Think Tanks

1

• Session 18
• Think Tanks

2
Policy Advocates and Policy Analysts

• Think Tanks and How Expertise Has Become
  Politicized
• Resources available for Interest Organizations
  Votes, Money, Information
• Did you say, information?

Information
3

• Did you say, politicized? Yes, but not three
  times fast.

Politicized
4
Classification of a Selection of Think Tanks
5
Information for Policymakers

• Ordinary Knowledge
• Policy Research
• Sources
• Governmental Agencies
• CRS
• GAO
• CBO
• Universities
• Think Tanks

6
Shift in Roles

• Traditional Role expert but neutral
• New Role policy advocates with a clear ideology

7
Early Think Tanks History

• Industrial Revolution
• Russell Sage Foundation 1907
• Institute for Government Research (IRG) 1916
  John D. Rockefeller
• Bureau of the Budget in 1921
• Combined with the Institute of Economics and the
  Brookings Graduate School of Economics and
  Government to form the Brookings Institution

8

• Great Depression and the need for solutions
  produced new think tanks
• American Enterprise Institute (originally
  Association) founded in 1943
• Research and Development Corporation (RAND Corp.)
  in 1946 strategic analyses for the Department
  of Defense
• Academic training and neutrality

9
Ascendance of Conservative Ideology

• 1970s inflation, unemployment (stagflation),
  growth of government
• Conservative movement and patrons
• Richard Mellon Scaife, Joseph Coors
• Heritage Foundation
• Liberal countermobilization

10
Categorizing Contemporary Think Tanks

• Universities Without Students
• Culture Social science norms of objectivity
• Product Books and scholarly articles
• Funding Private foundations and institutional
  endowments
• Examples Brookings, Russell Sage

11

• Contract Research
• Culture Focus on issues and agenda of the
  contracting agency
• Product Books, detailed research reports
• Funding Client (contracting agency)
• Examples RAND Corporation, Urban Institute

12

• Advocacy Tanks
• Culture Newest type seeks immediate influence
  on policy and policymakers employ people with
  political and policy credentials
• Product Policy briefs (with spin) on existing
  research (rather than original research)
• Funding Individuals, corporations, private
  foundations
• Examples Heritage Foundation, Cato, Rockford
  Institute, Economic Policy Institute

13
Challenge of Advocacy Tanks to the Other Two

• Compete for funds, media attention, access to
  policymakers
• Challenge claims of impartiality
• All research embodies some values
• A stated ideology is preferable because it is
  transparent
• Blurred boundaries for advocacy and analysis

14
Recent Trends

• Proliferation
• Conservative Ascendance
• Increased Focus on State Capitals
• So . . . influence?
• Impact
• Credibility