The heritage foundation building on mass

Stanford University campus - Hoover Tower view 2014-05-19

A think tank, or public policy institute, is a

research institute A research institute, research centre, or research organization is an establishment founded for doing research. Research institutes may specialize in basic research or may be oriented to applied research. Although the term often implies natural ...

that performs

research Research is creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge. It involves the collection, organization, and analysis of evidence to increase understanding of a topic, characterized by a particular attentiveness to ...

and

advocacy Advocacy is an Action (philosophy), activity by an individual or advocacy group, group that aims to influence decision making, decisions within political, economic, and social institutions. Advocacy includes activities and publications to infl ...

concerning topics such as

social policy Some professionals and universities consider social policy a subset of public policy, while other practitioners characterize social policy and public policy to be two separate, competing approaches for the same public interest (similar to MD a ...

political strategy Policy is a deliberate system of guidelines to guide decisions and achieve rational outcomes. A policy is a statement of intent and is implemented as a procedure or protocol. Policies are generally adopted by a governance body within an organ ...

economics Economics () is a behavioral science that studies the Production (economics), production, distribution (economics), distribution, and Consumption (economics), consumption of goods and services. Economics focuses on the behaviour and interac ...

military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a d ...

technology Technology is the application of Conceptual model, conceptual knowledge to achieve practical goals, especially in a reproducible way. The word ''technology'' can also mean the products resulting from such efforts, including both tangible too ...

, and

culture Culture ( ) is a concept that encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and Social norm, norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, Social norm, customs, capabilities, Attitude (psychology), attitudes ...

. Most think tanks are

non-governmental organizations A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an independent, typically nonprofit organization that operates outside government control, though it may get a significant percentage of its funding from government or corporate sources. NGOs often focus ...

, but some are semi-autonomous agencies within a government, and some are associated with particular political parties, businesses, or the military. Think tanks are often funded by individual donations, with many also accepting government grants. Think tanks publish articles and studies, and sometimes draft

legislation Legislation is the process or result of enrolling, enacting, or promulgating laws by a legislature, parliament, or analogous governing body. Before an item of legislation becomes law it may be known as a bill, and may be broadly referred ...

on particular matters of policy or society. This information is then used by governments, businesses, media organizations,

social movement A social movement is either a loosely or carefully organized effort by a large group of people to achieve a particular goal, typically a Social issue, social or Political movement, political one. This may be to carry out a social change, or to re ...

s, or other interest groups. Think tanks range from those associated with highly academic or scholarly activities to those that are overtly ideological and pushing for particular policies, with a wide range among them in terms of the quality of their research. Later generations of think tanks have tended to be more ideologically oriented. Modern think tanks began as a phenomenon in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

in the 19th and early 20th centuries, with most of the rest being established in other English-speaking countries. Before 1945, they focused on the economic issues associated with industrialization and urbanization. During the

Cold War The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...

, many more American and other

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

think tanks were established, which often guided government Cold War policy. Since 1991, more think tanks have been established in non-Western parts of the world. Over half of all think tanks that exist today were established after 1980. As of 2023, there are more than 11,000 think tanks globally.

History

According to historian Jacob Soll, while the term "think tank" is modern, with its origin evidence shows that, Soll cites as an early example the , created in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

around 1620 by the brothers

Pierre Pierre is a masculine given name. It is a French form of the name Peter. Pierre originally meant "rock" or "stone" in French (derived from the Greek word πέτρος (''petros'') meaning "stone, rock", via Latin "petra"). It is a translation ...

and Jacques Dupuy and also known after 1635 as the . The

Club de l'Entresol The Club de l'Entresol (, "Mezzanine Club") was a discussion group and early think tank in Paris, active from 1723 to 1731, created and primarily led by Abbot Pierre-Joseph Alary. Name and background The club's name came from the fact that a ...

, active in Paris between 1723 and 1731, was another prominent example of an early independent think tank focusing on public policy and current affairs, especially economics and foreign affairs.

19th century

Several major current think tanks were founded in the 19th century. The

Royal United Services Institute The Royal United Services Institute (RUSI, Rusi) is a defence and security think tank with its headquarters in London, United Kingdom. It was founded in 1831 by the Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, Duke of Wellington, Arthur Wellesley ...

was founded in 1831 in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, and the

Fabian Society The Fabian Society () is a History of the socialist movement in the United Kingdom, British socialist organisation whose purpose is to advance the principles of social democracy and democratic socialism via gradualist and reformist effort in ...

in 1884.

20th century

The oldest

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

–based think tank, the

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (CEIP) is a nonpartisan international affairs think tank headquartered in Washington, D.C., with operations in Europe, South Asia, East Asia, and the Middle East, as well as the United States. Foun ...

, was founded in

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, in 1910 by philanthropist

Andrew Carnegie Andrew Carnegie ( , ; November 25, 1835August 11, 1919) was a Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist. Carnegie led the expansion of the History of the iron and steel industry in the United States, American steel industry in the late ...

. Carnegie charged trustees to use the fund to The

Brookings Institution The Brookings Institution, often stylized as Brookings, is an American think tank that conducts research and education in the social sciences, primarily in economics (and tax policy), metropolitan policy, governance, foreign policy, global econo ...

was founded shortly thereafter in 1916 by

Robert S. Brookings Robert Somers Brookings (January 22, 1850 – November 15, 1932) was an American businessman and philanthropist, known for his involvement with Washington University in St. Louis and his founding of the Brookings Institution. Early life and ed ...

and was conceived as a bipartisan After 1945, the number of policy institutes increased, with many small new ones forming to express various issues and policy agendas. Until the 1940s, most think tanks were known only by the name of the institution. During the Second World War, think tanks were often referred to as "brain boxes". Before the 1950s, the phrase "think tank" did not refer to organizations. From its first appearances in the 1890s up to the 1950s, the phrase was most commonly used in

American English American English, sometimes called United States English or U.S. English, is the set of variety (linguistics), varieties of the English language native to the United States. English is the Languages of the United States, most widely spoken lang ...

to colloquially refer to the

braincase In human anatomy, the neurocranium, also known as the braincase, brainpan, brain-pan, or brainbox, is the upper and back part of the skull, which forms a protective case around the brain. In the human skull, the neurocranium includes the calv ...

or especially in a pejorative context to the

human brain The human brain is the central organ (anatomy), organ of the nervous system, and with the spinal cord, comprises the central nervous system. It consists of the cerebrum, the brainstem and the cerebellum. The brain controls most of the activi ...

itself when commenting on an individual's failings (in the sense that something was wrong with that person's "think tank"). Around 1958, the first organization to be regularly described in published writings as "the Think Tank" (note the

title case Title case or headline case is a style of capitalization used for rendering the titles of published works or works of art in English. When using title case, all words are capitalized, except for minor words (typically articles, short prepositio ...

and the use of the

definite article In grammar, an article is any member of a class of dedicated words that are used with noun phrases to mark the identifiability of the referents of the noun phrases. The category of articles constitutes a part of speech. In English, both "the" ...

) was the

Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences The Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences (CASBS) is an interdisciplinary research institution at Stanford University designed to advance the frontiers of knowledge about human behavior and society, and contribute to the resoluti ...

. However, the Center does not count itself as and is not perceived to be a think tank in the contemporary sense. During the 1960s, the phrase "think tank" was attached more broadly to meetings of experts,

electronic computers A computer is a machine that can be programmed to automatically carry out sequences of arithmetic or logical operations (''computation''). Modern digital electronic computers can perform generic sets of operations known as ''programs'', wh ...

, and independent military planning organizations. The prototype and most prominent example of the third category was the

RAND Corporation The RAND Corporation, doing business as RAND, is an American nonprofit global policy think tank, research institute, and public sector consulting firm. RAND engages in research and development (R&D) in several fields and industries. Since the ...

, which was founded in 1946 as an offshoot of

Douglas Aircraft The Douglas Aircraft Company was an American aerospace and defense company based in Southern California. Founded in 1921 by Donald Wills Douglas Sr., it merged with McDonnell Aircraft in 1967 to form McDonnell Douglas, where it operated as a di ...

and became an independent corporation in 1948. In the 1970s, the phrase became more specifically defined in terms of RAND and others. During the 1980s and 1990s, the phrase evolved again to arrive at its broader contemporary meaning of an independent public policy research institute. For most of the 20th century, such institutes were found primarily in the United States, along with much smaller numbers in Canada, the United Kingdom, and Western Europe. Although think tanks had also existed in

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

for some time, they generally lacked independence, having close associations with government ministries or corporations. There has been a veritable proliferation of "think tanks" around the world that began during the 1980s as a result of globalization, the end of the

, and the emergence of transnational problems. Two-thirds of all the think tanks that exist today were established after 1970 and more than half were established since 1980. The effect of

globalisation Globalization is the process of increasing interdependence and integration among the economies, markets, societies, and cultures of different countries worldwide. This is made possible by the reduction of barriers to international trade, th ...

on the proliferation of think tanks is most evident in regions such as Africa, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and parts of Southeast Asia, where there was a concerted effort by other countries to assist in the creation of independent public policy research organizations. A survey performed by the Foreign Policy Research Institute's

Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program The Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program (TTCSP) was a non-profit program at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that operated from 1989 to 2021. TTCSP was originally established at the Foreign Policy Research Insti ...

underscores the significance of this effort and documents the fact that most of the think tanks in these regions have been established since 1992.

21st century

, there were more than 11,000 of these institutions worldwide. Many of the more established think tanks, created during the

, are focused on international affairs, security studies, and foreign policy.

Types

Think tanks vary by ideological perspectives, sources of funding, topical emphasis and prospective consumers. Funding may also represent who or what the institution wants to influence; in the United States, for example, McGann distinguishes think tanks based on independence, source of funding and affiliation, grouping think tanks into autonomous and independent, quasi-independent, government affiliated, quasi-governmental, university affiliated, political-party affiliated or corporate. A new trend, resulting from globalization, is collaboration between policy institutes in different countries. For instance, the

operates offices in

Beijing Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...

Beirut Beirut ( ; ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, just under half of Lebanon's population, which makes it the List of largest cities in the Levant region by populatio ...

Brussels Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...

and formerly in

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

, where it was closed in April 2022. The

(TTCSP) at the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. One of nine colonial colleges, it was chartered in 1755 through the efforts of f ...

, led by James McGann, annually rates policy institutes worldwide in a number of categories and presents its findings in the

Global Go-To Think Tanks The Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program (TTCSP) was a non-profit program at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that operated from 1989 to 2021. TTCSP was originally established at the Foreign Policy Research Insti ...

rating index. However, this method of the study and assessment of policy institutes has been criticized by researchers such as Enrique Mendizabal and Goran Buldioski, Director of the Think Tank Fund, assisted by the

Open Society Institute Open Society Foundations (OSF), formerly the Open Society Institute, is an American grantmaking network founded by business magnate George Soros. Open Society Foundations financially supports civil society groups around the world, with the s ...

Activities

Think tanks may attempt to broadly inform the public by holding conferences to discuss issues which they may broadcast; encouraging scholars to give public lectures, testifying before committees of governmental bodies; publishing and widely distributing books, magazines, newsletters or journals; creating

mailing list A mailing list is a collection of names and addresses used by an individual or an organization to send material to multiple recipients. Mailing lists are often rented or sold. If rented, the renter agrees to use the mailing list only at contra ...

s to distribute new publications; and engaging in social media. Think tanks may privately influence policy by having their members accept bureaucratic positions, having members serve on political advisory boards, inviting policy-makers to events, allowing individuals to work at the think tank; employing former policy-makers; or preparing studies for policy makers.

Governmental theory

The role of think tanks has been conceptualized through the lens of social theory. Plehwe argues that think tanks function as ''knowledge actors'' within a network of relationships with other knowledge actors. Such relationships including citing academics in publications or employing them on advisory boards, as well as relationships with media, political groups and corporate funders. They argue that these links allow for the construction of a ''discourse coalition'' with a common aim, citing the example of deregulation of trucking, airlines, and telecommunications in the 1970s. Plejwe argues that this deregulation represented a discourse coalition between the

Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company (commonly known as Ford) is an American multinational corporation, multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. T ...

FedEx FedEx Corporation, originally known as Federal Express Corporation, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate holding company specializing in Package delivery, transportation, e-commerce, and ...

neo-liberal Neoliberalism is a political and economic ideology that advocates for free-market capitalism, which became dominant in policy-making from the late 20th century onward. The term has multiple, competing definitions, and is most often used pej ...

economists, the

and the

American Enterprise Institute The American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, known simply as the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), is a center-right think tank based in Washington, D.C., that researches government, politics, economics, and social welfare ...

Elite theory In philosophy, political science and sociology, elite theory is a theory of the State (polity), state that seeks to describe and explain power relations in society. In its contemporary form in the 21st century, elite theory posits that (1) power i ...

considers how an "elite" influence the actions of think tanks and potentially bypass the political process, analysing the social background and values of those who work in think tanks. Pautz criticizes this viewpoint because there is in practice a variety of viewpoints in think tanks and argues it dismisses the influence that ideas can have.

Advocacy

In some cases, corporate interests, military interests and political groups have found it useful to create policy institutes, advocacy organizations, and think tanks. For example, The Advancement of Sound Science Coalition was formed in the mid-1990s to dispute research finding an association between

second-hand smoke Passive smoking is the inhalation of tobacco smoke, called passive smoke, secondhand smoke (SHS) or environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), by individuals other than the active smoker. It occurs when tobacco smoke diffuses into the surrounding atm ...

and

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving Cell growth#Disorders, abnormal cell growth with the potential to Invasion (cancer), invade or Metastasis, spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Po ...

. Military contractors may spend a portion of their tender on funding pro-war think tanks. According to an internal memorandum from

Philip Morris Companies Altria Group, Inc. (previously known as Philip Morris Companies, Inc. until 2003) is an American corporation and one of the world's largest producers and marketers of tobacco, cigarettes, and medical products in the treatment of illnesses ca ...

referring to the

United States Environmental Protection Agency The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an independent agency of the United States government tasked with environmental protection matters. President Richard Nixon proposed the establishment of EPA on July 9, 1970; it began operation on De ...

(EPA), According to the progressive media watchdog

Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting (FAIR) is a progressive left-leaning media critique organization based in New York City. The organization was founded in 1986 by Jeff Cohen and Martin A. Lee. FAIR monitors American news media for bias, inaccur ...

, both left-wing and right-wing policy institutes are often quoted and rarely identified as such. The result is that think tank "experts" are sometimes depicted as neutral sources without any ideological predispositions when, in fact, they represent a particular perspective. In the United States, think tank publications on education are subjected to expert review by the

National Education Policy Center The National Education Policy Center (NEPC) is a non-profit education policy research center located in the School of Education at the University of Colorado at Boulder. It was founded in 2010 and is funded by a variety of governmental organizati ...

's "Think Twice" think tank review project. A 2014 ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' report asserted that foreign governments buy influence at many United States think tanks. According to the article:

Global think tanks

African think tanks

Ghana

Ghana's first president,

Kwame Nkrumah Francis Kwame Nkrumah (, 21 September 1909 – 27 April 1972) was a Ghanaian politician, political theorist, and revolutionary. He served as Prime Minister of the Gold Coast (British colony), Gold Coast from 1952 until 1957, when it gained ...

, 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 Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) was the name of the Ghanaian government after the People's National Party's elected government was overthrown by Jerry Rawlings, the former head of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council, in a coup ...

. The IEA undertakes and publishes research on a range of economic and governance issues confronting

Ghana Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and shares borders with Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to t ...

and

Sub-Saharan Africa Sub-Saharan Africa is the area and regions of the continent of Africa that lie south of the Sahara. These include Central Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa, and West Africa. Geopolitically, in addition to the list of sovereign states and ...

. 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)

Morocco

* AMAQUEN, founded in 2003, is a think tank in the field of education through its publications (rapports), international scientific journal ''The Journal of'' ''Quality in Education,'' and international events (CIMQUSEF).

Somalia

* Heritage Institute for Policy Studies *

Puntland Development Research Center The Puntland Development Research Center (PDRC) is a local non-governmental organization (LNGO) based in Garowe, the administrative capital of the autonomous Puntland region in northeastern Somalia. It plays a key role in research and funding for ...

South Africa

Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa The Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (former Electoral Institute of Southern Africa), or EISA, is an organization founded in 1996 in Johannesburg to "promote credible elections, participatory democracy, human rights culture a ...

* Free Market Foundation * FW de Klerk Foundation *

Helen Suzman Foundation The Helen Suzman Foundation is an independent, non-partisan think tank in South Africa dedicated to promoting liberal democratic values and human rights in post-apartheid South Africa through its research, publications, litigation and submissions ...

* Institute for Democratic Alternatives in South Africa (IDASA) *

Institute for Justice and Reconciliation The Institute for Justice and Reconciliation (IJR) is a Non-governmental organization, non-governmental organisation and think tank based in Cape Town, South Africa. It was forged out of the country's Truth and Reconciliation Commission (South Af ...

Institute for Security Studies The Institute for Security Studies, also known as ISS or ISS Africa (to distinguish itself from other similarly named institutes in other parts of the world), described itself as follows: "an African organisation which aims to enhance human se ...

South African Institute of International Affairs The South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) is an independent public policy and foreign relations think tank based in Johannesburg, South Africa. Founded in 1934 in Cape Town, the institute has been located on the campus of the ...

(SAIIA) *

South African Institute of Race Relations The South African Institute of Race Relations (IRR) is a research and policy organisation in South Africa. The IRR was founded in 1929 to improve and report upon race relations in South Africa between the politically dominant White South Africa ...

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 The Centre for Conflict and Peace Studies (abbreviated CAPS) is an independent research centre based in Kabul, Afghanistan. The centre came into being in July 2006. CAPS is one of the very few research centres in Afghanistan that are managed ...

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 The Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) () is an autonomous multi-disciplinary public research organization that conducts policy research on development issues for Bangladesh. Supported by the Government of Bangladesh, BIDS funct ...

(BIDS) * Bangladesh Institute of Law and International Affairs (BILIA) *

Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies (BIPSS) is a non-party, non-profit organization and independent think tank devoted to studying peace and security issues related to South and Southeast Asia. The institute seeks to bridge the gap ...

(BIPSS) *

Centre for Policy Dialogue The Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) is a non-governmental think-tank in Bangladesh. It was established in 1993 by Rehman Sobhan, its founder chairman, with support from leading civil society institutions in Bangladesh History In 1993, Reh ...

(CPD) *

International Growth Centre The International Growth Centre (IGC) is an economic research centre based at the London School of Economics, operated in partnership with University of Oxford's Blavatnik School of Government. The centre was launched in December 2008 and is fun ...

(IGC) *

Making Our Economy Right Making Our Economy Right (MOER) is a free market think tank in Bangladesh. Headquartered in Dhaka, the institute was established in 1991 by Nizam Ahmad. MOER is sponsored by the Atlas Economic Research Foundation, Atlas Foundation in the United ...

(MOER) *

Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies The Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies (BILS) is a think tank for trade union activity and other labour matters in Bangladesh. It was founded in 1995 to support the building of trade unions and their activities and to promote trade union caus ...

(BILS)

China

In China a number of think tanks are sponsored by governmental agencies such as

Development Research Center of the State Council Development or developing may refer to: Arts *Development (music), the process by which thematic material is reshaped * Photographic development *Filmmaking, development phase, including finance and budgeting * Development hell, when a proje ...

, 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 The China Center for International Economic Exchanges (CCIEE) is a public policy think tank based in Beijing, operating under China's National Development and Reform Commission. Founded in 2009, its self-described mission is "promoting internatio ...

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 "One country, two systems" is a constitutional principle of the People's Republic of China (PRC) describing the governance of the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau. Deng Xiaoping developed the one country, two systems ...

", manifested in the

Sino-British Joint Declaration The Sino-British Joint Declaration was a treaty between the governments of the United Kingdom and People's Republic of China signed in 1984 setting the conditions in which Hong Kong was transferred to Chinese control and for the governance o ...

. 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 The Business and Professionals Federation of Hong Kong (, abbreviated 工商專聯; BPF) is a non-partisan think tank in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China. Mission The mission BPF is: * to help enhance ...

Central Policy Unit Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...

Civic Exchange Civic Exchange is a Hong Kong–based public policy think tank and registered charity. It was founded in 2000 by politician Christine Loh (陸恭蕙), and environmental researcher Lisa Hopkinson (何麗莎). Past CEOs include Loh, Yan-yan Yi ...

The Global Institute for Tomorrow The Global Institute For Tomorrow (GIFT) is a Hong Kong–based think tank focusing on economic, political and social issues from an Asian perspective. Founded in 2006 by Chandran Nair, its stated mission is to advance “a deeper understanding o ...

* HKGolden50 *

Hong Kong Christian Industrial Committee The Hong Kong Christian Industrial Committee ( Chinese: 香港基督教工業委員會, also called as HKCIC) is a non-governmental pressure group that focuses on labor welfare policy and industrial safety. The group was founded in 1966, original ...

Hong Kong Democratic Foundation The Hong Kong Democratic Foundation (; HKDF) is a Hong Kong public policy think tank established initially as a political party on 27 October 1989. The Foundation was founded in the run up to the 1991 Hong Kong legislative election, first Legisl ...

Hong Kong People's Council on Housing Policy The Hong Kong People's Council on Housing Policy (; HKPCHP), formerly called the Hong Kong People's Council on Public Housing Policy (), was a Hong Kong pressure group established in 1978 and was prominent in the 1970s and 80s. It was set up by a ...

* The Lion Rock Institute *

New Century Forum New Century Forum is a pro-Beijing, middle-class-oriented political group in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China. The group comprises professionals, businessmen and academics, and aims to represent the ...

Our Hong Kong Foundation Our Hong Kong Foundation is a Hong Kong think tank focused on the city's social and economic development. It was established in 2014 by Tung Chee-hwa, a former chief executive and a vice-chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative ...

One Country Two Systems Research Institute The One Country Two Systems Research Institute (OCTS; Chinese:一國兩制研究中心) is a Hong Kong think tank founded in 1990 by a group of Pro-Beijing camp (Hong Kong), pro-Beijing politicians. It is registered in Hong Kong as a Private C ...

Path of Democracy Path of Democracy ( zh, t=民主思路) is a political group and think tank established in 2015 in Hong Kong. It is led by former Civic Party legislator Ronny Tong, who joined the Executive Council on 1 July 2017. Although officially unaligned ...

Policy Innovation and Co-ordination Unit Policy is a deliberate system of guidelines to guide decisions and achieve rational outcomes. A policy is a statement of intent and is implemented as a procedure or protocol. Policies are generally adopted by a governance body within an organ ...

Professional Commons The Professional Commons is an independent, membership-based, non-profit organisation and public policy think tank established in Hong Kong on 25 March 2007. It is open to all professionals who share the same values. Mission The Professional ...

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 Science and Environment (CSE) is a not-for-profit public interest research and advocacy organisation based in New Delhi, India. Established in 1980, CSE works as a think tank A think tank, or public policy institute, is a rese ...

Centre for Policy Research The Centre for Policy Research (CPR) is an Indian think tank focusing on public policy. Established in 1973 and located in New Delhi, it is one of the national social science research institutes recognized by the Indian Council of Social Scie ...

and

World Resources Institute The World Resources Institute (WRI) is a global research non-profit organization established in 1982 with funding from the MacArthur Foundation under the leadership of James Gustave Speth. Subsequent presidents include Jonathan Lash (1993– ...

. There are other prominent think tanks like

Observer Research Foundation Observer Research Foundation (ORF) is an independent global think tank based in Delhi, India. The foundation has three centres in Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata. ORF provides potentially viable inputs for policy and decision-makers in the Indian ...

, Tillotoma Foundation and

Centre for Civil Society Centre for Civil Society (CCS) is a non-profit think tank based in New Delhi. It was founded in 1997 by Dr. Parth J. Shah, former Professor of Economics at the University of Michigan. It operates as an independent educational organisation. Acc ...

. In Mumbai, Strategic Foresight Group is a global think tank that works on issues such as water diplomacy, peace and conflict and

foresight (futures studies) Foresight most commonly refers to: * Foresight (psychology), the ability to predict or plan for the future * Mental time travel or episodic foresight, the ability to reconstruct events from the past and imagine future events * Precognition, a cl ...

. Think tanks with a development focus include those like the

National Centre for Cold-chain Development The National Centre for Cold-chain Development (NCCD) is an autonomous think tank body established by the Government of India with an agenda to positively impact and promote the development of the cold-chain sector in the country. NCCD was regis ...

('NCCD'), which serve to bring an inclusive policy change by supporting the Planning Commission and related government bodies with industry-specific inputs – in this case, set up at the behest of the government to direct cold chain development. Some think tanks have a fixed set of focus areas and they work towards finding out policy solutions to social problems in the respective areas. Initiatives such as

National e-Governance Plan The National e-Governance Plan (NeGP) is an initiative of the Government of India to make all government services available to the citizens of India via electronic media. NeGP was formulated by the Department of Electronics and Information Techn ...

(to automate administrative processes) and

National Knowledge Network National Knowledge Network (NKN) is a multi-gigabit national research and education network, whose purpose is to provide a unified high speed network backbone for educational and research institutions in India. The network is managed by the Nation ...

(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 Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) is an apolitical non-partisan nonprofit organisation in India, working on electoral and political reforms for over 25 years. History ADR came into existence in 1999 when a group of Professors from the ...

(ADR) *

(CCS) *

Centre for Development Studies The Centre for Development Studies (CDS), Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India is a premier Social Science research institute. It is also a higher education institution providing M.A. course in applied economics and PhD course in economics. The i ...

(CDS) *

Centre for Dialogue and Reconciliation Centre for Dialogue and Reconciliation (CDR) is a Delhi based think-tank incorporated in March 2001. CDR aims to be a catalyst for peace in South Asia and has over 15 years in experience in peacebuilding in Jammu and Kashmir. Initiatives with reg ...

(CDR) *

Centre for Land Warfare Studies The Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS), New Delhi, India is an autonomous think tank on strategic studies and land warfare. The mandate of CLAWS covers national security issues, conventional military operations and sub-conventional warfar ...

(CLAWS) *

(CPR) *

Centre for Public Policy Research Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentricit ...

(CPPR) * Central Institute for Cotton Research (CICR) *

Council On Energy, Environment and Water The Council on Energy, Environment and Water, commonly known as CEEW, is a Not-For profit Think Tank and policy institution based in New Delhi, India. CEEW was formed to provide independent research-based insights to policymakers for building ...

(CEEW) * Edward & Cynthia Institute of Public Health (ECIPH) * Forum of Free Enterprise (FFE) *

Foundation for Democratic Reforms The Foundation for Democratic Reforms is a non-profit, non-partisan and independent research institution founded by Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan, an Indian Administrative Service officer turned politician and a political activist based in Hyderabad. ...

(FDR) *

Indian Council of World Affairs The Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) is a New Delhi based Indian think-tank. Established in 1943, it was India's first independent international affairs think tank. It was founded in 1943 when several members of the Indian Institute of In ...

(ICWA) *

Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs The Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA) is a central civil service training institute under the administrative control of Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India for the central civil servants of the Indian Corporate Law S ...

(IICA) *

Institute for Social and Economic Change An institute is an organizational body created for a certain purpose. They are often research organisations (research institutes) created to do research on specific topics, or can also be a professional body. In some countries, institutes ca ...

(ISEC) * Nabakrushna Choudhury Centre for Development Studies (NCDS) *

National Council of Applied Economic Research National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) is India’s oldest and largest independent, non-profit, economic policy research think tank. Established in New Delhi in 1956, it acquired considerable national and international standing w ...

(NCAER) *

National Institute of Advanced Studies National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS) is a premier institute in India engaged in interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research in natural sciences, social sciences, arts and humanities. It was founded by J. R. D. Tata for providing a ...

(NIAS) *

(ORF) *

The Energy and Resources Institute The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) is a research institute in New Delhi that specializes in the fields of energy, environment and sustainable development. Established in 1974, it was formerly known as the Tata Energy Research Institute. ...

(TERI) *

Vivekananda International Foundation The Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) is an Indian public policy think-tank. Origins and history The Vivekananda International Foundation describes itself as an "independent, non-partisan institution that promotes quality researc ...

(VIF) *

Wildlife Institute of India The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) is an autonomous natural resource service institution established in 1982 under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate change, Government of Indi ...

(WII)

Indonesia

Centre for Strategic and International Studies The Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) is a non-profit organization based in Indonesia which has served as a think tank on social, international, political and economical issues. CSIS was founded on Sept 1, 1971 by a group o ...

Setara Institute SETARA Institute for Democracy and Peace is an Indonesia-based (NGO) that conducts research and advocacy on democracy, political freedom and human rights. SETARA Institute is a young research organization with core research focused on answering ...

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

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 Israel Council on Foreign Relations (ICFR) is an independent, non-partisan forum for the study and debate of foreign policy issues, especially those relating to the State of Israel and the Jewish people. The ICFR publishes a triannual policy ...

* The Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs *

Adva Center Adva Center is a non-partisan Israeli policy analysis center based in Tel Aviv. History Adva (lit. "ripple") was founded in 1991 by activists from three social movements: the movement for equality for Mizrahi Jews, the feminist movement, and the m ...

Israel Democracy Institute The Israel Democracy Institute (IDI; ), established in 1991, is an independent research center that defines itself as being dedicated to strengthening the foundations of Israeli democracy. It is based in Jerusalem. History The Israel Democracy ...

Jerusalem Institute for Policy Research __NOTOC__ Jerusalem Institute for Policy Research (JIPR), formerly the Jerusalem Institute for Israel Studies, is an independent policy think tank located in Jerusalem. The institute conducts policy studies on Jerusalem, innovation policy (R&D), ...

* Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute *

Floersheimer Studies Stephen Helmuth Floersheimer (21 March 1925 - 6 April 2011) was a Swiss investment banker, philanthropist and art collector, who founded the Floersheimer Center for Constitutional Democracy. Biography The son of Walter and Charlotte Floersheim ...

at the

Hebrew University of Jerusalem The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI; ) is an Israeli public university, public research university based in Jerusalem. Co-founded by Albert Einstein and Chaim Weizmann in July 1918, the public university officially opened on 1 April 1925. ...

* Harry S. Truman Research Institute for the Advancement of Peace, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem *

International Institute for Counter-Terrorism The International Institute for Counter-Terrorism (ICT) is an Israeli think tank founded in 1996 and located at Reichman University, in Herzliya, Israel. Activities According to ''The Village Voice'', the ICT is a think tank developing public-poli ...

– IDC Herziliya *

Israel Center for Third Sector Research Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

Ben Gurion University Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) (, ''Universitat Ben-Guriyon baNegev'') is a public research university in Beersheba, Israel. Named after Israeli national founder David Ben-Gurion, the university was founded in 1969 and currently has f ...

of the

Negev The Negev ( ; ) or Naqab (), is a desert and semidesert region of southern Israel. The region's largest city and administrative capital is Beersheba (pop. ), in the north. At its southern end is the Gulf of Aqaba and the resort town, resort city ...

* IPCRI – Israel/Palestine Center for Research and Information *

The Milken Institute The Milken Institute is an independent economic think tank based in Santa Monica, California, with offices in Washington, D.C., New York, Miami, London, Abu Dhabi, and Singapore. It publishes research and hosts conferences that apply market-bas ...

Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies The Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies is an Israeli think tank based in Tel Aviv, Israel, focused on the contemporary study and analysis of the Middle East and Africa. Its stated primary mission is to serve as a resource f ...

, Tel Aviv University * The Begin-Sadat Center –

Bar Ilan University Bar-Ilan University (BIU, , ''Universitat Bar-Ilan'') is a public research university in the Tel Aviv District city of Ramat Gan, Israel. Established in 1955, Bar Ilan is Israel's second-largest academic university institution. It has 20,000 ...

The Center for the Study of Philanthropy in Israel ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...

at the

Israel Institute for Advanced Studies The Israel Institute for Advanced Studies (; IIAS, or IAS in Israel) is a research institute in Jerusalem, devoted to academic research in physics, mathematics, the life sciences, economics, and comparative religion. It is a self-governing body, ...

at the

* The Jewish Arab Center (JAC),

University of Haifa The University of Haifa (, ) is a public research university located on Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel. Founded in 1963 as a branch of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the University of Haifa received full academic accreditation as an inde ...

* The Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI) * The Shalem Center * Institute for National Security Studies, affiliated with Tel Aviv University.

South Korea

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...

, think tanks are prolific and influential and are a government go-to. Think tanks are prolific in the Korean landscape. Many policy research organisations in Korea focus on economoy 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 The Korea Development Institute (KDI; ) is a Korean government agency A government agency or state agency, sometimes an appointed commission, is a permanent or semi-permanent organization in the machinery of government (bureaucracy) that is ...

* National Assembly Budget Office *

The Asan Institute for Policy Studies The Asan Institute for Policy Studies () is an independent, non-profit think tank based in Seoul, South Korea. The institute was founded by the honorary chairman Chung Mong-joon Chung Mong-joon or Chung Mong Joon (, born November 15, 1951) is ...

Samsung Economic Research Institute Samsung Global Research (SGR) is a private-sector think tank in South Korea, covering various research areas; from high-tech to issues and trends shaping the East Asian East Asia is a geocultural region of Asia. It includes China, Japan, Mon ...

* Center for Free Enterprise *

Korea International Trade Association The Korea International Trade Association (KITA; ) is a private non-profit trade organization founded in 1946 with 105 traders as its founding members. It is one of Korea's largest umbrella economic organizations and has more than 70,000 member fi ...

The Yeouido Institute The People Power Party (PPP; ) is a conservative and right-wing political party in South Korea. It is the second-largest party in the National Assembly. The PPP, along with its historic rival, the Democratic Party, make up the two large ...

The Economic Information and Education Center The Economic Information and Education Center (EIEC) is an affiliated organization of Korea Development Institute (KDI), a leading think tank A think tank, or public policy institute, is a research institute that performs research and advoc ...

* Jeju Peace Institute *

Korea Institute for International Economic Policy The Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP), established in 1989, is a government-funded economic research institute addressing the international economy and its relationship with Korea. The institute's goal is aimed to be a r ...

Korea Institute of Public Administration The Korea Institute of Public Administration (KIPA) is a government-sponsored research institute in South Korea, established in October 1991. They do research not just on current issues of public administration but historical ones as well, as in 2 ...

Sejong Institute Sejong Institute () is a non-profit, independent organization for public interest and a think tank in South Korea, dedicated to developing strategies and policies in areas of foreign and security affairs and Korean unification, regional issu ...

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 The Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI) is an Asian think tank focused on identifying effective development strategies for Asia and the Pacific, and on providing support to ADB member countries in managing development challenges. It was esta ...

* Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry *

Genron NPO is a Japanese think tank that was established in 2001. Its president and founder is Yasushi Kudo. Data from the think tank has been referenced by outlets such as Yonhap, Bloomberg, CNN, ''Financial Times'', and ''The Christian Science Monitor ...

Global Industrial and Social Progress Research Institute Global Industrial and Social Progress Research Institute (GISPRI; 地球産業文化研究所) is a Japanese think tank founded in 1988 to research natural resources and environmental problems, the international system, and interaction between ind ...

* Institute for International Monetary Affairs *

Institute of Developing Economies Institute of Developing Economies (IDE; アジア経済研究所) is a semi-governmental research institute under the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and the largest institute on social science in Japan. Current status is a body of the J ...

The International Academic Forum The International Academic Forum (IAFOR) is an NGO research organization based in Japan. In 2017, IAFOR established a research centre at the :ja:大阪大学大学院国際公共政策研究科, Osaka School of International Public Policy (OSIPP ...

Japan Center for International Exchange Japan Center for International Exchange (JCIE) is an "independent, nonprofit, and nonpartisan organization dedicated to strengthening Japan's role in international networks of dialogue and cooperation." Founded in 1970 by Tadashi Yamamoto, their ...

* Japan Institute for National Fundamentals *

Japan Institute of International Affairs The Japan Institute of International Affairs (abbreviated as JIIA, Japanese: 日本国際問題研究所 ''nihon kokusai mondai kenkyūjo'') is a foreign policy and security think-tank in Japan. It was established in December 1959. It was modelled o ...

Mitsubishi Research Institute Mitsubishi Research Institute, Inc. (in Japanese, 三菱総合研究所 or 三菱総研 for short) (), often called MRI, was established at the centennial anniversary of Japan's Mitsubishi Group in 1970, invested by the various companies of the g ...

National Institute for Research Advancement The National Institute for Research Advancement (NIRA; ) is a Japanese independent policy research think tank based in Tokyo founded in 1974 under the ''National Institute for Research Advancement Act''. It is funded through an endowment comprisin ...

Rousoukai Rousoukai (老壮会, The Society for Old Combatants) was a Japanese think tank which attracted participants from both the left-wing and right-wing of Japanese politics. It was founded on 9 October 1918 and continued until 1921. Members Left-wing ...

* 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 Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a landlocked country primarily in Central Asia, with a European Kazakhstan, small portion in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the Kazakhstan–Russia border, north and west, China to th ...

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 The Academy of Sciences Malaysia (Malay: Akademi Sains Malaysia) is a statutory body in the Malaysian government established under an act of Parliament (Academy of Sciences Malaysia Act 1994). The Academy, abbreviated as ASM, is the highest sc ...

(ASM) *

Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs The Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS) is a Malaysian think tank dedicated to promoting solutions to public policy challenges. It was founded on 8 February 2010. IDEAS is headquartered at Jalan Hang Lekir, Kuala Lumpur. His ...

(IDEAS) *

Institute for Pioneering of Education and Economic Excellence Institute for Pioneering of Education and Economic Excellence (INSPIRE) is a Malaysian first national think tank dedicated on promoting entrepreneurship and business based education excellence. It is the first Malaysia Non profit organisation, No ...

(INSPIRE) * Maritime Institute of Malaysia (MIMA) * Jauhar Academy of Social Sciences (JASS) * Jeffrey Cheah Institute on Southeast Asia (JCI) * Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology (MIGHT) * Islamic Renaissance Front (IRF) * IDE Research Centre / Institut Darul Ehsan (IDE)

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 Islamabad (; , ; ) is the capital city of Pakistan. It is the country's tenth-most populous city with a population of over 1.1 million and is federally administered by the Pakistani government as part of the Islamabad Capital Territory. Bu ...

. 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 The Institute of Social and Policy Sciences () is a policy research and advocacy think tank with its headquarters located in Islamabad, Pakistan. The Institute also has offices in Lodhran and Mardan, Pakistan. History The Institute was founded ...

(I-SAPS) which works in the fields of education, health, disaster risk reduction,

governance Governance is the overall complex system or framework of Process, processes, functions, structures, Social norm, rules, Law, laws and Norms (sociology), norms born out of the Interpersonal relationship, relationships, Social interaction, intera ...

, 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 The Valdai Discussion Club is a Moscow-based think tank and discussion forum. It was established in 2004 and is named after Lake Valdai, which is located close to Veliky Novgorod, where the Club’s first meeting took place. In 2014, the managem ...

Izborsky Club The Izborsky Club is a Russian conservative think tank which specializes in studying Russia's foreign and domestic policy. It was founded by publicist Alexander Prokhanov in September 2012 and includes several well-known nationalist and tradit ...

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 Lakshmana (, ), also known as Laxmana, Lakhan, Saumitra, and Ramanuja, is the younger brother of Rama in the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. He is considered as an incarnation of Shesha, the lord of serpents. Lakshmana was married to Urmila, and is ...

is a policy-studies institute that is often referred to as a think tank. *

LIRNEasia LIRNE''asia'' (Learning Initiatives on Reforms for Network Economies ''Asia'') is an information and communication technology (ICT) policy and regulation think-tank active in the Asia Pacific region. The organization is incorporated under Sri Lanka ...

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 Verité Research is an independent interdisciplinary think tank providing strategic analysis and advice for governments and the private sector in Asia. Its main research divisions are economics, politics, law, and media. Based in Colombo, Sri Lan ...

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 An institute is an organizational body created for a certain purpose. They are often research organisations (research institutes) created to do research on specific topics, or can also be a professional body. In some countries, institutes ca ...

(ISEAS), and the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.

Taiwan

In 2017 Taiwan had 58 think tanks. As in most countries there is a mix of government- and privately-funded think tanks. Taiwanese think tanks in alphabetical order: *

Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research The Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research (CIER; ) is a Taiwan-based international policy think tank for economic and industry-related research. It conducts both public research and fee-supported research. History After the ending of di ...

Institute for National Defense and Security Research The Institute for National Defense and Security Research (INDSR) is a Taiwanese think tank based in Taipei. The Institute’s mission is to safeguard Taiwan's democracy and prosperity by strengthening mutual understanding and advancing common int ...

* Prospect Foundation * Taiwan Asia Exchange Foundation *

Taiwan Competitiveness Forum Taiwan Competitiveness Forum (, TCF) is a policy think tank in Taiwan led by academics supporting Chinese unification. History The group was founded on August 15, 2007, by scholars who "worried about the deadlock situation of the cross-strait re ...

Taiwan Foundation for Democracy The Taiwan Foundation for Democracy (TFD; ) is a non-partisan non-profit organisation headquartered in Taipei. The foundation, established in June 2003, is both initiated and funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China. It ...

Taiwan Institute of Economic Research Taiwan Institute of Economic Research (TIER, ) is an incorporated non-profit research institute in Zhongshan District, Taipei, Taiwan. History Established on 1 September 1976, it was the first independent academic research institute in Taiwan. ...

Thailand

Office of the National Economic and Social Development Council The Office of the National Economic and Social Development Council (), also known as NESDC (), is a national economic planning agency of Thailand. It is a government department reporting directly to the Office of the Prime Minister. The NESDC mai ...

* 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: *

Al Mesbar Studies and Research Centre Al Mesbar Studies & Research Center is a Dubai based cultural phenomena think tank concentrating on the study of Islamic Movements. The Center focuses on "contemporary Islamic Movements, their thoughts and practices, symbolisms and ideologies and ...

* Dubai Economic Council *

Gulf Research Center The Gulf Research Center (GRC) is a privately funded, non-partisan think tank, education provider and consultancy specializing in the Arabian Gulf region. The GRC produces research from a Gulf perspective which redresses a current area studies im ...

* Orient Research Centre

Uzbekistan

* CED – Center for Economic Development (Центр Содействия Экономическому Развитию) is a think tank whose major tasks are: analytic support in economic reforming and development in Uzbekistan; improving knowledge and skills of the subjects of economic development; assistance in productive dialogue between the government, civil society and private sectors on the economic development matters. Key projects: Preparation of the National human development report for Uzbekistan, Sociological "portrait" of the Uzbek businessman, Preparation of an analytical report on export procedures optimization in Uzbekistan, various industry and marketing researches in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan.

European think tanks

Belgium

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 The Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) is a leading think tank based in Brussels, Belgium. It was established in 1983. Its primary tasks are to conduct rigorous, evidence-based policy research on European and global issues, to serve as a ...

(CEPS),

Centre for the New Europe The Centre for the New Europe (CNE) was a free-market think tank founded in 1993 and based in Brussels. It focused on EU issues such as economic growth, managing environmental change, health and welfare policy, competition policy, and innovation. ...

(CNE), the European Centre of International Political Economy (ECIPE), the

European Policy Centre The European Policy Centre (EPC) is a Brussels-based not-for-profit think tank on European Union affairs, founded in 1997. Activities Under the presidency of Brigid Laffan, the EPC's Chief Executive is Fabian Zuleeg, a German economist. ...

(EPC), the Friends of Europe, the Global Governance Institute (GGI), Liberales, and

Sport and Citizenship Sport and Citizenship was founded in 2007, shortly after the adoption of the European Commission's White Paper on sport. It is the first and only European think tank which works on the analysis of sporting politics and the study of sport's societ ...

, 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 European Values () is a Czech non-governmental organisation founded in 2005 and financed from some governments. Often self-styled as the European Values Center for Security Policy, its incentive is to raise political culture in the Czech Republic ...

* The

Prague Security Studies Institute The Prague Security Studies Institute (PSSI, ; ''PIBS'') is a non-profit, nongovernmental organization established in early 2002 to advance the building of a just, secure, democratic and free-market society in the Czech Republic and other post-co ...

(PSSI)

Denmark

CEPOS Centre for Political Studies, also known as CEPOS, is an independent association which works as a classical liberal/ free-market conservative think-tank in Denmark. It is a strongly right-leaning and highly political association. History Inspi ...

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 The Åland Islands Peace Institute in Mariehamn, Finland, conducts projects and research into peace and conflict issues in a broadly defined sense from the vantage-point of Åland and the special status that Åland enjoys under international law. ...

Demos Helsinki Demos Helsinki is a Finnish think tank. Their main research focus is on governance and societal innovation for the development of a democratic and environmentally sustainable society. The organisation receives a mix of public and private fundin ...

European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats The European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats (Hybrid CoE; ) is a network-based international and independent hub for practitioners and experts based in Helsinki, Finland. The Hybrid CoE focuses on responses to Hybrid warfare, h ...

(Hybrid CoE) *

Crisis Management Initiative CMI – Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation sr (in 2000–2021 ''Crisis Management Initiative ry'') is an independent Finnish non-governmental organisation that works to prevent and resolve conflict through informal dialogue and mediation. Nobel P ...

(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. Examples of such think tanks are the and Suomen Perusta. The corporate world has focused their efforts to central representative organization

Confederation of Finnish Industries The Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK, , ) is the largest employers' association in Finland. It was formed at the beginning of 2005 when the two employers' associations ''Palvelutyönantajat'' (Employers of the Service Sector) and ''Teollis ...

, 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 The Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions, usually referred to by the acronym SAK (; ) is the largest trade union confederation in Finland. Its member organisations have a total of more than one million members, which makes up about one fif ...

(''Suomen Ammattiliittojen Keskusjärjestö'', SAK) and the

Social Democratic Party The name Social Democratic Party or Social Democrats has been used by many political parties in various countries around the world. Such parties are most commonly aligned to social democracy as their political ideology. Active parties Form ...

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 French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), a ...

(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 The European Union Institute for Security Studies (EUISS) is the EU’s think tank for foreign and security policy. Its core mission is to provide analysis on security and defence issues, and organise discussion forums to help formulate EU p ...

(EUISS), a

-based

agency of the European Union The European Union and Euratom have agencies, decentralised independent bodies, corporate bodies and joint undertakings which are established as juridical persons through secondary EU legislation and tasked with a specific narrow field of work. ...

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 The 'Fondation Jean-Jaurès'' (FJJ) is a French think tank associated with the Socialist Party. It was founded in 1992. Its founding president was Pierre Mauroy Pierre Mauroy (; 5 July 1928 – 7 June 2013) was a French Socialist politician who ...

, which is organizationally linked to the

French Socialist Party The Socialist Party ( , PS) is a Centre-left politics, centre-left to Left-wing politics, left-wing List of political parties in France, political party in France. It holds Social democracy, social democratic and Pro-Europeanism, pro-European v ...

, 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. The only French Think Tank mentioned in the "think tanks to watch" list of the 2014 Global Go To Think Tank Index Report is a French think tank created by Gaspard Koenig in 2013, independent from all political parties, which aims at promoting freedoms in France, in terms of fundamental rights, economics and societal issues. GenerationLibre is described as being able to connect to the right on pro business freedom and regulations issues but also to the left on issues such as basic income, gay marriage and the legalization of marijuana.

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 The Konrad Adenauer Foundation (''German language, German: Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Eingetragener Verein, e.V.; Abbreviation: KAS'') is a German political party Foundation (charity), foundation associated with but independent of the centre-righ ...

( Christian Democratic Union-aligned), the

Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung The Friedrich Ebert Foundation (''German: Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung e.V.; Abbreviation: FES'') is a German political party foundation associated with, but independent from, the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD). Established in 1925 as t ...

(

-aligned), the Hanns-Seidel-Stiftung ( Christian Social Union-aligned), the ( aligned with the Greens),

Friedrich Naumann Foundation The Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom ('' German: Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung für die Freiheit e.V.; Abbreviation: FNF'') is a German foundation for liberal politics, related to the Free Democratic Party and funded by the Federal Min ...

( Free Democratic Party-aligned) and the

Rosa Luxemburg Foundation The Rosa Luxemburg Foundation (''German: Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung e.V.; Abbreviation: RLS''), named in recognition of Rosa Luxemburg, and occasionally referred to as ''Rosa-Lux'', is a transnational alternative policy lobby group and educational ...

(aligned with

Die Linke Die Linke (; ), also known as the Left Party ( ), is a democratic socialist political party in Germany. The party was founded in 2007 as the result of the merger of the Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS) and Labour and Social Justice – The ...

). The

German Institute for International and Security Affairs The German Institute for International and Security Affairs (; SWP) is a German think tank in international relations and security studies. A semi-official organization with close links to the federal government, it advises the Bundestag (the ...

is a foreign policy think tank.

Atlantic Community The Atlantic Community was a German-American project to apply Web 2.0 ideas to Transatlantic relations, transatlantic foreign policy strategy. Launched in April 2007 as an undertaking of the Atlantic Initiative, the Atlantic Community aims at facil ...

is an independent,

non-partisan Nonpartisanship, also known as nonpartisanism, is a lack of affiliation with a political party and a lack of political bias. While an ''Oxford English Dictionary'' definition of ''partisan'' includes adherents of a party, cause, person, etc., ...

and

non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...

organization set up as a joint project of Atlantische Initiative e.V. and Atlantic Initiative United States. The

Institute for Media and Communication Policy The Institute for Media and Communication Policy (IfM) was founded in 2005 as an independent research institution that is exclusively dedicated to issues surrounding media and communication policies. It was established in February 2006 in Berlin-C ...

deals with media-related issues.

Transparency International Transparency International e.V. (TI) is a German registered association founded in 1993 by former employees of the World Bank. Based in Berlin, its nonprofit and non-governmental purpose is to take action to combat global corruption with civil s ...

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 The Economic and Social Research Institute (Institiúid Taighde Eacnamaíochta agus Sóisialta in Irish) is an Irish research institute founded in 1960 to provide evidence-based research used to inform public policy debate and decision-making. ...

(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 The Institute of International and European Affairs (IIEA; ) is an Irish policy think tank focusing on European and international policy trends based in Dublin, Ireland. It is known for its seminars and speaking events which attract notable int ...

(IIEA) focuses on European and International affairs. * The

Iona Institute Lolek CLG, operating under the business name the Iona Institute, is an Irish, socially conservative organisation that advocates the advancement and promotion of the Christian religion and its social and moral values. It has been frequently des ...

is a conservative, Catholic think tank. * TASC (Think tank for Action on Social Change) is an Irish left-wing think tank. * Transhuman Corporation is a research think tank that focuses on cyber and technology development.

Italy

* Bruno Leoni Institute * Future Italy *

ISPI The Institute for International Political Studies (Istituto per gli Studi di Politica Internazionale, ''ISPI''), founded in 1934, is the oldest think tank in Italy. It offers diploma and postgraduate education specializing in international rela ...

– Italian Institute for International Political Studies *

Istituto Affari Internazionali The Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI) is an Italian international relations think tank, and non-profit organisation founded in 1965 by Altiero Spinelli. It is ranked among the global top-20 think tanks in the "Foreign Policy and International ...

Trinità dei Monti The Church of Santissima Trinità dei Monti, often called simply Trinità dei Monti (French: ''La Trinité-des-Monts''), is a Roman Catholic late Renaissance titular church, part of a monastery complex in Rome. It is best known for its positio ...

Latvia

While think tanks are not widespread in Latvia, as opposed to single-issue advocacy organizations, there are several noticeable institutions in the Latvian think tank landscape: * 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. * Centre for Public policy PROVIDUS is a non governmental and non partisan association, established in 2002. Providus focuses their work (both research and advocacy) on topics especially relevant in transition and post-transition environments and Latvia in particular: good governance; criminal justice policy; tolerance and inclusive public policy and European policy. Several think tanks are established and operate under the auspices of Universities, such as: * Centre for European and transition studies is a think tank working under the auspices of the University of Latvia, the largest public university in the country. CETS was established in 2000. * or Defense research centre in 1992 under the auspices of the National Academy of Defense.

Lithuania

Vilnius Institute for Policy Analysis (VIPA) is an independent non-governmental, non-profit, non-partisan policy think tank in Lithuania whose mission is to stand for the principles of open society, liberal democracy, rule of law and human rights. VIPA acts via advocacy for strong and safe European Union, analyzing and advocating for anti-authoritarian, transparent, and open governance ideas in Central and Eastern Europe, is an opinion leader offering an alternative opinion to the public versus populism, radicalism, and authoritarian trends, reinforcing active citizens' participation in decision making, analyzing fake news, disinformation, and offering media literacy initiatives, putting forward solutions to improve the accountability, transparency, and openness of Lithuania's

public sector The public sector, also called the state sector, is the part of the economy composed of both public services and public enterprises. Public sectors include the public goods and governmental services such as the military, law enforcement, pu ...

, building a network of open society values oriented experts, civil activists and NGO's.

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 Scientific Council for Government Policy ( Dutch: Wetenschappelijke Raad voor het Regeringsbeleid, WRR) is an independent think tank of the Government of the Netherlands based in The Hague, whose members include prominent social scientists, e ...

. The Netherlands furthermore hosts the

Netherlands Institute of International Relations Clingendael The Netherlands Institute of International Relations Clingendael () or Clingendael Institute (''Instituut Clingendael'') is a Dutch think tank and academy on international relations. Based in Wassenaar on the municipal border with The Hague, the ...

, or Clingendael Institute, an independent think tank and diplomatic academy which studies various aspects of

international relations International relations (IR, and also referred to as international studies, international politics, or international affairs) is an academic discipline. In a broader sense, the study of IR, in addition to multilateral relations, concerns al ...

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 The Polish Institute of International Affairs (PISM, ) is a Polish think tank based in Warsaw which carries out research and training in international relations. In this field, it ranks as one of the most influential think tanks not just in Ce ...

(PISM) established in 1947. Another notable state-sponsored think tank is the

Centre for Eastern Studies The Centre for Eastern Studies (, OSW) is a Warsaw-based think tank that undertakes independent research on the political, economic and social situation in Central and Eastern Europe, Balkans, Caucasus and Central Asia. The centre was founded i ...

(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 The Institute for Structural Research (Instytut Badań Strukturalnych or IBS) is an independent scientific foundation based in Warsaw, established in 2006. The main aim of this organization is to organize and support the research increasing innov ...

(IBS) on economic policy, The Casimir Pulaski Foundation on foreign policy, the

Institute of Public Affairs The Institute of Public Affairs (IPA) is a conservative non-profit free market public policy think tank, Political links and networking The IPA Victoria was founded during World War II by businessmen in response to the feared growing power of ...

(ISP) on social policy, and the Sobieski Institute.

Portugal

Founded in 1970, the

SEDES Sedes is Latin for seat. Sedes may also refer to: *a bishop's episcopal throne, also known as a cathedra * SEDES, one of the oldest civic associations and think tanks of Portugal * Sedes (band), a Polish punk rock band *an administrative unit in t ...

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 The Romanian Academic Society (''Societatea Academică din România'' in Romanian) is a Bucharest-based think tank and NGO founded in 1996. It is considered close to the right wing of politics. SAR seeks to *Contribute to good governance and d ...

(SAR), founded in 1996, is a Romanian think tank for policy research.

Russia

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 The Forum Minority Research Institute or Forum Institute (''Fórum Kisebbségkutató Intézet'' or ''Fórum Intézet'' in Hungarian and ''Fórum inštitút pre výskum menšín'' or ''Fórum inštitút'' in Slovak) is a Slovak think tank with it ...

(''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: *

(''Inštitút pre verejné otázky'' or ''IVO'' in Slovak) – Australian-based think tank focusing on public policy issues. *

Open Society Foundations Open Society Foundations (OSF), formerly the Open Society Institute, is an American grantmaking network founded by business magnate George Soros. Open Society Foundations financially supports civil society groups around the world, with the s ...

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 The Elcano Royal Institute for International and Strategic Studies (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Real Instituto Elcano de Estudios Internacionales y Estratégicos''; RIE) is a think tank based in Madrid, Spain. It was created on 26 November 2001 a ...

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. More independent but clearly to the left of the political spectrum are the Centro de Investigaciones de Relaciones Internacionales y Desarrollo (CIDOB) founded in 1973; and the Fundación para las Relaciones Internacionales y el Diálogo Exterior (FRIDE) established in 1999 by Diego Hidalgo and main driving force behind projects such as the Club de Madrid, a group of democratic former heads of state and government, the Foreign Policy Spanish Edition and

DARA Dara is a given name in several languages. Dara, Daraa, or DARA may also refer to: Geography Africa * Dar'a, region in northern Ethiopia * Dara (woreda), region in southern Ethiopia Asia * Dara (Mesopotamia), an archeological site in Mard ...

. Former Prime Minister

José Maria Aznar José is a predominantly Spanish and Portuguese form of the given name Joseph. While spelled alike, this name is pronounced very differently in each of the two languages: Spanish ; Portuguese (or ). In French, the name ''José'', pronounced , ...

presides over the Fundación para el Analisis y los Estudios Sociales (

FAES The FAES (Fundación para el Análisis y los Estudios Sociales or "Foundation for Analysis and Social Studies" in English) is a Spanish think tank. It is a non-profit liberal-conservative organisation with strong links to the People's Party (Spai ...

), 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 Fundación Alternativas () is a Spanish progressive think tank created in 1997 in Madrid which aims to discuss issues of interest to citizens and act as a channel of political, social, economic and cultural thought. Although many members of its ...

is independent but close to left-wing ideas. The Socialist

Partido Socialista Obrero Español The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party ( , PSOE ) is a Social democracy, social democratic Updated as required.The PSOE is described as a social-democratic party by numerous sources: * * * * List of political parties in Spain, political party ...

(PSOE) created Fundación Ideas in 2009 and dissolved it in January 2014. Also in 2009, the centrist

Union, Progress and Democracy Union, Progress and Democracy ( , UPyD ) was a Spanish list of political parties in Spain, political party founded in September 2007 and dissolved in December 2020. It was a social liberalism, social-liberal party that rejected any form of nation ...

(UPyD) created Fundación Progreso y Democracia (FPyD).

Sweden

Timbro Timbro is a liberalism, liberal think tank and publishing company located in Stockholm, Sweden. In its present form Timbro was founded in 1978 by Sture Eskilsson and the Swedish Employers’ Association, a precursor to the Confederation of Swed ...

is a

free market In economics, a free market is an economic market (economics), system in which the prices of goods and services are determined by supply and demand expressed by sellers and buyers. Such markets, as modeled, operate without the intervention of ...

think tank and book publisher based in Stockholm.

Switzerland

Think tanks based within Switzerland include: *

Avenir Suisse Avenir Suisse is a classical liberal think tank focused on Switzerland’s future in political, economical and social areas. Its main goal is to stimulate the public debate and to provide new ideas through the publication of studies and the regul ...

, founded in 1999 by fifteen of the largest Swiss companies. It is supported by over 130 companies to date. *

DCAF DCAF - ; Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance ( French: ''Centre pour la gouvernance du secteur de la sécurité, Genève,'' German: ''Das Genfer Zentrum für die Gouvernanz des Sicherheitssektors'') is an intergovernmental foundation ...

, the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces, founded in 2000 to research

security sector governance and reform The concepts of security sector governance and reform (SSG/R, or SSG and SSR) generally refer to a process in Western-based international development and democratization to amend the security sector of a state towards good governance and its princi ...

. *

Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute The Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute (GDI) is an independent think-tank and the oldest organisation of its kind in Switzerland. It is located in Rüschlikon, near Zurich. The GDI is located on the edge of the Park im Grüene. Established on 1 Sept ...

(GDI), conceived by

Migros Migros () is Switzerland's largest retail company, its largest supermarket chain and largest employer. It is also one of the forty largest retailers in the world. It is structured in the form of a cooperative federation (the Federation of Migros ...

-founder

Gottlieb Duttweiler Gottlieb Duttweiler (15 August 1888 – 8 June 1962) was a Swiss businessman and politician, founder of both the Migros chain of grocery stores and the Alliance of Independents (''Landesring der Unabhängigen,'' LDU) party. Life and work Dutt ...

in 1946. *

Horasis Horasis is an independent, international think tank, headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. Founded in 2005, by Frank-Jürgen Richter, former director of the World Economic Forum, Horasis is committed to fostering innovation and promoting the sus ...

, which hosts the annual

Horasis Global Meeting Horasis is an independent, international think tank, headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. Founded in 2005, by Frank-Jürgen Richter, former director of the World Economic Forum, Horasis is committed to fostering innovation and promoting the sus ...

* Liberal Institute, founded in 1979. *

Institute for Strategic Risk and Security An institute is an organizational body created for a certain purpose. They are often research organisations (research institutes) created to do research on specific topics, or can also be a professional body. In some countries, institutes ca ...

(ISRS) – Geneva-based NGO focusing on democratic resilience, cyber sovereignty, and post-conflict recovery.

Ukraine

There are more than 100 registered think tanks in

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

, including: *

Centre of Policy and Legal Reform The Centre of Policy and Legal Reform (; ''Tsentr polityko-pravovykh reform'') is a Ukrainian non-governmental think tank founded in 1996. Activity The CPLR is promoting institutional organization of Ukraine as the state which ensures human rig ...

(CPLR), a non-governmental think tank founded in 1996. *

Center for Policy Studies in Ukraine The Center for Policy Studies in Ukraine () is a non-governmental think tank in Ukraine, headquartered in Lviv. The Center deals with international politics, civil society, NGOs, education, politics, regional policy and legislature; it also conduc ...

, a non-governmental think tank founded in 1994. * International Centre for Policy Studies, a non-governmental think tank founded in 1994. *

Razumkov Centre Razumkov Centre (), or fully the Ukrainian Centre for Economic and Political Studies named after Olexander Razumkov (), is a Ukrainian non-governmental public policy think tank. Overview The Razumkov Center carries out research in domestic, econ ...

, 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 The Transatlantic Dialogue Center (''TDC'', ) is a Ukrainian non-governmental think tank that specializes in political analysis, project activities, and consulting in the field of foreign policy and communications. Activities Since the beginn ...

, 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 The Royal Institute of International Affairs, also known as Chatham House, is a British think tank based in London, England. Its stated mission is "to help governments and societies build a sustainably secure, prosperous, and just world". It ...

and the

Council on Foreign Relations The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is an American think tank focused on Foreign policy of the United States, U.S. foreign policy and international relations. Founded in 1921, it is an independent and nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit organi ...

were both conceived at the

Paris Peace Conference, 1919 Paris () is the capital and largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the fourth-most populous city in the European Union and the 30th most densely pop ...

and have remained sister organisations. The

Bow Group The Bow Group is a UK-based think tank promoting conservative opinion. Founded in 1951, it is the oldest group of its kind, counting many senior Conservative Party MPs and peers among its members. It represents a forum for political debate with ...

, 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 Michael Howard, Baron Howard of Lympne (born Michael Hecht; 7 July 1941) is a British politician who was Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party and Leader of the Opposition (United Kingdom), Leader of the Opposi ...

Margaret Thatcher Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013), was a British stateswoman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of th ...

's longest-serving Cabinet Minister

Geoffrey Howe Richard Edward Geoffrey Howe, Baron Howe of Aberavon, (20 December 1926 – 9 October 2015), known from 1970 to 1992 as Sir Geoffrey Howe, was a British politician who served as Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1989 to ...

Chancellor of the Exchequer The chancellor of the exchequer, often abbreviated to chancellor, is a senior minister of the Crown within the Government of the United Kingdom, and the head of HM Treasury, His Majesty's Treasury. As one of the four Great Offices of State, t ...

Norman Lamont Norman Stewart Hughson Lamont, Baron Lamont of Lerwick, (born 8 May 1942) is a British politician and former Conservative MP for Kingston-upon-Thames. He served as Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1990 until 1993. He was created a life peer i ...

and former

British Telecom BT Group plc (formerly British Telecom) is a British Multinational corporation, multinational telecommunications holding company headquartered in London, England. It has operations in around 180 countries and is the largest provider of fixed-li ...

chairman Christopher Bland. Since 2000, a number of influential centre-right think tanks have emerged including

Policy Exchange Policy Exchange is a British conservative think tank based in London. In 2007 it was described in ''The Daily Telegraph'' as "the largest, but also the most influential think tank on the right". Policy Exchange is a registered charity; it most ...

Centre for Social Justice The Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) is an independent centre-right think tank based in the United Kingdom, co-founded in 2004 by Iain Duncan Smith, Tim Montgomerie, and Philippa Stroud. Political positions The organisation's stated aim is to "p ...

and most recently Onward.

Oceanian think tanks

Australia

Most Australian think tanks are based at universities – for example, the

Melbourne Institute The Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research (often simply referred to as "The Melbourne Institute") is an Australian economic research institute based in Melbourne, Victoria. The institute is a department of the Faculty of B ...

– or are government-funded – for example, the

Productivity Commission The Productivity Commission (PC) is the Australian Government's principal review and advisory body on microeconomic policy, regulation and a range of other social and environmental issues. The PC was created as an independent authority by th ...

or the

CSIRO The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) is an Australian Government agency that is responsible for scientific research and its commercial and industrial applications. CSIRO works with leading organisations arou ...

. 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 Australian conservative think tanks include

the Centre for Independent Studies The Centre for Independent Studies (CIS) is an Australian think tank founded in 1976 by Greg Lindsay. The CIS specialises in public policy research and publishes material in areas such as economics, education, culture and foreign policy. Altho ...

, the

Sydney Institute The Sydney Institute is a privately funded Australian policy forum founded on the 23 of August, 1989. The institute took over the resources of the New South Wales division of the Institute of Public Affairs. Columnist and writer Gerard Henderso ...

and the

. Prominent leftist Australian think tanks include the McKell Institute, Per Capita, the Australia Institute, the

Lowy Institute The Lowy Institute is an independent think tank founded in April 2003 by Frank Lowy to conduct original, policy-relevant research regarding international political, strategic and economic issues from an Australian perspective. It is based in ...

and the Centre for Policy Development. In recent years regionally-based independent and non-partisan think tanks have emerged. Some think tanks, such as the

Illawarra The Illawarra is a coastal Regions of New South Wales, region in the southeast of the Australian state of New South Wales. It is situated immediately south of Sydney and north of the South Coast, New South Wales, South Coast region. It encompas ...

's i-eat-drink-think, engage in discussion, research and advocacy within a broader civics framework. Commercial think tanks like the Gartner Group, Access Economics, the Helmsman Institute, and others provide additional insight which complements not-for-profit organisations such as

CEDA The Confederación Española de Derechas Autónomas (, CEDA) was a Spanish right-wing political party in the Second Spanish Republic. A Catholic conservative force, it was the political heir to Ángel Herrera Oria's Acción Popular and defined ...

, the

Australian Strategic Policy Institute The Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) is a defence and strategic policy think tank based in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, founded by the Australian government, and funded by the Australian Department of Defence along with o ...

, and the

Australian Institute of Company Directors The Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) is a non-profit membership organization for directors. The AICD is a founding member of the Global Network of Director Institutes (GNDI). History The origins of the AICD can be traced ba ...

to provide more targeted policy in defence, program governance, corporate governance and similar. Think tanks in Australia include: * Air Power Australia * Asia Education Foundation *

Asialink Asialink is a think-tank that promotes better relations between Australia and Asian economies. Asialink works alongside several philanthropic organizations to engage in civic and cultural relations that lead to business ties. History Asialink w ...

The Australia Institute The Australia Institute is an Australian public policy think tank based in Canberra, with offices also in Hobart and Adelaide. Since its launch in 1994, it has carried out research on a broad range of economic, social, and environmental issues. ...

Australian Fabian Society The Australian Fabians (also known as the Australian Fabian Society) is an Australian independent Left-wing politics, left-leaning think tank that was established in 1947. The organisations said aims are to “contribute to progressivism, pro ...

Australian Institute of International Affairs The Australian Institute of International Affairs (AIIA) is an Australian research institute and think tank which focuses on International relations. It publishes the '' Australian Journal of International Affairs''. It is one of the oldest act ...

* Australian Institute of Policy & Science *

The Brisbane Institute The Brisbane Institute was an independent think tank based in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. History The Brisbane Institute was founded in 1999. Peter Botsman, who had previously been the executive director of the Evatt Foundation, was the i ...

Centre for Independent Studies The Centre for Independent Studies (CIS) is an Australian think tank founded in 1976 by Greg Lindsay. The CIS specialises in public policy research and publishes material in areas such as economics, education, culture and foreign policy. Alth ...

Centre for Policy Development Centre for Policy Development (CPD) is a public policy think tank in Australia. History John Menadue AO was the founding chair of the organisation. He had served as Secretary of Prime Minister and Cabinet for prime ministers Gough Whitlam and ...

Chifley Research Centre The Chifley Research Centre is the Australian Labor Party’s official think tank. Objectives and activities Progressive Australia Conference Progressive Australia is a bi-annual conference and series of events that the Centre has run sinc ...

Committee for Economic Development of Australia The Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) is a bipartisan, non-profit organisation providing thought leadership and policy perspectives on the economic and social issues affecting Australia, established in 1960. Foundation The Co ...

Consumer Policy Research Centre (CPRC) A consumer is a person or a group who intends to order, or use purchased goods, products, or services primarily for personal, social, family, household and similar needs, who is not directly related to entrepreneurial or business activities. Th ...

* Crowther Centre for Learning and Innovation *

Development Policy Centre The Development Policy Centre (Devpol) is an aid and development policy think tank based at the Crawford School of Public Policy in the College of Asia and the Pacific at the Australian National University. Devpol undertakes independent research ...

Doctors Reform Society of Australia The Doctors Reform Society of Australia (DRS), established in 1973, is a medico-political thinktank and a medical association of medical practitioners and medical students that has advocated a range of alternative views to those of the Australia ...

Evatt Foundation The H.V. Evatt Memorial Foundation is an Australian think tank founded in memory of Australian politician, judge, historian and diplomat H. V. Evatt. It is based in Sydney, with members and supporters from around the world. It is a progressive o ...

Grattan Institute Grattan Institute is an Australian public policy think tank, established in 2008. The Melbourne-based institute is non-aligned, defining itself as contributing "to public policy in Australia as a liberal democracy in a globalised economy." It is ...

* H. R. Nicholls Society * Infrastructure Partnerships Australia *

Institute for Economics and Peace The Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) is a global think tank headquartered in Sydney, Australia with branches in New York City, Mexico City and Oxford. IEP studies the relationship between peace, business, and prosperity, and seeks to pro ...

* International Energy Centre *

International WaterCentre The International WaterCentre (IWC) is a Brisbane-based organisation providing education, training, and applied research to develop capacity and promote whole-of-water cycle approaches to Integrated Water Management globally. Founded in 2005 th ...

* Issues Deliberation Australia/America * Laboratory for Visionary Architecture *

Lowy Institute for International Policy The Lowy Institute is an independent think tank founded in April 2003 by Frank Lowy to conduct original, policy-relevant research regarding international political, strategic and economic issues from an Australian perspective. It is based in S ...

The Green Institute The Green Institute is an Australian public policy think tank founded in 2008. The institute "supports green politics through education, action, research and debate". In disclosure returns lodged with the Australian Electoral Commission, the inst ...

* The McKell Institute *

The Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research The Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research (often simply referred to as "The Melbourne Institute") is an Australian economic research institute based in Melbourne, Victoria. The institute is a department of the Faculty of B ...

Menzies Research Centre The Menzies Research Centre (MRC) is an Australian centre-right public policy think tank aligned with the Liberal Party of Australia, Liberal Party. History The Menzies Research Centre was founded in 1994 and is named in honour of Sir Rob ...

National Civic Council The National Civic Council (NCC) is a conservative Christian lobby group in Australia, founded by B. A. Santamaria in the 1940s. The NCC publishes a weekly magazine, ''News Weekly''. The NCC promotes policy based on Santamaria's Catholic value ...

* New South Wales Institute for Educational Research * Per Capita *

Samuel Griffith Society The Samuel Griffith Society is an Australian conservative legal organisation founded in 1992 by a group led by former Chief Justice of Australia Sir Harry Gibbs, former Senator John Stone, businessman Hugh Morgan and legal academic Greg Crave ...

Strategic and Defence Studies Centre The Strategic and Defence Studies Centre (SDSC) is a university-based institute that is situated in the Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs at the Australian National University. It is Australia's oldest-established centre for the study of ...

Transport and Logistics Centre The Transport and Logistics Centre (TALC) is a national policy and practice research centre based in Sydney, Australia. Its prime objective is the building of capability in the transport and logistics sector in Australia. The Transport and Logi ...

United States Studies Centre The United States Studies Centre (USSC) is a think tank based at the University of Sydney. It is dedicated to the analysis of American foreign policy, economic security, emerging technology, politics, society and culture—and how it impacts Au ...

* Western Australia Policy Forum

New Zealand

Think tanks based in New Zealand include: *

Centre for Strategic Studies New Zealand The Centre for Strategic Studies: New Zealand (CSS:NZ) is an international and military affairs research (strategic studies) centre located in Wellington, New Zealand. Jointly supported by the New Zealand Ministry of Defence, New Zealand Defence F ...

Child Poverty Action Group (Aotearoa New Zealand) Child Poverty Action Group (Aotearoa New Zealand) (CPAG) is a non-profit political advocacy group with the goal of eliminating Child poverty in New Zealand. It has used evidence-based research to develop public positions on the root causes of pov ...

* Helen Clark Foundation * Maxim Institute *

McGuinness Institute The McGuinness Institute Te Hononga Waka is a non-partisan think tank based in Wellington, New Zealand, working towards a sustainable future, contributing strategic foresight through evidence-based research and policy analysis. Established in 20 ...

Motu Economic and Public Policy Research Motu Economic and Public Policy Research is an economic and public policy research institute based in Wellington, New Zealand. Founded in September 2000 New Zealand Centre for Global Studies New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, 1995 * "New" (Daya song), 2017 * "New" (No Doubt song), 19 ...

New Zealand Initiative The New Zealand Initiative is a pro-free-market public-policy think tank A think tank, or public policy institute, is a research institute that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, eco ...

New Zealand Institute of Economic Research The New Zealand Institute of Economic Research (NZIER) is the largest independent think tank in New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () ...

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 The Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada (APF Canada), created by an Act of Parliament in 1984, is an independent, not-for-profit think-tank on Canada's relations with Asia. Based in Vancouver, with a secondary office in Toronto, APF Canada funct ...

Atlantic Institute for Market Studies The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for s ...

Broadbent Institute Broadbent Institute is a Canadian progressive and social democratic think tank founded by Ed Broadbent. History Broadbent Institute is a Canadian progressive and social democratic think tank. It was founded by Ed Broadbent, the leader of the ...

* C.D. Howe Institute *

Caledon Institute of Social Policy The Caledon Institute of Social Policy, also Caledon Institute, is a private Canadian think tank focused on social policy Some professionals and universities consider social policy a subset of public policy, while other practitioners character ...

Canada West Foundation The Canada West Foundation is a conservative non-partisan think tank based in Calgary, Alberta. It researches issues of concern in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba and issues of national significance. The foundation focuses o ...

Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) is an independent think tank in Canada. It has been described as "left leaning". The CCPA concentrates on economic policy, international trade, environmental justice and social policy. It is es ...

Canadian Global Affairs Institute The Canadian Global Affairs Institute (CGAI) is an independent, non-partisan research institute based in Calgary with an office in Ottawa. Incorporated as a charitable organization in 2001, CGAI seeks to focus the national debate and understandin ...

Canadian Institute for Advanced Research The Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR) is a Canadian-based global research organization that brings together teams of top researchers from around the world to address important and complex questions. It was founded in 1982 and is su ...

Canadian International Council The Canadian International Council (CIC; ) is a Canadian think tank on foreign relations. It is an independent, member-based council established to strengthen Canada's role in international affairs. Its goal is to advance debate on international ...

Canadian Policy Research Networks Canadian Policy Research Networks (CPRN) was a non-profit, non-partisan Socioeconomics, socio-economic think tank based in Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, with a focus on citizen engagement and policy research and analysis. History Founded in 1 ...

(disbanded) *

Canadian Tax Foundation The Canadian Tax Foundation is an independent, non-partisan, non-profit tax research organization under the joint sponsorship of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants and the Canadian Bar Association. It was founded in 1945, and it pro ...

Cardus The Cardus Institute is a Christian think tank based in Hamilton, Ontario. It was founded in 1974 as the Work Research Foundation. Through a variety of research, publishing, and programmatic activities, the organization advocates for religion an ...

Centre for International Governance Innovation The Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI, pronounced "see-jee") is an independent, non-partisan think tank on global governance. CIGI supports research, forms networks, advances policy debate and generates ideas for multilateral g ...

Conference Board of Canada The Conference Board of Canada is an independent, non-profit applied-research organization based in Canada. It aims to help Canada's leaders make informed, evidence-based decisions using non-partisan and non-ideological analysis. The organiza ...

Council of Canadians The Council of Canadians is a Canadian non-profit organization that advocates for clean water, fair trade, green energy, public health care, and democracy. The organization is headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario with regional offices in Halifax, ...

Fraser Institute The Fraser Institute is a Canadian Conservatism in Canada, conservative public policy think tank registered as a Charitable organization, charity. It is headquartered in Vancouver, with additional offices in Calgary, Toronto, and Montreal. It has ...

Frontier Centre for Public Policy The Frontier Centre for Public Policy (FCPP) is a Canadian public policy think tank founded in 1997 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Among the positions promoted by the Centre is free-markets and climate change denial. They are part of the Atlas N ...

Institute for Research on Public Policy The Institute for Research on Public Policy (IRPP; ) is an independent, national, bilingual, not-for-profit organization based in Montreal, Quebec. Its mission is to "improve public policy in Canada by generating research, providing insight and i ...

* Institute on Governance *

International Institute for Sustainable Development The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) is an independent think tank founded in 1990 working to shape and inform international policy on sustainable development governance. The institute has three offices in Canada - Winni ...

* International Policy Forum *

Macdonald–Laurier Institute The Macdonald–Laurier Institute (MLI) is a public policy think tank located in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 2010, the institute is named after John A. Macdonald, a Tory and Canada's first Prime Minister, and Wilfrid Laurier, a Liberal a ...

Montreal Economic Institute The Montreal Economic Institute (MEI) is a non-profit research organization (or think tank) based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It aims at promoting economic liberalism through economic education of the general public and what it regards as effici ...

Mowat Centre for Policy Innovation The Mowat Centre was an independent (politics), independent Canada, Canadian public policy think tank associated with the Munk School of Global Affairs, Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy at the University of Toronto. It was establishe ...

National Citizens Coalition The National Citizens Coalition (NCC) is a Canadian conservative lobby group that was incorporated in 1975 by Colin M. Brown, a successful insurance agent who strongly opposed public health insurance—Medicare. In response to what he percei ...

* North-South Institute *

Parkland Institute The Parkland Institute is an Alberta-wide, non-partisan research institute, situated within the Faculty of Arts at the University of Alberta. The Institute studies economic, social, cultural, and political issues using the intellectual approach of ...

Pembina Institute The Pembina Institute is a Canadian think tank and registered charity focused on energy. Founded in 1985, the institute has offices in Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, Ottawa, and Vancouver. The institute's mission is to "advance a prosperous clean e ...

Public Policy Forum The Public Policy Forum (PPF) is an independent, non-profit Canadian think tank for public-private dialogue. The organization's stated vision is "good policy for a better Canada, where everyone has an opportunity to flourish individually and toge ...

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 -cide is a suffix that means List of types of killing, killing. Cide or CIDE may also refer to: Places * Cide, a town in Turkey * Cide Temple, a temple in Kaohsiung, Taiwan Arts, entertainment, and media * Cide Hamete Benengeli, a fictional cha ...

– 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". * COMEXI – The Mexican Council of International Affairs (Consejo Mexicano de Asuntos Internacionales).

United States

As the classification is most often used today, the oldest American think tank is the

, founded in 1910.Thomas Medvetz, "'Think Tanks in America" (2012) Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press The Institute for Government Research, which later merged with two organizations to form the

, was formed in 1916. Other early twentieth century organizations now classified as think tanks include the

Hoover Institution The Hoover Institution (officially The Hoover Institution on War, Revolution, and Peace and formerly The Hoover Institute and Library on War, Revolution, and Peace) is an American public policy think tank which promotes personal and economic ...

(1919),

The Twentieth Century Fund The Century Foundation (established first as The Cooperative League and then the Twentieth Century Fund) is a progressive think tank headquartered in New York City with an office in Washington, D.C. It was founded as a nonprofit public policy re ...

(1919, and now known as the Century Foundation), the

National Bureau of Economic Research The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) is an American private nonprofit research organization "committed to undertaking and disseminating unbiased economic research among public policymakers, business professionals, and the academic co ...

(1920), the

(1921), and the

Social Science Research Council The Social Science Research Council (SSRC) is a US-based, independent, international nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing research in the social sciences and related disciplines. Established in Manhattan in 1923, it maintains a headqua ...

(1923). The Great Depression and its aftermath spawned several economic policy organizations, such as the National Planning Association (1934), the

Tax Foundation The Tax Foundation is an international research think tank based in Washington, D.C. that collects data and publishes research studies on Taxation in the United States, U.S. tax policies at both the federal and state levels. Its stated mission ...

(1937), and the

Committee for Economic Development The Committee for Economic Development of The Conference Board (CED) is an American nonprofit and nonpartisan public policy think tank. The board of trustees consist primarily of senior corporate executives from a range of U.S. industries an ...

(1943). In collaboration with the Douglas Aircraft Company, the Air Force set up the

in 1946 to develop weapons technology and strategic defense analysis. The

Hudson Institute Hudson Institute is an American Conservatism in the United States, conservative think tank based in Washington, D.C. It was founded in 1961 in Croton-on-Hudson, New York, by futurist Herman Kahn and his colleagues at the RAND Corporation. Kahn ...

is a conservative American think tank founded in 1961 by futurist, military strategist, and systems theorist Herman Kahn and his colleagues at the RAND Corporation. Recent members include Mike Pompeo, the former secretary of state under Donald Trump who joined in 2021. More recently, progressive and liberal think tanks have been established, most notably the

Center for American Progress The Center for American Progress (CAP) is a public policy think tank, research and advocacy organization which presents a Modern liberalism in the United States, liberal viewpoint on Economic policy, economic and social issues. CAP is headquarter ...

and the Center for Research on Educational Access and Leadership (CREAL). The organization has close ties to former United States President

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

and other prominent Democrats. Think tanks have been important allies for United States presidents since the

Reagan administration Ronald Reagan's tenure as the 40th president of the United States began with his first inauguration on January 20, 1981, and ended on January 20, 1989. Reagan, a Republican from California, took office following his landslide victory over ...

, writing and suggesting policies to implement, and providing staff for the administration. For recent conservative presidents, think tanks such as

The Heritage Foundation The Heritage Foundation (or simply Heritage) is an American Conservatism in the United States, conservative think tank based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1973, it took a leading role in the conservative movement in the 1980s during the Presi ...

, the

, and the

(AEI) were closely associated with the

. The

George H. W. Bush administration George may refer to: Names * George (given name) * George (surname) People * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Papagheorghe, also known as Jorge / GEØRGE * George, stage name of Gior ...

worked closely with AEI, and the

George W. Bush administration George W. Bush's tenure as the 43rd president of the United States began with his first inauguration on January 20, 2001, and ended on January 20, 2009. Bush, a Republican from Texas, took office following his narrow electoral college vict ...

worked closely with AEI and the Hoover Institution. The

Trump administration Presidency of Donald Trump may refer to: * First presidency of Donald Trump, the United States presidential administration from 2017 to 2021 * Second presidency of Donald Trump, the United States presidential administration since 2025 See also * ...

works closely with the Heritage Foundation. For recent liberal presidents, the

Progressive Policy Institute The Progressive Policy Institute (PPI) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that serves as a public policy think tank in the United States. The Democratic Leadership Council (DLC) founded it in 1989. ''The Washington Post'' has described the ...

and its parent the

Democratic Leadership Council The Democratic Leadership Council (DLC) was a non-profit 501(c)(4) corporation that was active from 1985 to 2011. Founded and directed by Al From, it argued that the United States Democratic Party should shift away from the leftward turn it had ...

were closely associated with the

Clinton administration Bill Clinton's tenure as the 42nd president of the United States began with his first inauguration on January 20, 1993, and ended on January 20, 2001. Clinton, a Democrat from Arkansas, took office following his victory over Republican in ...

, and the

was closely associated with the

Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. Ob ...

and Presidency of Joe Biden, 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

, followed by the

, the

, 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." For example, in exchange for hundreds of thousands of dollars the Brookings Institution provided Lennar – one of the United States' largest home builders – with a significant advantage in pursuing a US$8billion revitalization project in Hunters Point, San Francisco. In 2014, Lennar's then-regional vice president in charge of the San Francisco revitalization, Kofi Bonner was named as a Brookings senior fellow – a position as 'trusted adviser' that carries some distinction. Bruce Katz, a Brookings vice president, also offered to help Lennar "engage with national media to develop stories that highlight Lennar's innovative approach."

= U.S. government think tanks

= Government think tanks are also important in the United States, particularly in the security and defense field. These include the Center for Technology and National Security Policy at the National Defense University (Washington, D.C.), National Defense University, the Center for Naval Warfare Studies at the Naval War College, and the Strategic Studies Institute at the U.S. Army War College. The government funds, wholly or in part, activities at approximately 30 Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs). FFRDCs, are unique independent nonprofit entities sponsored and funded by the United States government to meet specific long-term technical needs that cannot be met by any other single organization. FFRDCs typically assist government agencies with scientific research and analysis, systems development, and systems acquisition. They bring together the expertise and outlook of government, industry, and academia to solve complex technical problems. These FFRDCs include the

, the MITRE Corporation, the Institute for Defense Analyses, the Aerospace Corporation, the MIT Lincoln Laboratory, and other organizations supporting various departments within the United States Government. Similar to the above quasi-governmental organizations are Federal Advisory Committee Act, Federal Advisory Committees. These groups, sometimes referred to as commissions, are a form of think tank dedicated to advising the US Presidents or the Executive branch of government. They typically focus on a specific issue and as such, might be considered similar to special interest groups. However, unlike special interest groups these committees have come under some oversight regulation and are required to make formal records available to the public. As of 2002, about 1,000 of these advisory committees were described in the FACA searchable database.

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 Military government of Chile (1973–1990), 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 Alberto Fujimori, 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

, 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, Science and technology in Argentina, Argentina is home to 122 think tanks, many specializing in public policy and

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. The government closed the Noravank Foundation, a government-affiliated think tank, in 2018 after almost two decades of operation. However, other think tanks continue to operate, include the Caucasus Institute, the Caucasus Research Resource Centers, Caucasus Research Resource Center-Armenia (CRRC-Armenia) (which publishes the "Caucasus Barometer" annual public opinion survey of the South Caucasus, the "Enlight" Public Research Center, and the AMBERD research center at the Armenian State University of Economics.

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 Azerbaijanis, 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: * Analytical Center for the Government of the Russian Federation * 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 1960's. 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. Currently the General Chairman of ESAM is Recai Kutan (former minister for two different ministries, former main opposition party leader, and founder and General Chairman of the Saadet Party). 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 Turkish think tanks#BİLGESAM, Wise Men Center for Strategic Studies (BİLGESAM).

Public opinion

A poll by the British firm Cast From Clay found that only 20 percent of Americans trusted think tanks in 2018.

History

19th century

20th century

21st century

Types

Activities

Governmental theory

Advocacy

Global think tanks

African think tanks

Ghana

Morocco

Somalia

South Africa

Asian think tanks

Afghanistan

Bangladesh

China

= Hong Kong

India

Indonesia

Iraq

Israel

South Korea

Japan

Kazakhstan

Malaysia

Pakistan

Philippines

Russia

Sri Lanka

Singapore

Taiwan

Thailand

United Arab Emirates

Uzbekistan

European think tanks

Belgium

Bulgaria

Czech Republic

Denmark

Finland

France

Germany

Greece

Ireland

Italy

Latvia

Lithuania

Netherlands

Poland

Portugal

Romania

Russia

Serbia

Slovakia

Spain

Sweden

Switzerland

Ukraine

United Kingdom

Oceanian think tanks

Australia

New Zealand

North American think tanks

Canada

Mexico

United States

= U.S. government think tanks

South American think tanks

Argentina

Brazil

Transcontinental countries (Asia-Europe)

Armenia

Azerbaijan

Russia

Turkey

Public opinion

See also

References