Think Outside the Tank

The U.S. has led the world in the thinking market for the past few decades, dangling good food and drinks to lure in top scholars. Internationally, the number of think tanks has grown exponentially since 1950.  Today, there are twice as many think tanks today than there were in 1980, with most of them residing in the United States.  It seems the U.S. will lead the industry in policy research, at least until these scholars find out Italy has better food.  I’m not sure it’s related, but the U.S. has been increasingly outsourcing its normal activities to private sector companies.  While it is common for the government to fund scientific research at Universities, since 2001 the number of contracted private defense and intelligence firms has risen greatly.  I don’t know if this shift from public to private is wise and well implemented, but it is an interesting development that will definitely have an impact on how our government functions.  

After all of these years, think tanks have evolved into an indefinable spot in domestic and foreign policy.  The term think tank refers to such a heterogeneous group of organizations that meaning is ambiguous.  This is an issue in determining credibility.  In a similar field, such as journalism, there are certain ethics professionals abide by, or at least they should.  I don’t believe that think tank standards have been established well enough.  For example, funding sources vary among think tanks.  Institutions, such as Brookings, have large endowments and need no official funds, while RAND receives most of their funding from contract work from private and public institutions.  Perhaps there needs to be a greater division among think tanks based on their source of income.  Money often defines an organization and, while it’s not a comprehensive solution, identifying think tanks based on income may move us one step closer to defining their purpose.

The recent spike in established think tanks is a phenomenon that has created a private market for information.  I see these think tanks as a natural extension of the liberal arts ideology prevalent in U.S. education and research.  In the U.S., they grew along with the United States’ international influence and leadership.  They have found a niche in helping politicians see beyond their term years in respect to policy.  Until recently, I had no idea how much they were actually used in government.  Jimmy Carter staffed his administration with scholars from the Brookings Institution and the Council on Foreign Relations.  Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush similarly used numerous individuals from different think tanks in their own administrations.  Think tanks have stabilized the hectic transitions of presidential administrations, keeping the supply of ideas and conversation fluid.

Despite the current uncertainty of think tanks place in politics, they certainly have established their presence.  NGO’s have provided services to the world in the past and think tanks provide a new role.  In retrospect, it seems like think tanks were an inevitable progression in policy research.  I hope their position is more clearly defined in politics as they continue to grow in importance.