1. Presentation to the Israel Democracy Institute International Conference “What Do Think Tanks Do?” May 15, 2011 Donald Abelson The University of Western Ontario

2. Scholars who study think tanks have been unable to reach a consensus on how to define these organizations. There are some identifiable characteristics:  Not for profit  Tax-exempt  Non-partisan (not to be confused with non- ideological)  Research -oriented, with a commitment to shaping public opinion and policy

3. In the absence of an agreed-upon definition, scholars in the field have established classifications to account for the diverse nature of the think tank community (McGann and Weaver, Stone, Abelson, etc…)  Universities without students –policy research  Government Contractors/Specialists  Advocacy Think Tanks Although it is not always easy to classify think tanks, scholars generally agree that the trend since the early 1970s has been toward the creation of advocacy think tanks that combine policy research with aggressive political advocacy.

4. Andrew Carnegie Robert Brookings Herbert Hoover

5. The Brookings Institution The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

6. The Rand Corporation The Urban Institute

7. Edwin Feulner Paul Weyrich The Heritage Foundation

8. The Pendulum Begins to Swing From Policy Research to Political Advocacy:  Combining Policy Research with aggressive marketing  Quick Response Policy Research-Timely & Policy Relevant  Emphasis on Media Exposure  It’s all about the numbers National or Public Interest? Institutional & Private Interests

9. InstitutionDate Founded LocationNumber of Staff Budget ($ Millions) Carnegie Endowment for International Peace 1910Washington, DC> 100> 15-20 The Brookings Institution1916Washington, DC250> 30 Hoover Institution1919Stanford, CA320> 30 Council on Foreign Relations 1921New York, NY> 100> 30 American Enterprise Institute 1943Washington, DC190> 20 RAND1946Santa Monica, CA1,600> 200 Hudson Institute1961Indianapolis, IN125> 10 Center for Strategic & International Studies 1962Washington, DC> 220> 20 Heritage Foundation1973Washington, DC> 150> 30

10. Think tanks vary enormously in terms of size, financial resources, areas of specialization, and research programs, but they share in common a desire to influence public opinion and public policy. Target Audiences/Stakeholders:  Policy-Makers (Executive and Legislative Branches); They also target bureaucratic departments and agencies responsible for foreign and defense policy (State Department, Department of Defense, National Security Council, etc…)  Media  Academics  Corporations  The Public

11.  Publications –Books, policy briefs, opinion magazines  Media commentaries  Blogs- websites  Congressional Testimony  Seminars; Conferences; Workshops  Liaison Offices with Congress

12. Think Tanks convey ideas to policy- makers at different stages of the policy- making process. To achieve influence, think tanks often need to present the right ideas to the right people at the right time.