Required #4 (Late) - Think Tanks

Writing this blog entry months after it was originally due it is interesting to compare my thoughts on think tanks to what I now know. Before taking this class, I had some a vague idea of the role of think tanks in shaping American public policy. This summer I interned at the Peacekeeping Stability Operations Institute at the Army War College in Carlisle, PA. Depending on who you talk to PKSOI is either a governmental think tank or a research center.  Either way, PKSOI plays a role in shaping future Army doctrine. During my internship, I had the opportunity to attend two different RAND briefings. These experiences helped shape my earliest experiences and knowledge with think tanks in America.

At the beginning of the semester, I viewed think tanks as these organizations that conducted research and wrote these long documents publishing the details of their research. After this semester, I have to come to realize that think tanks actually play a much larger role in shaping public policy in America. Along with these publications, think tanks present to members of Congress and other decision makers. Before our trip to CSIS, I did not realize how common it was for members of think tanks to rotate between jobs in the government and think tanks. This familiarity within the government allows think tanks to help shape policy even more than I had thought possible.

One of the biggest concerns I see going into the future for think tanks is the rise of partisanship.  Ideally, think tanks would remain bipartisan and look at the issues and work to determine what is in the best interests in the United States as a whole. Instead, some think tanks are switching to a more partisanship focus. Instead of working to look at all of the issues, they focus on promoting policy options that their donors support. This can create a conflict of interests for researchers who may avoid publishing research that runs contradictory to the think tanks partisan views. 

If more think tanks switch towards partisan politics, it weakens the credibility of the community as a whole. Policy makers, who are undecided on an issue, could now be hesitant to consult a think tank for further information if they know all they are going to receive is partisan information. This not only weakens think tanks, but also harms the American people. I would much rather have my Congressional Representatives made informed decisions on the most pressing issues facing America. 

This is not to say that all thinks are moving towards partisan politics. During our trip to CSIS, they made it clear that they were a bi-partisan think tank. Almost every speaker mentioned it at least once that CSIS explored both sides of the issue. More think tanks should follow the model of CSIS and move towards bipartisanship. For some think tanks, I recognize that this is not entirely feasible, but they should at least mention potential negatives associated with their idea. I do not really expect a Libertarian think to come out and explore the benefits of socialism, but they should at least recognize pitfalls of Libertarianism.