Copenhagen Institute is a Danish free-market think tank It was founded in 2003 hosting a conference on tax competition In 2004 high-profile representatives of Danish academia, business, media and the arts founded the free-market think tank CEPOS, which has been active in setting a new agenda in the Danish welfare debate. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " The Danish Centre for Political Studies also known as CEPOS, is an independent Classical liberal / free-market conservative think-tank in Denmark.

France

Most known think tanks include the Montaigne Institute, the EU-centered Robert Schuman Foundation, the Concorde Foundation, the libertarian Turgot Institute, the geoeconomics-centered Institut Choiseul and the antiglobalization Copernic Foundation. Headquartered in the heart of Paris, France, Institut Choiseul for International Politics and Geoeconomics is an independent research center that analyzes International

Some of them are associated with the major political parties:

Germany

In Germany all of the major parties are loosely associated with research foundations that play some role in shaping policy, but generally from the more disinterested role of providing research to support policymakers than explicitly proposing policy. The French Communist Party ( French: Parti communiste français or PCF) is a political party in France which advocates the principles of Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. The foundations are:

The German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP) is a non-partisan foreign policy-oriented think-tank with close links to the German Foreign Office. The pro-business Initiative Neue Soziale Marktwirtschaft (INSM) is funded by the industry lobby-group Gesamtmetall. The US-based Aspen Institute has a sister organization in Berlin, committed to the promotion of transatlantic dialogue. The Aspen Institute is an international nonprofit organization founded in 1950 as the Aspen Institute of Humanistic Studies

Greece

In Greece, the Panhellenic Socialist Movement(PASOK), is affiliated with the 'Institute of Developing Policies, Andreas Papandreou', ΙΣΤΑΜΕ. Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία The Panhellenic Socialist Movement, better known as PASOK ( Greek: Πανελλήνιο Σοσιαλιστικό Κίνημα Pa nellinio So The Panhellenic Socialist Movement, better known as PASOK ( Greek: Πανελλήνιο Σοσιαλιστικό Κίνημα Pa nellinio So Andreas Georgiou Papandreou (Ανδρέας Γ Παπανδρέου ( 5 February, 1919 23 June, 1996) was a Greek economist

Ireland

In Ireland, the Economic and Social Research Institute advises the government on all economic and social matter. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world The Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI is a Think tank in Dublin, Ireland. The Institute of European Affairs is a leading contributor to European debate on climate change, security, policy and economic issues. The Iona Institute is an Irish based think tank which focuses on religion and society. Issues Marriage The Iona Institute claims that children fare best when raised by a married mother and father and that children have a right to a mother and father where

Italy

In Italy, many think tanks are described as independent, non-partisan organisations. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest In Political science, nonpartisan denotes an Election, event or organization in which the participants declare or do not formally have a Political party However, there are also a number of research centres which derive funds from government contracts. The following is a partial listing of some of the most referenced Italian think tanks.

Netherlands

Just like in Germany, all of the major parties in the Netherlands are associated with research foundations that play a role in shaping policy. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands

One non-partisan, partially government-sponsored and academically independent institute with a think tank function is the Netherlands Institute for International Relations 'Clingendael'. Netherlands Institute of International Relations Clingendael or Clingendael Institute (Nederlands Instituut voor Internationale Betrekkingen Clingendael is an independent institute

Poland

After the fall of the Iron Curtain, Central Europe has seen a number of new think tanks arise and some of them are already playing a role in the forming of government policy. The " Iron Curtain " was the symbolic ideological and physical boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II until the end Central Europe is the Region lying between the variously and vaguely defined areas of Eastern and

In Poland, there are several think tanks. Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland The most well-known of them are:

Think tanks on economic issues:

Portugal

In Portugal, a very important think tank is Compromisso Portugal, based on neoliberal-minded entrepreneurs and academists aiming to contribute to the debate of ideas how to develop Portugal. Institute of Public Affairs (IPA Instytut Spraw Publicznych) is an independent non-partisan public policy Think tank. Instytut Sobieskiego (The Sobieski Institute is a Think tank founded in Poland in 2004, known for its political advocacy of the polish Right Centrum im Adama Smitha (Adam Smith Centre is a Think-tank based in Poland Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula.

Compromisso Portugal is in fact not a think tank - as it is shown on its own website (consider the promoters wall are the members) - there are no permanent researchers, fellows or academics who are working in the organization. The initiative uses the motto "think tank you" as a sort of market slogan. It is comprised of people who come together for a few meetings (one main one according to the site) a year. Currently, in Portugal there are no true think tanks. Perhaps the only organization that comes close to this sort of description and has a permanent structure is Instituto de Estudos Estratégicos e Internacionais (IEEI) and deals with international and strategic policy issues.

Romania

Romanian Academic Society (SAR) is a Bucharest-based think tank and NGO founded in 1996. The Romanian Academic Society ( Societatea Academică Română in Romanian) is a Bucharest -based Think tank and NGO founded in 1996 It is considered close to the right wing of politics.

Spain

In Spain, think tanks are progressively raising their public profile. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. The most influential Spanish think tank is the Elcano Royal Institute, created in 2001 following the example of the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House) in the UK, and linked to the Government in power. Chatham House, formally known as the Royal Institute of International Affairs, is a Non-profit, Non-governmental organization based in London More independent and also influential are the CIDOB in Barcelona founded in 1973; the Juan March Institute in Madrid, created in 1986; FRIDE (Fundación para las Relaciones Internacionales y el Diálogo Exterior) established in 1999 by Diego Hidalgo and main driving force behind projects such as the Club de Madrid, a group of democratic former heads of state and government (including Clinton, Gorbachev, Cardoso or Delors) who provide counsel to governments and institutions all over the world or the Foreign Policy Spanish Edition. CIDOB, acronym of Center for International Relations and Development Studies (in Catalan language, Centre d’Informació i Documentació Internacionals a Barcelona The Juan March Institute, located in Madrid, Spain, is part of the Juan March Foundation, one of Spain's leading charities for social research Diego Hidalgo may refer to Diego Hidalgo y Durán (1886-1961 Spanish intellectual entrepreneur and politician during the Spanish Second Republic The Club of Madrid is an independent organization created for the purpose of promoting Democracy and change in the global community. The Fundación Alternativas -also based in Madrid- is, for its part, close to the ruling Spanish Socialist Workers' Party). The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party, commonly abbreviated by its Spanish initials PSOE ( P artido S ocialista O brero E spañol is Former Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar presides over the FAES Fundacion para el Analisis y los Estudios Sociales, a think tank that is associated with the Partido Popular. This article is about the government position For other uses see Prime Minister (disambiguation. (born 25 February 1953 served as the Prime Minister of Spain from 1996 to 2004 FAES is the Acronym for the Spanish Think tank association Fundacion para el Análisis y los Estudios Sociales, translated as Foundation for The People's Party ( Spanish: Partido Popular, PP) is the main right Political party in Spain.

Sweden

In Sweden, the Eudoxa think tank has successfully introduced a combination between studies of free-market ideas, emerging technologies, technological and environmental foresight. "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. Eudoxa is a Swedish Think tank, formed in 2000 Eudoxa has a Transhumanist, and liberal political profile with a focus on promoting Dynamism Emerging technologies and converging technologies are terms used to cover various cutting edge developments in the Emergence and convergence of Technology Most famous among the Swedish think tanks is Timbro, a free market think tank. Timbro is a Libertarian, Free market Think tank based in Stockholm, Sweden, that works to influence legislation and public opinion

Switzerland

In Switzerland, Avenir Suisse (which proposes a free-market liberalism agenda) is a think tank that is currently active. Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation Avenir Suisse is a free-market liberal Swiss Think tank. Founded and initially financed in 1999 by 14 internationally operating Swiss companies Avenir The Geneva Association (also known as the International Association for the Study of Insurance Economics) is another global think tank. The International Association for the Study of Insurance Economics, also known by its short name The Geneva Association, is an organisation formed by a maximum of 80 CEOs Its main goal is to research the growing economic importance of insurance activities in the major sectors of the economy.

United Kingdom

In Britain, think tanks play a similar role to the United States, attempting to shape policy, and indeed there is some cooperation between British and American think tanks. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Some of the major UK think tanks include RUSI, Chatham House, IISS, Policy Exchange, the Globalisation Institute, the Centre for Defence and International Security Studies, Migration Watch UK, the Institute for Public Policy Research, Demos, the Social Market Foundation, the Adam Smith Institute, the Centre for Policy Studies, the Overseas Development Institute, the Bruges Group,the Centre for European Reform, the Young Foundation, and the Henry Jackson Society. The Royal United Services Institute (in full the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies and commonly abbreviated to RUSI) is a British Chatham House, formally known as the Royal Institute of International Affairs, is a Non-profit, Non-governmental organization based in London The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS is a British research institute (or Think tank) in the area of international affairs. Policy Exchange is a British Think tank based in London. The Daily Telegraph has described it as "the largest but also the most influential think tank on the The Globalisation Institute is a free-market International development Think tank founded in London in 2005 The Centre for Defence and International Security Studies (or CDiSS) is a British defence and security Think tank. MigrationWatch UK is an independent think-tank often referred to as a pressure group and described in some sections of the press as "right-wing" The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR is a UK Think-tank with strong ties to the Labour party that claims to produce progressive ideas committed Demos is a Think tank based in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1993 by former Marxism Today editor The Social Market Foundation (SMF is a British public policy Think-tank based in Westminster, London. The Adam Smith Institute is a Think tank based in the United Kingdom, named after the father of modern Economics, Adam Smith. The Centre for Policy Studies (CPS is a British Policy studies think tank whose goal is to promote coherent and practical public policy to roll back the The Overseas Development Institute (ODI is the United Kingdom 's leading independent Think tank on International development and humanitarian issues The Bruges Group is a Eurosceptic Think tank based in the United Kingdom. The Centre for European Reform is a London-based Think-tank devoted to improving the quality of the debate on the European Union. The Young Foundation is a UK think tank founded in 2005 and currently headed by Geoff Mulgan. The Henry Jackson Society is a non-partisan society or Think tank (with tax-exempt charity status that aims to promote ' democratic Geopolitics '

See also: List of UK think tanks. This article is a list of Think tanks in the United Kingdom. List Adam Smith Institute Association

Brussels

A number of think tanks are based in Brussels and carry out research related to the European Union, including the Centre for European Policy Studies, founded in 1983[11] as the first EU-focused think tank and Bruegel, which is devoted to international economics and is funded by 16 EU member states and 28 private corporations,. Brussels (Bruxelles pronounced; Brussel pronounced) officially the Brussels Capital-Region, is The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in The Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS is a Think tank based in Brussels, Belgium that undertakes research "leading to solutions to the challenges Year 1983 ( MCMLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar) Bruegel is a Brussels -based Think tank, which was created on 10 August[[ 004]] and started operations in 2005.

The most prominent Brussels-based think-tanks are:

Middle Eastern Think Tanks

Turkey

Think tanks in Turkey are relatively new business. The Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS is a Think tank based in Brussels, Belgium that undertakes research "leading to solutions to the challenges The Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS is a Think tank based in Brussels, Belgium that undertakes research "leading to solutions to the challenges The European Policy Centre (EPC is a Brussels-based independent not-for-profit Think tank on European Union affairs Many of them are sister organisations of a political party or a company. University think tanks are not typical think tanks. Turkish think tanks provide research and ideas yet they play less important roles in policy making when compared with the American think tanks. Among the most important think tanks in Turkey are the following:

United Arab Emirates

Israel

United States think tanks

Think tanks in the United States play an important role in forming both foreign and domestic policy. Dubai (in دبيّ,) is one of the seven emirates and most populous city of the United Arab Emirates (UAE The Israel Democracy Institute (המכון הישראלי לדמוקרטיה has been established in 1991 as a center for policy studies The Shalem Center is an Academic Research institute in Jerusalem established in 1994 with the goal of developing the ideas needed to guide and sustain the The Reut Institute is a policy group designed to provide real-time long-term strategic decision-support to the Government of Israel. The Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs (JCPA was founded in 1976 by Professor Daniel J The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Foreign Policy is a bimonthly American Magazine founded in 1970 by Samuel P Domestic policy presents decisions laws and programs made by the government which are directly related to issues in the country Typically, an issue such as national missile defense will be debated within and among think tanks and the results of these debates will influence government policy makers. National missile defense (NMD as a generic term is a type of Missile defense: a military strategy and associated systems to shield an entire country against incoming A policy is a deliberate plan of action to guide decisions and achieve rational outcome(s Think tanks in the United States generally receive funding from private donors, and members of private organizations. Think tanks may feel more free to propose and debate controversial ideas than people within government. An idea is a form (such as a Thought) formed by Consciousness (including Mind) through the Process of ideation. For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government.

Although think tanks span the political spectrum, liberal critics charge that conservative think tanks are far more prevalent than their progressive counterparts. To this, conservatives respond that liberals are present in greater numbers on university faculties. In an annual survey, the liberal media watchdog group Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR) lists the 25 think tanks most often cited in the mainstream media. Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting ( FAIR) is a progressive Media criticism organization based in New York City, founded in 1986 Their data for 2006 show that the most-cited think tank was the Brookings Institution, followed by the Council on Foreign Relations, the Heritage Foundation, the American Enterprise Institute, and the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Of these top five, the FAIR regards the first two as centrist and the next three as conservative. Regarding media citations of think tanks more generally, the FAIR found 45% to be centrist, 40% conservative or center-right, and 16% progressive or center-left.

Conservative

Modern neoconservatism is associated with some of the foreign policy initiatives of think tanks such as the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) and the Project for the New American Century (PNAC). Neoconservatism (or Neocon is a Right-wing political philosophy that emerged in the United States from the rejection of the Social liberalism, Moral relativism The American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research (AEI is a conservative Think tank, founded in 1943 The Project for the New American Century (PNAC was an American neoconservative Think tank based in Washington D The Claremont Institute and the Heritage Foundation are more traditional conservative think tanks. The Claremont Institute is a conservative Think tank based in Claremont California. The Heritage Foundation is an American conservative Think tank. Conservatism is a term used to describe political philosophies that favour Tradition, where tradition refers to various religious cultural or nationally defined

Liberal

On the other side of the political spectrum are think tanks such as the Institute for Policy Studies and the Center for American Progress. The American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research (AEI is a conservative Think tank, founded in 1943 The Center for Immigration Studies ( CIS) is a non-profit non-partisan research organization The Center for Security Policy (CSP is a Washington DC Think tank that focuses on National security issues The Claremont Institute is a conservative Think tank based in Claremont California. The Committee on the Present Danger (CPD is an conservative American Foreign policy interest group. The Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI is an American Think tank based in Philadelphia Pennsylvania. The Heritage Foundation is an American conservative Think tank. The Hoover Institution on War Revolution and Peace is a libertarian Public policy Think tank and Library founded in 1919 by U The Hudson Institute is an American, non-profit, conservative Think tank founded in 1961 in Croton-on-Hudson New York, by The Manhattan Institute for Policy Research is a conservative market-oriented Think tank established in New York City in 1978 by Antony The Middle East Forum (MEF is an American Think tank founded in 1990 by historian and columnist Daniel Pipes, who also serves as its director The National Center for Policy Analysis ( NCPA) is an American non-profit conservative Think tank. The Pacific Research Institute (PRI or officially the Pacific Research Institute for Public Policy is a prominent California -based Conservative think tank The Project for the New American Century (PNAC was an American neoconservative Think tank based in Washington D Institute for Policy Studies ( IPS) is a Policy studies non-profit think-tank for progressive or liberal causes based in Washington D The Center for American Progress is an American liberal political policy research and advocacy organization Economic Policy Institute is a prominent progressive think tank whose research emphasizes interests of low-income and middle-income workers. The Economic Policy Institute or EPI is an organization based in Washington D The Roosevelt Institution is pushing the think tank model by attempting to organize university and college student bodies into effective think tanks. The Roosevelt Institution is a non-profit non-partisan network of college campus-based Think tanks.

Centrist

In order to retain non-profit tax-exempt status most think tanks, including those listed above as conservative or liberal, formally claim nonpartisan status. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP is a Non-profit Think tank which describes itself as a "policy organization. The Center for American Progress is an American liberal political policy research and advocacy organization The Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR is a progressive Economic policy Think-tank based in Washington D The Center for Progressive Reform (originally the Center for Progressive Regulation is an academic Think tank which relies primarily on the research contributions of its Demos A Network for Ideas & Action is a United States -based research and policy center that was founded in 2000 The Economic Policy Institute or EPI is an organization based in Washington D Institute for Policy Studies ( IPS) is a Policy studies non-profit think-tank for progressive or liberal causes based in Washington D The Phoenix Group is an investment group dedicated to funding a new era of progressive Think tanks with an eye towards revitalizing the image of the Democratic Party in the Framing See also Framing (social sciences Founded by the prominent cognitive linguist George Lakoff, the Rockridge Institute seeks to examine Public Citizen is a Washington DC -based public interest group engaged in Consumer Advocacy, government accountability clean democracy and ethical The Roosevelt Institution is a non-profit non-partisan network of college campus-based Think tanks. Centrist think tanks include the Atlantic Council of the United States and Center for Strategic and International Studies, non-partisan foreign policy-oriented organizations, the Institute for Collaborative Engagement, a non-partisan internationally-focused organization, and the The Lincoln Square Institute, a non-partisan presidential election forum. Atlantic Councils (also called Atlantic Associations, Atlantic Clubs, or Euro-Atlantic Councils) are non-profit, Non-governmental organizations The Center for Strategic and International Studies is a Washington D The Institute for Collaborative Engagement is an American based internationally focused think-tank formed around the year 2000. The Lincoln Square Institute was founded in 2006 by a group of public policy scholars Other think tanks include Brookings Institution a center-left organization considered the oldest think tank in America, and the Progressive Policy Institute, a "New Democrat" organization focused on moving the Democratic party in a more centrist direction. The Brookings Institution is a nonprofit public policy organization based in Washington D

Libertarian

The most prominent is the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank based in Washington, DC. The American Consumer Institute Center for Citizen Research (ACI is a 501(c(3 ( Tax-exempt and fully Tax deductible) Nonprofit educational and research The Aspen Institute is an international nonprofit organization founded in 1950 as the Aspen Institute of Humanistic Studies Atlantic Councils (also called Atlantic Associations, Atlantic Clubs, or Euro-Atlantic Councils) are non-profit, Non-governmental organizations The Brookings Institution is a nonprofit public policy organization based in Washington D The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace is a formally private nonprofit organization in practice closely associated with the United States Department of State, The Center for Strategic and International Studies is a Washington D The Constitution Project is an independent Nonprofit Think tank in the United States that builds Bipartisan consensus on significant The Council on Foreign Relations ( CFR) is an American Nonpartisan foreign policy membership organization founded in 1921 and based at 58 East 68th Street (at The Committee for Economic Development (CED is an independent non-profit non-partisan Think tank based in Washington DC The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF is a Non-profit public policy Think tank. The New America Foundation is a non-profit Public policy institute and Think tank located in Washington D The Progressive Policy Institute ( PPI) is a Think tank in the United States, founded in 1989 and affiliated with the Democratic Leadership Resources for the Future (RFF is a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization that conducts independent research -- rooted primarily in economics and other social sciences -- on environmental The Henry L Stimson Center is a not-for-profit institution focused on "practical creative non-partisan solutions to enduring and challenging problems of national and international The RAND Corporation ( R esearch AN d D evelopment is a Nonprofit global policy Think tank first formed to offer research and analysis The Stanley Foundation is a nonprofit, Nonpartisan, private operating foundation started in 1956 by Engineer and Entrepreneur, The Urban Institute is a Washington DC based nonpartisan think tank that collects Data, conducts policy Research, evaluates Social programs The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars (or Wilson Center) (located in Washington D The Cato Institute is a Libertarian Think tank headquartered in Washington D

Government

Government think tanks are also important in the United States, particularly in the security and defense field. The Ayn Rand Institute The Center for the Advancement of Objectivism (ARI is a 501(c(3 nonprofit think tank in Irvine California that promotes Ayn The Atlas Economic Research Foundation was founded in 1981 by Antony Fisher. Cascade Policy Institute is a non-profit, non-partisan Libertarian public policy research organization based in Portland Oregon that focuses on state and The Cato Institute is a Libertarian Think tank headquartered in Washington D The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI is a Non-profit public policy organization founded in 1984 by Fred L The Foundation for Economic Education (FEE was the first modern The Foundation for Rational Economics and Education ( FREE) is an American Nonprofit, Nonpartisan Foundation dedicated to public education The Goldwater Institute is a Phoenix Arizona -based public policy think-tank established in 1988. The Heartland Institute is an American libertarian / conservative Free market -oriented public policy Think tank based in Chicago The Independent Institute is a Libertarian Think tank based in Oakland California. The Mackinac Center for Public Policy describes itself as a nonprofit free-market research and educational organization and is located in Midland Michigan in the The Mercatus Center at George Mason University is a market-oriented research education and outreach Think tank that works with policy experts lobbyists and government The Ludwig von Mises Institute ( LvMI) based in Auburn Alabama, is a Libertarian academic organization engaged in research and scholarship in the fields The Reason Foundation is an American nonprofit Think tank founded in 1978 that also publishes Reason magazine. The Show-Me Institute is a free-market think tank based in St These include the Institute for National Strategic Studies, Institute for Homeland Security Studies, and the Center for Technology and National Security Policy, at the National Defense University; the Center for Naval Warfare Studies at the Naval War College and the Strategic Studies Institute at the U.S. Army War College. The National Defense University (NDU is an institution of Higher education funded by the United States Department of Defense, intended to facilitate high-level training The Naval War College (NWC is an education and research institution of the United States Navy that specializes in developing ideas for Naval warfare and passing them The '''Strategic Studies Institute''' (SSIis the US Army 's institute for strategic and national security research and analysis The United States Army War College is a United States Army school located in Carlisle Pennsylvania, on the 500 acre (2 km² campus of the historic Carlisle

In addition, the government funds, wholly or in part, activities at approximately 30 Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs). FFRDCs, are unique independent nonprofit entities sponsored and funded by the U. S. government to meet specific long-term technical needs that cannot be met by any other single organization. FFRDCs typically assist government agencies with scientific research and analysis, systems development, and systems acquisition. They bring together the expertise and outlook of government, industry, and academia to solve complex technical problems.

These FFRDCs include the MITRE Corporation, the Institute for Defense Analyses, the Aerospace Corporation and others organizations supporting various departments within the U. S. Government.

Other countries

Russia

Russian think tanks have experienced a precipitous decline over the past five years. The Institute of World Economics and International Affairs was begun in 1956 Think tanks under the Soviet Union, analogous to their American counterparts, grew to play a significant role in strategic policy formation. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 During the era of glasnost, begun by Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and continuing under Russian President Boris Yeltsin, public think tanks and policy organizations underwent a brief blooming. (Гла́сность)is literally defined as publicity and sometimes figuratively interpreted as "tipping a vase to let someone see into the vase but not the bottom of the vase" Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev ( Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachyov;; born 2 March 1931 in Privolnoye Stavropol Krai) is a Russian politician Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin () (1 February 1931 23 April 2007 was the first President of the Russian Federation, serving from 1991 to 1999 However, as economic problems intensified under Yeltsin, and political pressure on public organizations grew under President Vladimir Putin, most of the Russian think tanks have withered away while those who stood closer to Kremlin saw a recent revival. Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (; born 7 October 1952 in Leningrad, USSR; now Saint Petersburg, Russia was the second President of Russia

Brazil

Australia

Most Australian think tanks are based at universities - for example, the Melbourne Institute - or are government funded - for example, the Productivity Commission or the CSIRO. The Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research (often simply referred to as "The Melbourne Institute" is an Australian economic research The Productivity Commission is the Australian Government 's principal review and advisory body on microeconomic policy and regulation The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation ( CSIRO) is the national government body for scientific research in Australia.

There are also about 20-30 "independent" Australian think tanks, which are funded by private sources. The best-known of these are:

Think tanks play much more limited role on Australian public and business policy making than in the United States. The Australia Institute is an Australian Think tank conducting Public policy research funded by grants from philanthropic trusts memberships and commissioned The Centre for Independent Studies (CIS is a Libertarian Think tank founded in April 1976 by Executive Director Greg Lindsay. CEDA (the Committee for Economic Development of Australia) is an independent Bipartisan, non-profit forum and Think tank. The Institute of Public Affairs ( IPA) is a Think tank based in Melbourne, Australia that has been described as Conservative and The Lowy Institute for International Policy is based in Sydney New South Wales, Australia. The National Civic Council (or NCC) is a grassroots Australian political movement although sometimes referred to as a Think tank. Per capita is a Latin phrase meaning for each head with Per meaning 'through' or 'by' The Sydney Institute, founded in 1989, is a privately funded current affairs forum The United States of America —commonly referred to as the However, in the past decade the number of think tanks has increased substantially.

New Zealand

Canada

Taiwan

South Africa

Mexico

Notes

  1. ^ see The American Heritage Dictionary. The Ecologic Foundation (Ecologic Foundation Incorporated also referred to as Ecologic is an independent not-for-profit Think Tank based in Nelson New Zealand The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives is a progressive policy research institute in Canada. The Canadian Economics Association, formerly part of the Canadian Political Science Association was formed as a separate Scientific society in 1967 Founded in 1982, the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research is a virtual institute dedicated to collaborative advanced Research and scholarship of relevance to the The CD Howe Institute (Institut CD Howe is a Canadian economic and social Think tank based in downtown Toronto, Ontario. The Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI is a Canadian not-for-profit non-partisan think tank based in Waterloo, Ontario in Canada that conducts research The Conference Board of Canada is a not-for-profit Canadian organization dedicated to researching and analyzing economic trends as well as organizational performance and public The Fraser Institute is Conservative and Libertarian Think tank based in Canada that espouses Free market principles The International Policy Forum (IPF is a fully student-run Think tank based at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada. The Institut national de la recherche scientifique (French National Institute of Scientific Research) is the research-oriented branch of Université du Québec The Institute for Research on Public Policy ( IRPP) is Canada 's oldest non-partisan public policy Think tank. The Institute for Canadian Values is a private Canadian think-tank promoting conservative social and economic policies The Mackenzie Institute for the Study of Terrorism Revolution and Propaganda is a Think tank in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Montreal Economic Institute (MEI is a non-profit research organization (or Think tank) based in Montreal. The Academia Sinica ( "Chinese Academy" in Latin) headquartered in the Nangang District of Taipei, is the National academy See Institute for Security Studies (EU for a European Union think tank The Institute for Security The National Autonomous University of Mexico was the first academic institution in Mexico that implements studies about International relations. El Colegio de la Frontera Norte (commonly known as Colef, English: The College of the Northern Border is a prestigious Mexican institute of Higher El Colegio de México (commonly known as Colmex, English: The College of Mexico is a prestigious Mexican institute of Higher education, Cide is a town and a district of the Kastamonu Province in the Black Sea region of Turkey. The Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (in English: Mexico Autonomous Institute of Technology commonly known as ITAM, is a private research university "Think Tank. " 2000. and Merriam Webster's Dictionary. "Think Tank. "
  2. ^ • Diane Stone ‘Think Tanks and Policy Analysis’, in Frank Fischer, Gerald J. Miller. & Mara S. Sidney (eds. ) Handbook of Public Policy Analysis: Theory, Methods, and Politics, New York, Marcel Dekker Inc. 2006: 149-157
  3. ^ NIRA's World Directory of Think Tanks 2002: Introduction
  4. ^ Think tanks - SourceWatch
  5. ^ News: Discovery's Creation (Seattle Weekly)
  6. ^ Politicized Scholars Put Evolution on the Defensive - New York Times
  7. ^ Access : : Nature
  8. ^ http://www.tobaccoscam.ucsf.edu/pdf/9.6-Ong%26Glantz-JunkScience.pdf
  9. ^ How Big Tobacco Helped Create "the Junkman" | Center for Media and Democracy
  10. ^ About us - Asef think tank http://www.iranasef.org/about.asp
  11. ^ About CEPS. Centre for European Policy Studies (2008-02-29). 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Leap years Although the modern calendar counts a year as 365 days a complete revolution around the sun takes approximately 365 days and 6 hours Retrieved on 2008-03-08. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1618 - Johannes Kepler discovers the third law of planetary motion.
  12. ^ The Age, April 17, 2007: ["New think tank to help swing ideas from right to left" http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/new-think-tank-to-help-swing-ideas-from-right-to-left/2007/04/05/1175366408429.html]

See also

Additional reading

External links

Dictionary

think tank

-noun

  1. (idiomatic) A group of which performs research and develops reports and recommendations on topics relating to strategic planning or public policy, and which is usually funded by corporations, interest groups, or government.
© 2009 citizendia.org; parts available under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License, from http://en.wikipedia.org
 Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic