Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program

Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program
Name	Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program
Formation	1989
Founder	James G. McGann
Type	Research program
Location	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Parent organization	University of Pennsylvania

Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program The program is a research initiative based at the University of Pennsylvania conducting comparative analysis of policy institutes, foundations, and advocacy organizations. It produces annual surveys and reports that map relationships among institutions such as Brookings Institution, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Chatham House, RAND Corporation, and Heritage Foundation, while engaging networks across continents including European Council on Foreign Relations, Asia Foundation, and Open Society Foundations. Its work intersects scholarship on public policy produced by scholars from Harvard Kennedy School, London School of Economics, Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, Columbia University, and University of Oxford.

Overview and History

Founded in 1989 by James G. McGann at the University of Pennsylvania, the program evolved from comparative studies of policy research bodies linked to organizations such as Ford Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, and Carnegie Corporation of New York. Early collaborators and interlocutors included researchers from Brookings Institution, American Enterprise Institute, Council on Foreign Relations, Centre for European Policy Studies, and International Crisis Group. Over time it expanded global coverage to include institutions in regions represented by Asia-Pacific Foundation of Canada, African Center for Economic Transformation, Mercator Institute for China Studies, Instituto Tecnológico de Monterrey, and Grupo de Diálogo Interamericano.

Objectives and Activities

The program aims to catalogue, evaluate, and strengthen relations among policy research organizations such as Wilson Center, Atlantic Council, Centre for Strategic and International Studies, Stimson Center, and Bertelsmann Stiftung. Core activities include producing the annual reports that rank entities like Cato Institute, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Lowy Institute, German Institute for International and Security Affairs, and Istituto Affari Internazionali. It organizes conferences and workshops with partners including UNESCO, World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and African Union to convene experts from Princeton University, Yale University, University of Chicago, National University of Singapore, and Tsinghua University.

Global Index and Rankings

The flagship output is an annual global index that lists top think tanks and policy research centers, often citing the prominence of Brookings Institution, Chatham House, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, RAND Corporation, and Heritage Foundation. The index highlights regional leaders such as Lowy Institute in Australia, Observer Research Foundation in India, Japan Institute of International Affairs in Japan, China Center for International Economic Exchanges in China, Centro Brasileiro de Relacoes Internacionais in Brazil, and South African Institute of International Affairs in South Africa. It also maps relationships to philanthropic and governmental funders like Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, USAID, Department for International Development, European Commission, and Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Methodology and Criteria

Methodological frameworks draw on peer review panels involving scholars from Harvard University, Stanford University, London School of Economics, Sciences Po, and The Graduate Institute, Geneva as well as practitioners from International Monetary Fund, World Bank Group, Asian Development Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, and European Central Bank. Indicators include measures of research output, media presence, policy influence, and networks involving entities such as Reuters, BBC, The New York Times, Financial Times, and The Washington Post. The program incorporates surveys that reach staff at Centre for European Reform, Brazilian Center for Analysis and Planning, Canadian Global Affairs Institute, Korea Development Institute, and Institute of Policy Studies.

Impact and Criticism

Supporters cite influence on transparency and professionalization in think tank sectors exemplified by reforms at Brookings Institution, Chatham House, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and German Council on Foreign Relations. Critics argue rankings privilege anglophone and well-funded institutions such as Heritage Foundation, Cato Institute, and Hudson Institute and may underrepresent centers like Palestine Economic Policy Research Institute or grassroots hubs linked to Amnesty International or Human Rights Watch. Debates involve scholars at London School of Economics, Columbia University, University of Sydney, and commentators at Project Syndicate, The Economist, and Foreign Policy over methodological bias, funding influence from Open Society Foundations or Russia Today, and geopolitical framing tied to policy agendas debated in United Nations General Assembly and G20 Summit venues.

Regional and Thematic Networks

The program documents regional networks and thematic consortia connecting institutions such as Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research, European Policy Institutes Network, African Think Tanks Network, Latin American Council of Social Sciences, and thematic coalitions including Climate Policy Initiative, Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago, Global Health Council, Migration Policy Institute, and Transparency International. It maps collaborations among regional hubs like EastWest Institute, Asia Society, Mercosur Secretariat, ASEAN Secretariat, and Pacific Islands Forum as they relate to policy research communities at University of Cape Town, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, University of Toronto, Peking University, and University of São Paulo.

Category:Think tanks