Think Tanks

Stella Ladi

The term think tank has been used to describe both private and public organizations that provide advice to governments. A generally accepted definition would describe think tanks as organizations that are distinct from government and whose objective is to provide advice on a diverse range of policy issues through the use of specialized knowledge and the activation of networks. What follows in this entry is, first, a discussion of the historical and geographical development of the concept; second, a typology of think tanks; third, a discussion of characteristics and myths related to think tanks; and finally, some thoughts about the impact of globalization on think tanks. The term think tank was first used in military jargon during World War II to describe a safe place where plans and strategies could be discussed, but its meaning started changing during the 1960s when it was used in the United States to considerably. ...

Users without subscription are not able to see the full content on this title. Please, subscribe or login to access all content on this website.