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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 84.253.72.35 (talk) at 17:03, 7 September 2007. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Out of order?

This page seems, at best, thrown together, and its neutrality is almost disputable. Why does "Centers...or tools for propaganda..." get its own heading. Why is the main "meat" of the writeup under the heading "discoveries?" Why is Ralph Nader's (who founded his own think tank (Public Citizen), and who is connected with the history of the PIRGs) objection mentioned without any corroborating evidence. If it *is* slander, than it has no place here.

"Critics such as Ralph Nader have pointed out that the private nature of the funding of such think tanks may bias the resulting findings. Some argue that the members will be inclined to promote or publish only those results which will ensure the continued flow of funds from the private donors. This risk of distortion also threatens the reputation and integrity of organisations such as universities, once considered to stand wholly within the public sector. Some supposed think tanks may be more accurately understood as a front for a marketing or public relations organisation."

The last sentence of the above reads like a factual statement. It is not. It's somebody's opinion.

"Since think tanks generally prefer secrecy for their internal organising methods, making it to difficult to map their network of connections and interests."

This is a fairly wild categorical statement (and the major think tanks, a la the Cato Institute are very public), and the use of the phrase "making it difficult to map their network of connections and interests" makes think-tanks sound like the Yakuza. What does it mean, "network of connections and interests," anyway.

I'm posting here first because it would be nice to get input from the person who wrote this stuff, before I go ahead and make some edits.

--Bkalafut 03:53, 13 May 2004 (UTC)[reply]

what is a 'think tank'?!

ive seen this in the media for years and i still dont understand what the hell they are talking about. any definition with the word 'synergistic' is, for the most part, useless.

Think of it as a giant tank… or container where the most intelligent people (in one or various fields of expertise) are thrown in and must devise, formulate and come to a general understanding of a certain topic :)

-G

A think tank is not just what the dictionary says

Please note that "think tank" is not a protected appellation, anybody can call themselves by it. Marketing organisations can and do, presumably in order to benefit from some of the associations suggested by the introductory paragraphs here — "high-level research", "theorists", "intellellectuals", "play an important role". Compare article on branding consultancy or international think tank (depending on who's talking) Medinge Group, and especially the VfD discussion on that article's Talk page. I have changed section Criticism, not in any material way, but so as to avoid saying that some think tanks are "truly" called so and others not. Nobody hates promotespeak more than I do, but an on-line encyclopedia should reflect actual usage (however deplorable it may be, and whether or not dictionary definitions have caught up to it), rather than prescribe what it should be. Bishonen 07:59, 11 Sep 2004 (UTC)

"Activities resulting"

Why is the atomic bomb listed under think tanks? I don't really see what the Manhattan Project has which resembles a think tank. Does think tank include massive army projects involving hundreds of thousands of personnel? Also, it might be worthwhile to say that while research was poured into remote viewing, it was eventually ended and concluded unsuccessful. I think the definition of think tank is pretty poor and does not differentiate from other forms of collective investigation -- are all laboratories think tanks? Are all meetings think tanks? Are all concentrated endeavors think tanks? Under the current definition, "yes," but I don't think that is helpful at all. --Fastfission 14:46, 3 Sep 2004 (UTC)

  • Good point, I also felt that and changed "Discoveries" to "Impact". Still, "Events which resulted from think tanks include:" would probably better be "Events which resulted directly or indirectly from think tanks include:"--Chealer 03:27, 2004 Oct 3 (UTC)
    • I still don't see why they are any way relating to "think tanks"... is Los Alamos supposed to be a think tank? It would be nice if said impacts would say the think tank that they were supposedly derived from... --Fastfission 03:45, 3 Oct 2004 (UTC)

Still problems

We need to include justifications/names of think tanks if we are going to say these things resulted from them. As it stands it is a very putative laundry list. How is the development of the atomic bomb attributable to a think tank? This needs to be explained, it is not at all transparent. --Fastfission 02:29, 14 Dec 2004 (UTC)

Since nobody has bothered to try, and I think the labeling of the examples as being caused by "think tanks" is fairly up in the air, I've deleted the section. If someone wants to create a section for things that were created by think tanks, they are welcome to, but please give more explanations in the future. --Fastfission 05:15, 17 Apr 2005 (UTC)

Mapping think tanks

Is there a need for the mapping section? It sounds interesting but doesn't belong in an enyclopedia. commonbrick 03:54, 21 Mar 2005 (UTC)

I agree. --Fastfission 05:14, 17 Apr 2005 (UTC)

Americentric

This article is pretty heavily slanted towards thinking only of American think tanks and American politics. Surely these groups exist in other nations, too? Mr. Billion 04:23, 17 Apr 2005 (UTC)

You'd be suprised actually. The use of the think tank sort of is unique to North America, and in particular, the United States. No other country has such a profusion of privately funded organizations for public policy research. The Soviet Union used to have a number, but most have disappeared since the fall. China has a few. Western Europe has a few, but not anywhere near the numbers that you see in the States. The rest of the world--well, there just aren't many at all. If the list seems "Americentric", it's for two reasons: most of the think tanks in the world are American, and most of the contributors to en.wikipedia.org are American. If you want to add other think tanks that you know of, be bold! —thames 17:33, 26 July 2005 (UTC)[reply]
As an American who's lived in europe I got the sense that "think tanks" are more numerous, or at least prominent, in the US. At the very least "think tank" is english language slang, so it is mainly used in discussions of anglophone countries (i'd expect a different focus in this entry than one on say "policy research centers", which should be more global). I don't think this article is necessarily too focused on American think tanks, BUT there needs to be some mention right up top about the geographic origins, and usage of the term "think tank". The article feels like it was written for Americans, with an implicit assumption that most of the statements refer to the US. For instance:"Until around 1970, there were no more than a couple dozen think tanks, mostly focused on offering non-partisan policy and military advice to the United States government" If authors take think tanks as a primarily American phenomenon (with parallels in other countries) then this should be stated at the outset. Kurtosis 17:05, 30 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Runnymede Trust

I note Germen's sneaky attempt to add the Runnymede Trust to the list of "pseudo-Think Tanks". Clearly, when Runnymede Trust describes itself as a think tank it is using the American definition, unless someone has evidence otherwise. Axon (talk|contribs) 15:49, 22 July 2005 (UTC)[reply]

  • Note the POV wording of sneaky. Definitions of Think Tank found by Google [1]:
    • An informal term referring to an organization or organizational segment entrusted with the sole function of research. [2]
    • a company that does research for hire and issues reports on the implications [3]
    • A think tank is a group of individuals dedicated to high-level synergistic research on a variety of subjects, usually in military laboratories, corporations, or other institutions. Usually this term refers specifically to organizations which support theorists and intellectuals who endeavor to produce analysis or policy recommendations.(Wikipedia:Thinktank)
  • As is manifest from those definitions, Runnymede Trust does not qualify as a think tank. Its sole purpose is not objective research. It does not produce solely analysis or policy recommendations but rather tries to influence the political process by law amendment and political activism. --Germen (Talk | Contribs File:Nl small.gif) 13:03, 23 July 2005 (UTC)[reply]
    • Please read the American version of think tank, Germen, and please cease being so obstructive and indirect. Also, note that this article on think tanks is itself somewhat out-of-date and a Wikipeia article cannot be used as evidence in other Wikipedia articles. Axon (talk|contribs) 08:01, 25 July 2005 (UTC)[reply]


My edits

I added in a definition and history of Think Tanks, and made it clear that the type of institution predated the term. The definition is from the OED, so it will hopefully stop some debate: " A research institute or other organization providing advice and ideas on national or commercial problems; an interdisciplinary group of specialist consultants." Since there is no official designation of "think tank" it seems best to try not to characterize individual institutions as to whether they are think tanks or not. Instead, it would be good to expand the description here further, as well, and discuss the birth of conservative think tanks in the 1970s, the broadening of the term, and the role think tanks play in policy making today. --Goodoldpolonius2 17:23, 26 July 2005 (UTC)[reply]

European think tanks

The section currently reads:

Outside of Britain, Western Europe never placed great emphasis on the role of think tanks in public policy discourse. Germany and France maintained a few, but most were connected directly to academic institutions, rather than serving as independent institutions in their own right.

This is not true for Germany: all of the major political parties are assocaited with research foundations that would fall under our definition of think tank. Since the information in this section is wrong in many respects and wholly unsourced, I ditched it and rewrote it from scratch, losing any reference to French and East European think tanks. --- Charles Stewart 18:38, 1 August 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Think tanks and Edward L. Bernyas - the father of spin and third party organisation

The theory of public relation and spin was founded by Ewards L. Bernays. He has set up more third party organisations in order to promote hide or create confusion about a subject matter that any one else. To day the word "Think Tank" is used instead of "Third party organisation".

A think tank is in most cases any a marketing tool used for some one standing in the bachground and paying. There are several cases of a perverted use of "third party"-technique by "corporate America" and "Corporate Europe". In orther word think tanks is not in all cases "Gods gift to mankind".

Therefore there must be a link to Edward L Bernays, Propaganda andPublic Relation.

Why does "Think Tank" all of a sudden appear capitalized in the last paragraph on think tanks in the United States? This paragraph is vague. Is reference being made to political discourse within the blogosphere?

NPOV Problems in Section on American Think Tanks--Suggested Edits

The idea that think tanks are sometimes used by far-right and/or corporate causes to inject misinformation into mainstream political discussion gets only a vague paragraph or two. Also, the entire section on American think tanks reads as though there are approximately equal numbers of influential liberal, centrist, and conservative think tanks, which is not the case.

For example, the theory of intelligent design is the product of two think tanks called The Discovery Institute and The Center for Science and Culture.

Further, there is a long history of think tanks being used to deny the dangers of second-hand smoke, such as the Advancement of Sound Science Coalition (TASSC).

The Competitive Enterprise Institute and the George C. Marshall Institute have both received substantial contributions from ExxonMobil, and both have a long history of global warming denialism.

Finally, the media watchdog group Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting notes that, of the 10 think tanks most commonly cited in the mainstream media, none are Progressive or Center-Left (one is, if the Brookings Institution is counted) and five are Conservative or Conservative/Libertarian (http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=2897). Unless there are objections, I intend to add the facts mentioned here around July 20 or 22 so as to make this entry a bit more balanced and full.

Dicksonlaprade 20:47, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Uncheckable example

Cut:

All think tanks are not purely political, though. For example, The Avalon Table is a left-leaning Hollywood think tank whose goals are to identify popular trends and shape the direction of mainstream and alternative media.

Bad example for two reasons:

  1. How can "left-leaning" not be political?
  2. How can we use this example, if it "enforces a strict rule of no filming, recording, or documentation allowed"?

— Preceding unsigned comment added by Ed Poor (talk • contribs)


Linkfarm

Most, if not all, of the external links to individual think tanks in this article should be removed per WP:NOT#LINK. --Ronz 19:10, 20 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I'm going to go ahead and remove them. --Ronz 20:15, 20 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Added French independent think tank

I added a mention of l'Institut Choiseul, a French think tank that is unaffiliated with any academic institution AND IS ALSO non-partisan. Linked it to the English wikipedia entry. Bluechili4 09:20, 28 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Listing of think tanks (sections 4-8)

I'm not sure what way would be best to organise the existing list, but right now the list is a mile long and I found it confusing. (It seems that they're listed by order of importance/influence?) I propose perhaps listing them by geographical location. Maybe the list should get categorised. Thoughts? Fishtron 00:41, 25 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Russian section

It currently states: "Russian think tanks have experienced a precipitous decline over the past five years." Apart from the unappropriate fact that "the last five years" is a moving time frame, the essence of the statement seems hardly neutral or verifiable. No stats/sources are mentioned.

I'll be the last person here to speak in favor of Kremlin's current policies towards NGOs, but living here in Moscow I cannot help notice that lost of think tanks are thriving. While the quality of their research is often low, political pressure is obviously not the main reason for that.

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