African think tanks Ghana Ghana's first president,
Kwame Nkrumah, set up various state-supported think tanks in the 1960s. By the 1990s, a variety of policy research centers sprang up in Africa set up by academics who sought to influence public policy in Ghana. One such think tank was
The Institute of Economic Affairs, Ghana, which was founded in 1989 when the country was ruled by the
Provisional National Defence Council. The IEA undertakes and publishes research on a range of economic and governance issues confronting
Ghana and
Sub-Saharan Africa. It has also been involved in bringing political parties together to engage in dialogue. In particular it has organised Presidential debates every election year since the
Ghanaian presidential election, 1996. Notable think tanks in Ghana include: •
IMANI Centre for Policy and Education •
The Institute of Economic Affairs, Ghana (IEA)
Somalia •
Heritage Institute for Policy Studies •
Puntland Development Research Center South Africa •
Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa •
Free Market Foundation •
FW de Klerk Foundation •
Helen Suzman Foundation •
Institute for Democratic Alternatives in South Africa (IDASA) •
Institute for Justice and Reconciliation •
Institute for Security Studies •
South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) •
South African Institute of Race Relations Asian think tanks Afghanistan Afghanistan has a number of think tanks that are in the form of governmental, non-governmental, and corporate organizations. •
Afghanistan Analysts Network •
Centre for Conflict and Peace Studies Bangladesh Bangladesh has a number of think tanks that are in the form of governmental, non-governmental, and corporate organizations. •
Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) •
Bangladesh Institute of Law and International Affairs (BILIA) •
Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies (BIPSS) •
Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) •
International Growth Centre (IGC) •
Making Our Economy Right (MOER) •
Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies (BILS)
China In China a number of think tanks are sponsored by governmental agencies such as
Development Research Center of the State Council, but still retain sufficient non-official status to be able to propose and debate ideas more freely. In January 2012, the first non-official think tank in mainland China, South Non-Governmental Think-Tank, was established in the Guangdong province. In 2009 the
China Center for International Economic Exchanges was founded.
Hong Kong In Hong Kong, early think tanks established in the late 1980s and early 1990s focused on political development, including the first direct Legislative Council members election in 1991 and the political framework of "
One Country, Two Systems", manifested in the
Sino-British Joint Declaration. After the transfer of sovereignty to China in 1997, 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; and promoting "public understanding of and participation in the political, economic, and social development of the Hong Kong
Special Administrative Region". Think tanks in Hong Kong include: •
Bauhinia Foundation Research Centre •
Business and Professionals Federation of Hong Kong •
Central Policy Unit •
Civic Exchange •
The Global Institute for Tomorrow •
HKGolden50 •
Hong Kong Christian Industrial Committee •
Hong Kong Democratic Foundation •
Hong Kong People's Council on Housing Policy •
The Lion Rock Institute •
New Century Forum •
Our Hong Kong Foundation •
One Country Two Systems Research Institute •
Path of Democracy •
Policy Innovation and Co-ordination Unit •
Professional Commons India India has the world's second-largest
number of think tanks. Most are based in New Delhi, and a few are government-sponsored. There are few think tanks that promote environmentally responsible and climate resilient ideas like
Centre for Science and Environment,
Centre for Policy Research and
World Resources Institute. There are other prominent think tanks like
Observer Research Foundation, Tillotoma Foundation, and
Centre for Civil Society. and
National Knowledge Network (NKN) (for data and resource sharing amongst education and research institutions), if implemented properly, should help improve the quality of work done by think tanks. Some notable think tanks in India include: •
Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) •
Centre for Civil Society (CCS) •
Centre for Development Studies (CDS) •
Centre for Dialogue and Reconciliation (CDR) •
Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS) •
Centre for Policy Research (CPR) •
Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR) •
Central Institute for Cotton Research (CICR) •
Council On Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) •
Edward & Cynthia Institute of Public Health (ECIPH) •
Forum of Free Enterprise (FFE) •
Foundation for Democratic Reforms (FDR) •
Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) •
Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA) •
Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC) •
Nabakrushna Choudhury Centre for Development Studies (NCDS) •
National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) •
National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS) •
Observer Research Foundation (ORF) •
Public Affairs Centre (PAC) •
The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) •
Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) •
Wildlife Institute of India (WII)
Indonesia •
Centre for Strategic and International Studies •
Setara Institute Iraq Over 50 think tanks have emerged in Iraq, particularly in the Kurdistan Region. Iraq's leading think tank is the Middle East Research Institute (MERI), based in Erbil. MERI is an independent non-governmental policy research organization, established in 2014 and publishes in English, Kurdish, and Arabic. It was listed in the global ranking by the United States's Lauder Institute of the
University of Pennsylvania as 46th in the Middle East.
Israel There are many think tank teams in Israel, including: •
Shaharit – Creating Common Cause •
Jerusalem Institute for Market Studies (JIMS) •
Reut Institute •
Israel Council on Foreign Relations •
The Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs •
Adva Center •
Israel Democracy Institute •
Jerusalem Institute for Policy Research •
Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute •
Floersheimer Studies at the
Hebrew University of Jerusalem •
Harry S. Truman Research Institute for the Advancement of Peace, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem •
International Institute for Counter-Terrorism – IDC
Herziliya •
Israel Center for Third Sector Research,
Ben Gurion University of the
Negev •
IPCRI – Israel/Palestine Center for Research and Information •
The Milken Institute •
Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies, Tel Aviv University •
The Begin-Sadat Center –
Bar Ilan University •
The Center for the Study of Philanthropy in Israel at the
Hebrew University of Jerusalem •
Israel Institute for Advanced Studies at the
Hebrew University of Jerusalem •
The Jewish Arab Center (JAC),
University of Haifa •
The Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI) •
The Shalem Center •
Institute for National Security Studies, affiliated with Tel Aviv University.
South Korea In
South Korea, think tanks are prolific and influential and are a government go-to. Many policy research organisations in Korea focus on economy and most research is done in public think tanks. There is a strong emphasis on the knowledge-based economy and, according to one respondent, think tank research is generally considered high quality. •
Korea Development Institute •
National Assembly Budget Office •
The Asan Institute for Policy Studies •
Samsung Economic Research Institute •
Center for Free Enterprise •
Korea International Trade Association •
The Yeouido Institute •
The Economic Information and Education Center •
Jeju Peace Institute •
Korea Institute for International Economic Policy •
Korea Institute of Public Administration •
Sejong Institute Japan Japan has over 100 think tanks, most of which cover not only policy research but also economy, technology and so on. Some are government related, but most of the think tanks are sponsored by the private sector. •
Asian Development Bank Institute •
Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry •
Genron NPO •
Global Industrial and Social Progress Research Institute •
Institute for International Monetary Affairs •
Institute of Developing Economies •
The International Academic Forum •
Japan Center for International Exchange •
Japan Institute for National Fundamentals •
Japan Institute of International Affairs •
Mitsubishi Research Institute •
National Institute for Research Advancement •
Rousoukai •
Shōwa Kenkyūkai •
Tokyo Foundation Kazakhstan Institute of World Economics and Politics (IWEP) at the Foundation of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan was created in 2003. IWEP activities aimed at research problems of the world economy, international relations, geopolitics, security, integration and Eurasia, as well as the study of the First President of the
Republic of Kazakhstan and its contribution to the establishment and strengthening of Kazakhstan as an independent state, the development of international cooperation and the promotion of peace and stability. The Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of the RK (KazISS) was established by the Decree of the President of RK on 16 June 1993. Since its foundation the main mission of the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, as a national think tank, is to maintain analytical and research support for the President of Kazakhstan.
Malaysia Most Malaysian think tanks are related either to the government or a political party. Historically they focused on defense, politics and policy. However, in recent years, think tanks that focus on international trade, economics, and social sciences have also been founded. Notable think tanks in Malaysia include: •
Academy of Sciences Malaysia (ASM) •
Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS) •
Institute for Pioneering of Education and Economic Excellence (INSPIRE) •
Jeffrey Cheah Institute on Southeast Asia (JCI) •
Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology (MIGHT)
Pakistan Pakistan's think tanks mainly revolve around social policy, internal politics, foreign security issues, and regional geo-politics. Most of these are centered on the capital,
Islamabad. One such think tank is the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), which focuses on policy advocacy and research particularly in the area of environment and social development. Another policy research institute based in Islamabad is the
Institute of Social and Policy Sciences (I-SAPS) which works in the fields of education, health, disaster risk reduction,
governance, conflict and stabilization. Since 2007 – 2008, I-SAPS has been analyzing public expenditure of federal and provincial governments.
Philippines Think tanks in the Philippines could be generally categorized in terms of their linkages with the national government. Several were set up by the Philippine government for the specific purpose of providing research input into the policy-making process.
Russia •
Valdai Discussion Club •
Izborsky Club Sri Lanka Sri Lanka has a number of think tanks that are in the form of governmental, non-governmental and corporate organizations. • The
Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute of International Relations and Strategic Studies is a policy-studies institute that is often referred to as a think tank. •
LIRNEasia is a think tank working across the Asia-Pacific on regulatory and policy issues. Their main focus is the ICT sector, although they do work in other sectors, such as agriculture and health, which can benefit from ICT. •
Verité Research is an interdisciplinary think tank in Colombo.
Singapore There are several think tanks in Singapore that advise the government on various policies and as well as private ones for corporations within the region. Many of them are hosted within the local public educational institutions. Among them are the
Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA),
Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS), and the
S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.
Taiwan In 2017 Taiwan had 58 think tanks. Taiwanese think tanks in alphabetical order: •
Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research •
Institute for National Defense and Security Research •
Prospect Foundation •
Taiwan Asia Exchange Foundation •
Taiwan Competitiveness Forum •
Taiwan Foundation for Democracy •
Taiwan Institute of Economic Research Thailand •
Office of the National Economic and Social Development Council •
Thailand Development Research Institute •
iLaw United Arab Emirates The UAE has been a center for political oriented think tanks which concentrate on both regional and global policy. Notable think tank have emerged in the global debate on terrorism, education & economical policies in the MENA region. Think tanks include: •
Dubai Economic Council •
Gulf Research Center •
Orient Research Centre European think tanks Belgium Brussels hosts most of the European Institutions, hence a large number of international think tanks are based there. Notable think tanks are
Bruegel, the
Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS),
Centre for the New Europe (CNE), the
European Centre of International Political Economy (ECIPE), the
European Policy Centre (EPC), the Friends of Europe, the
Global Governance Institute (GGI),
Liberales, and
Sport and Citizenship, among others.
Bulgaria Bulgaria has a number of think tanks providing expertise and shaping policies, including
Institute of Modern Politics.
Czech Republic • The
European Values Think-Tank • The
Prague Security Studies Institute (PSSI)
Denmark •
CEPOS is a classic libertarian/free-market conservative think tank in Denmark.
Finland Finland has several small think tanks that provide expertise in very specific fields. Notable think tanks include: •
Åland Islands Peace Institute •
Demos Helsinki •
European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats (Hybrid CoE) •
Crisis Management Initiative (CMI) •
Research Institute of the Finnish Economy (Etla) •
Finnish Institute of International Affairs In addition to specific independent think tanks, the largest political parties have their own think tank organizations. This is mainly due to support granted by state for such activity. The corporate world has focused their efforts to central representative organization
Confederation of Finnish Industries, which acts as think tank in addition to negotiating salaries with workers unions. Furthermore, there is the Finnish Business and Policy Forum (
Elinkeinoelämän valtuuskunta, EVA). Agricultural and regional interests, associated with The Central Union of Agricultural Producers and Forest Owners (
Maa- ja metsätaloustuottajain Keskusliitto, MTK) and the
Centre Party, are researched by Pellervo Economic Research (
Pellervon taloustutkimus, PTT). The
Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions (
Suomen Ammattiliittojen Keskusjärjestö, SAK) and the
Social Democratic Party are associated with the Labour Institute for Economic Research (
Palkansaajien tutkimuslaitos, PT). Each of these organizations often release forecasts concerning the national economy.
France The
French Institute of International Relations (IFRI) was founded in 1979 and is the third oldest think tank of western Europe, after Chatham House (UK, 1920) and the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sweden, 1960). The primary goals of IFRI are to develop applied research in the field of public policy related to international issues, and foster interactive and constructive dialogue between researchers, professionals, and opinion leaders. France also hosts the
European Union Institute for Security Studies (EUISS), a
Paris-based
agency of the European Union and think tank researching security issues of relevance for the
EU. There are also a number of pro-business think tanks, notably the Paris-based Fondation Concorde. The foundation focuses on increasing the competitiveness of French SME's and aims to revive entrepreneurship in France. On the left, the main think tanks in France are the
Fondation Jean-Jaurès, which is organizationally linked to the
French Socialist Party, and
Terra Nova. Terra Nova is an independent left-leaning think tank, although it is nevertheless considered to be close to the Socialists. It works on producing reports and analyses of current public policy issues from a progressive point of view, and contributing to the intellectual renewal of social democracy.
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. These include the
Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (
Christian Democratic Union-aligned), the
Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (
Social Democratic Party-aligned), the
Hanns-Seidel-Stiftung (
Christian Social Union-aligned), the (
aligned with the Greens),
Friedrich Naumann Foundation (
Free Democratic Party-aligned) and the
Rosa Luxemburg Foundation (aligned with
Die Linke). The
German Institute for International and Security Affairs is a foreign policy think tank.
Atlantic Community is an independent,
non-partisan and
non-profit organization set up as a joint project of Atlantische Initiative e.V. and Atlantic Initiative United States. The
Institute for Media and Communication Policy deals with media-related issues.
Transparency International is a think tank on the role of corporate and political corruption in international development.
Greece In Greece there are many think tanks, also called research organisations or institutes.
Ireland • The
Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) is an independent research institute in Dublin, Ireland. Its research focuses on Ireland's economic and social development to inform policy-making and societal understanding. • The
Institute of International and European Affairs (IIEA) focuses on European and International affairs. • The
Iona Institute is a conservative, Catholic think tank. •
TASC (Think tank for Action on Social Change) is an Irish left-wing think tank.
Italy •
Bruno Leoni Institute •
Future Italy •
Centro Studi Internazionali •
ISPI – Italian Institute for International Political Studies •
Istituto Affari Internazionali •
Trinità dei Monti Latvia The oldest think tank in Latvia is
the Latvian Institute of International Affairs. LIIA is a non governmental and non partisan foundation, established in 1992, and their research and advocacy mainly focuses on Latvian foreign policy; Transatlantic relations; European Union policies, including its neighborhood policy and Eastern Partnership; and multilateral and bilateral relations with Russia.
Netherlands All major political parties in the Netherlands have state-sponsored research foundations that play a role in shaping policy. The Dutch government also has its own think tank: the
Scientific Council for Government Policy. The Netherlands furthermore hosts the
Netherlands Institute of International Relations Clingendael, or Clingendael Institute, an independent think tank and diplomatic academy which studies various aspects of
international relations.
Poland There is a large pool of think tanks in Poland on a wide variety of subjects. The oldest state-sponsored think tank is
The Western Institute in Poznań (Polish:
Instytut Zachodni). The second oldest is the
Polish Institute of International Affairs (PISM) established in 1947. Another notable state-sponsored think tank is the
Centre for Eastern Studies (OSW), which specializes in the countries neighboring Poland and in the Baltic Sea region, the Balkans, Turkey, the Caucasus and Central Asia. Among the private think tanks notable organizations include the
Institute for Structural Research (IBS) on economic policy,
The Casimir Pulaski Foundation on foreign policy, the
Institute of Public Affairs (ISP) on social policy, and the
Sobieski Institute.
Portugal Founded in 1970, the
SEDES is one of the oldest Portuguese civic associations and think tanks.
Contraditório think tank was founded in 2008. Contraditório is a non-profit, independent and non-partisan think tank.
Romania The
Romanian Academic Society (SAR), founded in 1996, is a Romanian think tank for policy research.
Russia •
Valdai Discussion Club •
Izborsky Club Serbia The Foundation for the Advancement of Economics (FREN) was founded in 2005 by the
Belgrade University's Faculty of Economics.
Slovakia Think tanks originating in Slovakia: •
GLOBSEC – Global think tank committed to enhancing security, prosperity and sustainability in Europe and throughout the world. •
Central European Labour Studies Institute or
CELSI (
Stredoeurópsky inštitút pre výskum práce in
Slovak) – Central-european think tank which specializes in broadly defined labor issues, labour markets, and labor policy. •
Forum Minority Research Institute (
Fórum Kisebbségkutató Intézet or
Fórum Intézet in
Hungarian and
Fórum inštitút pre výskum menšín or
Fórum inštitút in
Slovak) – Think tank focusing on ethnic minorities living in Slovakia, especially Hungarians. International think tanks with presence in Slovakia: •
Institute of Public Affairs (
Inštitút pre verejné otázky or
IVO in
Slovak) – Australian-based think tank focusing on public policy issues. •
Open Society Foundations or
OSF – US-based think tank with an aim of advancing justice, education, public health and independent media. •
Martens Centre (via the Anton Tunega Foundation) – Belgium-based think tank and political foundation of the European People's Party (EPP) which embodies a pan-European mindset and promotes Christian-democratic and liberal-conservative political values.
Spain The
Elcano Royal Institute was created in 2001 following the example of the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House) in the UK, although it is closely linked to (and receives funding from) the government in power. Former Prime Minister
José Maria Aznar presides over the Fundación para el Analisis y los Estudios Sociales (
FAES), a policy institute that is associated with the conservative Popular Party (PP). Also linked to the PP is the Grupo de Estudios Estratégicos (GEES), which is known for its defense- and security-related research and analysis. For its part, the
Fundación Alternativas is independent but close to left-wing ideas. The Socialist
Partido Socialista Obrero Español (PSOE) created
Fundación Ideas in 2009 and dissolved it in January 2014. Also in 2009, the centrist
Union, Progress and Democracy (UPyD) created Fundación Progreso y Democracia (FPyD).
Sweden Timbro is a
free market think tank and book publisher based in Stockholm.
Switzerland Think tanks based within Switzerland include: •
Avenir Suisse, founded in 1999 by fifteen of the largest Swiss companies. It is supported by over 130 companies to date. •
DCAF, the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces, founded in 2000 to research
security sector governance and reform. •
Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute (GDI), conceived by
Migros-founder
Gottlieb Duttweiler in 1946. •
Horasis, which hosts the annual
Horasis Global Meeting •
Liberal Institute, founded in 1979.
Ukraine As of 2022, there are nearly 100 registered think tanks in
Ukraine, including: •
Centre of Policy and Legal Reform (CPLR), a non-governmental think tank founded in 1996. •
Center for Policy Studies in Ukraine, a non-governmental think tank founded in 1994. •
International Centre for Policy Studies, a non-governmental think tank founded in 1994. •
Razumkov Centre, a non-governmental think tank founded in 1994. It carries out research of public policy in the following spheres: domestic policy; state administration; economic policy; energy; land relations; foreign policy; social policy; international and regional security; national security and defense. •
Transatlantic Dialogue Center, a non-governmental think tank founded in 2021.
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. For example, the London-based think tank
Chatham House and the
Council on Foreign Relations were both conceived at the
Paris Peace Conference, 1919 and have remained sister organisations. The
Bow Group, founded in 1951, is the oldest centre-right think tank and many of its members have gone on to serve as Members of Parliament or Members of the European Parliament. Past chairmen have included
Conservative Party leader
Michael Howard,
Margaret Thatcher's longest-serving Cabinet Minister
Geoffrey Howe,
Chancellor of the Exchequer Norman Lamont and former
British Telecom chairman
Christopher Bland. Since 2000, a number of influential centre-right think tanks have emerged including
Policy Exchange,
Centre for Social Justice and most recently
Onward.
Oceanian think tanks 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. Private sources fund about 20 to 30 "independent" Australian think tanks. The best-known of these think tanks play a much more limited role in Australian public and business policy-making than do their equivalents in the United States. However, in the past decade the number of think tanks has increased substantially. Prominent think tanks on the right include
the Centre for Independent Studies, the
Sydney Institute and the
Institute of Public Affairs. Prominent think tanks on the left include
the McKell Institute, Per Capita, the Australia Institute, the
Lowy Institute and the Centre for Policy Development. Think tanks in Australia include: •
Air Power Australia •
Asia Education Foundation •
Asialink •
The Australia Institute •
Australian Fabian Society •
Australian Institute of International Affairs •
Australian Institute of Policy & Science •
Australian Strategic Policy Institute •
The Brisbane Institute •
Centre for Independent Studies •
Centre for Policy Development •
Chifley Research Centre •
Committee for Economic Development of Australia •
Crowther Centre for Learning and Innovation •
Development Policy Centre •
Doctors Reform Society of Australia •
Evatt Foundation •
Grattan Institute •
H. R. Nicholls Society •
Infrastructure Partnerships Australia •
Institute for Economics and Peace •
Institute of Public Affairs •
International Energy Centre •
International WaterCentre •
Issues Deliberation Australia/America •
Laboratory for Visionary Architecture •
Lowy Institute for International Policy •
The Green Institute •
The McKell Institute •
The Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research •
Menzies Research Centre •
National Civic Council •
New South Wales Institute for Educational Research •
Samuel Griffith Society •
Strategic and Defence Studies Centre •
Sydney Institute •
United States Studies Centre •
Western Australia Policy Forum New Zealand Think tanks based in New Zealand include: •
Centre for Strategic Studies New Zealand •
Child Poverty Action Group (Aotearoa New Zealand) •
Helen Clark Foundation •
Maxim Institute •
McGuinness Institute •
Motu Economic and Public Policy Research •
New Zealand Initiative •
New Zealand Institute of Economic Research North American think tanks Canada Canada has many notable think tanks (listed in alphabetical order). Each has specific areas of interest with some overlaps. •
Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada •
Atlantic Institute for Market Studies •
Broadbent Institute •
C.D. Howe Institute •
Caledon Institute of Social Policy •
Canada West Foundation •
Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives •
Canadian Global Affairs Institute •
Canadian Institute for Advanced Research •
Canadian International Council •
Canadian Policy Research Networks (disbanded) •
Canadian Tax Foundation •
Cardus •
Centre for International Governance Innovation •
Conference Board of Canada •
Council of Canadians •
Fraser Institute •
Frontier Centre for Public Policy •
Institute for Research on Public Policy •
Institute on Governance •
International Institute for Sustainable Development •
Macdonald–Laurier Institute •
Montreal Economic Institute •
Mowat Centre for Policy Innovation •
National Citizens Coalition •
North-South Institute •
Parkland Institute •
Pembina Institute •
Public Policy Forum Mexico •
CIDAC – The Center of Research for Development (Centro de Investigación para el Desarrollo, Asociación Civil) is a not-for-profit think tank that undertakes research and proposes viable policy options for Mexico's economic and democratic development. The organization seeks to promote open, pluralistic debate pursuing: the Rule of Law & Democracy, market economics, social development, and strengthening Mexico-United States relations. •
CIDE – The Center of Research and Economics Teaching (Centro de Investigación y Docencia Económicas) is a think tank institute focussing on "public policies", "public choice", "democracy", and "economy".
United States As the classification is most often used today, the oldest American think tank is the
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, founded in 1910. The Institute for Government Research, which later merged with two organizations to form the
Brookings Institution, was formed in 1916. Other early twentieth century organizations now classified as think tanks include the
Hoover Institution (1919),
The Twentieth Century Fund (1919, and now known as the Century Foundation), the
National Bureau of Economic Research (1920), the
Council on Foreign Relations (1921), and the
Social Science Research Council (1923). The Great Depression and its aftermath spawned several economic policy organizations, such as the National Planning Association (1934), the
Tax Foundation (1937), and the
Committee for Economic Development (1943). More recently, progressive and liberal think tanks have been established, most notably the
Center for American Progress and the Center for Research on Educational Access and Leadership (CREAL). The organization has close ties to former United States President
Barack Obama and other prominent Democrats. Think tanks have been important allies for United States presidents since the
Reagan administration, writing and suggesting policies to implement, and providing staff for the administration. For recent conservative presidents, think tanks such as
The Heritage Foundation, the
Hoover Institution, and the
American Enterprise Institute (AEI) were closely associated with the
Reagan administration. The
George H. W. Bush administration worked closely with AEI, and the
George W. Bush administration worked closely with AEI and the Hoover Institution. The
Trump administration works closely with the Heritage Foundation. For recent liberal presidents, the
Progressive Policy Institute and its parent the
Democratic Leadership Council were closely associated with the
Clinton administration, and the
Center for American Progress was closely associated with the
Obama and
Biden administrations. Think tanks help shape both foreign and domestic policy. They receive funding from private donors, and members of private organizations. By 2013, the largest 21 think tanks in the US spent more than
US$1billion per year. Think tanks may feel more free to propose and debate controversial ideas than people within government. The progressive media watchdog Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR) has identified the top 25 think tanks by media citations, noting that from 2006 to 2007 the number of citations declined 17%. The FAIR report reveals the ideological breakdown of the citations: 37% conservative, 47% centrist, and 16% liberal. Their data show that the most-cited think tank was the
Brookings Institution, followed by the
Council on Foreign Relations, the
American Enterprise Institute,
The Heritage Foundation, and the
Center for Strategic and International Studies. In 2016, in response to scrutiny about think tanks appearing to have a "conflict of interest" or lack transparency, executive vice president, Martin S. Indyk of Brookings Institution – the "most prestigious think tank in the world" admitted that they had "decided to prohibit corporations or corporate-backed foundations from making anonymous contributions." In August 2016,
The New York Times published a series on think tanks that blur the line. One of the cases the journalists cited was Brookings, where scholars paid by a seemingly independent think tank "push donors' agendas amplifying a culture of corporate influence in Washington."
South American think tanks Research done by Enrique Mendizabal shows that South American think tanks play various roles depending on their origins, historical development and relations to other policy actors. In this study, Orazio Bellettini from
Grupo FARO suggests that they: • Seek political support for policies. • Legitimize policies. This has been clearer in
Ecuador,
Bolivia and
Peru. New governments in Ecuador and Peru have approached policy institutes for support for already defined policies. In Bolivia, the government of
Evo Morales has been working with Non-Government Organizations (
NGOs) and other research institutes to do the same. However, in Chile, many think tanks during the 1990s seemed to endorse and maintain the legitimacy of policies implemented during the previous decade by
the military dictatorship headed by Pinochet. • Act as Spaces for debate. In this case think tanks serve as sounding boards for new policies. In
Chile, during the Pinochet dictatorship, many left wing intellectuals and researchers found 'asylum' in think tanks. In Ecuador, think tanks are seen as spaces where politicians can test the soundness of their policies and government plans. • Provide financial channels for political parties or other interest groups. In Ecuador and Bolivia, German foundations have been able to provide funds to think tanks that work with certain political parties. This method has provided support to the system as a whole rather than individual CSOs. • Supply expert staff of policy-makers. In Peru after the end of the
Fujimori regime, and in Chile after the fall of Pinochet, think tank staff left to form part of the new governments. In the United States, the role of major think tanks is precisely that: host scholars for a few months or years and then lose them to government employ. How a policy institute addresses these largely depends on how they work, their ideology vs. evidence credentials, and the context in which they operate including funding opportunities, the degree and type of competition they have and their staff. This functional method addresses the inherit challenge of defining a think tank. As Simon James said in 1998, "Discussion of think tanks...has a tendency to get bogged down in the vexed question of defining what we mean by 'think tank'—an exercise that often degenerates into futile semantics." It is better (as in the Network Functions Approach) to describe what the organisation should do. Then the shape of the organisation should follow to allow this to happen. The following framework (based on Stephen Yeo's description of think tanks' mode of work) is described in Enrique Mendizabal's blog "onthinktanks": First, policy institutes may work in or base their funding on one or more of: • Independent research: this would be work done with core or flexible funding that allows the researchers the liberty to choose their research questions and method. It may be long term and could emphasize 'big ideas' without direct policy relevance. However, it could emphasize a major policy problem that requires a thorough research and action investment. • Consultancy: this would be work done by commission with specific clients and addressing one or two major questions. Consultancies often respond to an existing agenda. • Influencing/advocacy: this would be work done by communications, capacity development, networking, campaigns, lobbying, etc. It is likely to be based on research based evidence emerging from independent research or consultancies. Second, policy institutes may base their work or arguments on: • Ideology, values or interests • Applied, empirical or synthesis research • Theoretical or academic research According to the
National Institute for Research Advancement, a Japanese policy institute, think tanks are "one of the main policy actors in democratic societies ..., assuring a pluralistic, open and accountable process of policy analysis, research, decision-making and evaluation". A study in early 2009 found a total of 5,465 think tanks worldwide. Of that number, 1,777 were based in the United States and approximately 350 in Washington, DC, alone.
Argentina As of 2009,
Argentina is home to 122 think tanks, many specializing in
public policy and
economics issues. Argentina ranks fifth in the number of these institutions worldwide.
Brazil Working on public policies, Brazil hosts, for example,
Instituto Liberdade, a University-based Center at Tecnopuc inside the
Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, located in the South Region of the country, in the city of
Porto Alegre. Instituto Liberdade is among the Top 40 think tanks in Latin America and the Caribbean, according to the 2009 Global Go To Think Tanks Index a report from the University of Pennsylvania's Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program (TTCSP).
Fundação Getulio Vargas (Getulio Vargas Foundation (FGV)) is a Brazilian higher education institution. Its original goal was to train people for the country's public- and private-sector management. Today it hosts faculties (Law, Business, Economics, Social Sciences and Mathematics), libraries, and also research centers in Rio, São Paulo and Brasilia. It is considered by
Foreign Policy magazine to be a top-five "policymaker think tank" worldwide. The
Igarapé Institute is a Brazilian think tank focusing on public, climate, and digital security.
Transcontinental countries (Asia-Europe) Armenia According to a 2020 report, there are 32 think tanks or similar institutions in Armenia.
Azerbaijan According to research done by the University of Pennsylvania, there are a total of 12 think tanks in Azerbaijan.
The Center for Economic and Social Development, or CESD; in Azeri, Azerbaijan, İqtisadi və Sosial İnkişaf Mərkəzi (İSİM) is an
Azeri think tank,
non-profit organization,
NGO based in
Baku, Azerbaijan. The center was established in 2005. CESD focuses on policy advocacy and reform, and is involved with policy research and capacity building. The
Economic Research Center (ERC) is a policy-research oriented non-profit think tank established in 1999 with a mission to facilitate sustainable economic development and good governance in the new public management system of Azerbaijan. It seeks to do this by building favorable interactions between the public, private and civil society and working with different networks both in local (EITI NGO Coalition, National Budget Group, Public Coalition Against Poverty, etc.) and international levels (PWYP, IBP, ENTO, ALDA, PASOS, WTO NGO Network etc.). The Center for Strategic Studies under the President of Azerbaijan is a governmental, non-profit think tank founded in 2007. It focuses on domestic and foreign policy.
Russia According to the
Foreign Policy Research Institute, Russia has 112 think tanks, while Russian think tanks claimed four of the top ten spots in 2011's "Top Thirty Think Tanks in Central and Eastern Europe". Notable Russian think tanks include: •
Carnegie Moscow Center •
Institute for US and Canadian Studies •
Institute of World Economy and International Relations •
Moscow State Institute of International Relations Turkey Turkish think tanks are relatively new, having emerged in the 1960s. There are at least 20 think tanks in the country, both independent and supported by government. Many of them are sister organizations of political parties, universities or companies some are independent and others are supported by government. Most Turkish think tanks provide research and ideas, yet they play less important roles in policy making than American think tanks. Turksam, Tasam and the
Journal of Turkish Weekly are the leading information sources. The oldest and most influential think tank in Turkey is ESAM (The Center for Economic and Social Research; ) which was established in 1969 and has headquarters in Ankara. There are also branch offices of ESAM in Istanbul, Bursa, Konya and elsewhere. ESAM has strong international relationships, especially with Muslim countries and societies. Ideologically it performs policies, produces ideas and manages projects in parallel to
Milli Görüş and also influences political parties and international strategies. The founder and leader of Milli Görüş,
Necmettin Erbakan, was very concerned with the activities and brainstorming events of ESAM. In The Republic of Turkey, two presidents, four prime ministers, various ministers, many members of the parliament, and numerous mayors and bureaucrats have been members of ESAM. The
Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV) is another leading think tank. Established in 1994, TESEV is an independent non-governmental think tank, analyzing social, political and economic policy issues facing Turkey. TESEV has raised issues about Islam and democracy, combating corruption, state reform, and transparency and accountability. TESEV serve as a bridge between academic research and policy-making. Its core program areas are democratization, good governance, and foreign policy. Other notable Turkish think tanks are the
International Strategic Research Organisation (USAK), the
Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA), and the
Wise Men Center for Strategic Studies (BİLGESAM). == See also ==