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Collaboration Between Think Tanks and Government in the Development of Public Policy
policy process cannot be ignored. Although media does not design or
implement policies, it plays a significant role in terms of influencing
public opinion regarding policy.
Another relevant issue in determining the level of success of think
tanks is their institutional capacity to remain financially viable and
maintain their independence over time. The management and financial
structure of a think tank influences the degree of independence with
which the organization operates, thus affecting the organization’s
agenda in working toward a given policy outcome. In many instances,
the funding source of a given organization is the sole determinant of
what issues and policies the institution will focus on. For example,
in the case of think tanks linked to political parties, whether through
financial dependence and/or management, the party will influence the
degree of independence with which the organization approaches certain
discussions. A strong link to a political party may also mean that the
organization is affected by political cycles. At the same time, think
tanks financed by specific economic groups could have their credibility
and impartiality called into question when discussing certain topics.
These influences could very well lead to think tanks being instruments
for negative change if the policy changes that their benefactors seek
are not carefully conceived. This potential for think tanks to become
armed branches of specific interest groups or political parties can
undermine the positive affects this system can have on the effectiveness
of governance and the development of sound policy.
However, this potential should not be taken to mean that think
tanks should never be linked to specific groups or parties. Quite the
contrary, as long as think tanks maintain their objectivity and quality,
these organizations can serve as mediators and refiners of policies that
might otherwise be purely ideological and ungrounded. Going back
to the example of political party think tanks, these organizations can
and should help political parties develop better policy proposals that
are based on serious analysis and not solely on political considerations.
