Agenda is a

think tank A think tank, or policy institute, is a research institute that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, technology, and culture. Most think tanks are non-governmenta ...

focused on both politics in Norway and

international affairs International relations (IR), sometimes referred to as international studies and international affairs, is the scientific study of interactions between sovereign states. In a broader sense, it concerns all activities between states—such a ...

, located in

Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population ...

, Norway. Agenda started activities in August 2014. The think tank is headed by Marte Gerhardsen, a former diplomat and director of

DNB ASA DNB ASA (formerly DnB NOR ASA) is Norway's largest financial services group with total combined assets of more than NOK 1.9 trillion and a market capitalisation NOK 164 billion as of 20 May 2016. DNB's head office is located in Oslo. The two ...

and secretary general of Care Norway. Chairman of the Board is the lawyer

Geir Lippestad Geir Lippestad (born 7 June 1964) is a Norwegian lawyer, politician and social activist. He is known for his involvement in several high-profile legal cases, and for starting the political party ''Sentrum'' in 2020. As a criminal appellate law ...

. Agenda's research focuses particularly on five topics: Labour economics,

welfare Welfare, or commonly social welfare, is a type of government support intended to ensure that members of a society can meet basic human needs such as food and shelter. Social security may either be synonymous with welfare, or refer specifical ...

, integration,

climate change In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to ...

and

energy In physics, energy (from Ancient Greek: ἐνέργεια, ''enérgeia'', “activity”) is the quantitative property that is transferred to a body or to a physical system, recognizable in the performance of work and in the form of hea ...

, as well as foreign policy. Occasionally, it has also commented on party tactics aiming to establish a broader alliance at the left spectrum of Norwegian politics. The think tank has a stated ideological orientation towards the center-left. It partly seeks a position in opposition to the liberal think tank Civita, which is funded by the Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise. Agenda is a

non-partisan Nonpartisanism is a lack of affiliation with, and a lack of bias towards, a political party. While an Oxford English Dictionary definition of ''partisan'' includes adherents of a party, cause, person, etc., in most cases, nonpartisan refers s ...

and

non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

entity funded jointly by the

Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions The Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions ( no, Landsorganisasjonen i Norge, LO) is a national trade union center, decidedly the largest and probably the most influential umbrella organization of labour unions in Norway. The 21 national union ...

(LO), and by the Norwegian CEO and philanthropist Trond Mohn. In public discourse, the think tank has argued in favor of shifting towards taxing property objects with higher rates, in conjunction with reforming the Norwegian "

Wealth Tax A wealth tax (also called a capital tax or equity tax) is a tax on an entity's holdings of assets. This includes the total value of personal assets, including cash, bank deposits, real estate, assets in insurance and pension plans, ownershi ...

", as well as lowering

income tax An income tax is a tax imposed on individuals or entities (taxpayers) in respect of the income or profits earned by them (commonly called taxable income). Income tax generally is computed as the product of a tax rate times the taxable income. Tax ...

rates and the corporate tax. Agenda has also published reports on economic inequality, agriculture reform, test standards in the school system, labor productivity, green technology, social mobility, international development aid, and gender inequality in the work place.

References

{{reflist

External links

Tankesmien Agenda
- official website. Think tanks based in Norway