Think Tanks, Public Policy, and the Politics of Expertise

ISBN-13: 9780521673945 / Angielski / Miękka / 2005 / 272 str.

Andrew Rich

Opis

Think tanks are nonprofit policy research organizations that provide analysis and expertise to influence policymakers. From the 1970s their number exploded in the U.S. and their proliferation represented a hope that lawmaking might become better informed and more effective as a result of these expert contributions. Instead, as this book documents, the known ideologies of many, especially the newer, think tanks currently contribute to an environment in which they differ little from advocacy organizations, promoting points of view and preordained policy prescriptions. As a result, they fail to achieve desired influence and undermine their credibility.

Recenzje

'This is a terrific book. It is not only the definitive political science treatment of think tanks in the United States, but also an extremely insightful study of the transformation of the policymaking community and process in Washington. Rich shows that the roles that experts play in influencing policy are severely constrained, and that think tank efforts to improve the timeliness and visibility of their policy ideas frequently come at a cost in terms of credibility. Anyone who reads this book will come away with a deeper understanding of the complex forces that shape contemporary policymaking in the United States.' R. Kent Weaver, Georgetown University

Spis treści

List of tables; List of figures; Acknowledgements; 1. The political demography of think tanks; 2. The evolution of think tanks; 3. Political credibility; 4. The policy roles of experts; 5. Policy influence: making research matter; 6. Think tanks, experts and American politics; Appendix A: details on the characteristics, perception and visibility of think tanks; Appendix B: list of in-depth interviews; Works cited; Index.