This document discusses think tanks, including what they are, their functions, and operations. It defines think tanks as independent, non-profit research organizations that aim to influence policymaking. Think tanks conduct research, provide policy advice to governments, evaluate programs, and facilitate public policy debates. Their success depends on factors like available human and financial resources, and an enabling legal environment. Operations rely on professional expertise, reputation, and relationships with donors and governments. Think tanks disseminate their work through various publications and public outreach.

1. Think Tanks
Dr. Zargari,
Academic Staff of Azad University
Fall 2004
drzargari@gmail.com

2. Dr. Zargari
‫تفکر‬ ‫کانونهای‬

3. Dr. Zargari
:‫اسلم‬ ‫گرامی‬ ‫پیامبر‬
‫است‬ ‫برتر‬ ‫تفکر‬ ‫ساعت‬ ‫یک‬
‫عبادت‬ ‫سال‬ ‫هفتاد‬ ‫از‬

4. Dr. Zargari
Think tank is: a non-profit
non-governmental public
policy institution.
A group organized for
intensive research and
solving of problems,
especially in the areas of
technology, social or
political strategy.
WHAT IS A THINK TANK AND
WHAT IT DOES?

5. Dr. Zargari
Original meaning (1900-05): “brain”
Current meaning (1955-60): a body
of experts, as a research
organization, providing advice and
ideas on specific national or
commercial problems (OED)
My definition here: independent,
private, non-partisan, non-profit
research organizations, whose goal is
to influence government policy
making or implementation (500 TT
in U.S.)
WHAT IS A THINK TANK AND
WHAT IT DOES?

6. Dr. Zargari
Think tanks affect
policy process in
two ways:
1-Directly
communicating to
policy-makers
2-Informing the
public
WHAT IS A THINK TANK AND
WHAT IT DOES?

7. Dr. Zargari
TYPOLOGY of THINK TANKS
Academic Research
Institutes (‘universities
without students’)
Government contract
researchers
Advocacy think tanks
Party-affiliated

8. Dr. Zargari
“University without students:”
Quality academic research; focus on long-term impact; research
fellow like professors
Examples: Brookings, AEI, Carnegie Endowment
Government contractors
Funded by government department / agencies; address specific
concerns of policy-makers
Examples: RAND, Urban Institute
Advocacy think tanks
Research plus aggressive marketing; actively participate in policy
debate
Heritage, CATO
TYPOLOGY of THINK TANKS

9. Dr. Zargari
KEY FUNCTIONS of THINK TANKS
1) Source of basic research on policy problems.
(2) Providing policy advice to government
officials.
(3) Evaluation of government programs.
(4) Platforms and facilitators for exchange of
ideas
(5) Suppliers of Personnel to Governments.
(6) Suppliers of expert statements to media.

10. Dr. Zargari
FACTORS FACILATING
ENTRY TO THINK TANKS
Societies in transition:
profound reform agenda and intensive policy debates
++
Availability of human capital ++
Culture of philanthropy and civil society activism -/+-/+
Availability of donors’ funding ++
Enabling legal and regulatory regime ++

11. Dr. Zargari
COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE of
THINK TANKS
1-Organizational flexibility
and thematic versatility
2-Access to donors’ resources
3-Professional capacity and
intellectual authority
4-Links to government and
other stakeholders.

12. Dr. Zargari
61% 56%
48%
22%
4%
Limited opportunities to conduct policy studies in old institutions
Recognition of think tank model advantages and demand for think tank products
Leader’s initiative
Massive initial support of a donor
Completion of a technical assistance project
“ Revolving door” pattern:
alternation between government and think tank positions.
IMPULSES to SET UP a THINK
TANK

13. Dr. Zargari
OPERATIONS
Assets (think tanks relying on a particular
asset, %)
100%
68%
55%
55%
41%
32%
27%
23%
Professional knowledge and
experience
Reputation in the
professional community
Reputation with government
Stable relations of trust with
government officials
Access to exclusive sources
of information
Reputation with donors
Reputation in the society and
with media
Cooperation with leading
foreign experts

14. Dr. Zargari
Importance of relations with
government officials –
an indicator of think tanks’
direct feeding their studies to
the policy-making quarters.
Importance of reputation with
colleagues –
an indication of intensive
professional networking.
OPERATIONS

15. Dr. Zargari
Modes of operation
Most think tanks work in a hand-to-mouth manner, and undertake
projects only if they come with tied sources of funding unless there are
earmarked sources of funding. Donors more often support projects, not
institutions (USAID uses both options).
Despite the scarcity of long-term revenue sources, almost ¾ of surveyed
think tanks function without interruption, while the rest work from one
project to another, with possible gaps in the interim. Institutions from
the first group consider their stability as satisfactory, although requiring
non-stop vigorous fundraising. Others consider stability of their
organizations as insufficient.
None of the surveyed think tanks considers its future as fully secure.
This creates strong performance incentives, but diminishes opportunities
for long-term investments and planning.
OPERATIONS

16. Dr. Zargari
Outreach and disseminationOutreach and dissemination
Survey data reveal threeSurvey data reveal three
distinct clusters of think tanksdistinct clusters of think tanks:
OPERATIONS

17. Dr. Zargari
MAPPING THINK TANKS
Relations to the state
The Anglo-American think tank model requires autonomy
from the state as a sine qua non of think tank’s
independence and impartiality.
Continental and Asian think tank models are more tolerant
to think tanks’ close links to government – both in terms
of funding and communication of policy outputs. German
think tanks heavily rely on government funding, and in
France corporate intrusion in think tank activities is
viewed askance.
Russian think tanks bear imprints of multiple models –
they are more government-oriented than in the US, but do
not have long-term government support available to many
European and Asian institutions.

18. Dr. Zargari
‫جهان‬ ‫كل‬--------------321
‫امريكا‬--------------76
‫ژاپن‬--------------24
‫آلمان‬--------------13
‫كانادا‬--------------8
‫مالزي‬--------------4
‫ايران‬--------------1
‫جهان‬ ‫در‬ ‫تفكر‬ ‫هاي‬ ‫كانون‬

19. Dr. Zargari
OUTLETS of THINK TANKS ’
WORKS
Books, journal articles
Monographs, reports, occasional papers
Short pieces of policy brief
Op-ed pieces
Other informal channels
• Conferences, panel discussions
• Policy training programs
• Media appearance