ThinkNets Tanks

The Role of Think Tanks and Think Nets in Defining Security Issues and Agendas : 

The Role of Think Tanks and Think Nets in Defining Security Issues and Agendas Peter Hayes June 6, 2005 Globalism Institute RMIT University

Outline: 

Outline Traditional think tanks Transnational think nets Examples Information Strategy The Global Collaborative

Traditional think tanks: 

Traditional think tanks One answer to question: how to organize and deliver knowledge in ways that support the pursuit and exercise of political power?

Genesis of Modern Think TanksRand, Hudson, IDA, CAN…: 

Genesis of Modern Think Tanks Rand, Hudson, IDA, CAN…

Traditional think tank roles: 

Traditional think tank roles J. McGann, R. Kent Weaver, ed, Think Tanks & Civil Societies, Transaction Publishers, New Brunswick, 2000, p. 3 (1) playing a mediating function between the government and the public

Traditional think tank roles: 

Traditional think tank roles (1) playing a mediating function between the government and the public; (2) identifying, articulating, and evaluating current or emerging issues, problems or proposals;

Traditional think tank roles: 

Traditional think tank roles (1) playing a mediating function between the government and the public; (2) identifying, articulating, and evaluating current or emerging issues, problems or proposals; (3) transforming ideas and problems into policy issues;

Traditional think tank roles: 

Traditional think tank roles (1) playing a mediating function between the government and the public; (2) identifying, articulating, and evaluating current or emerging issues, problems or proposals; (3) transforming ideas and problems into policy issues; (4) serving as an informed and independent voice in policy debates;

Traditional think tank roles: 

Traditional think tank roles (1) playing a mediating function between the government and the public; (2) identifying, articulating, and evaluating current or emerging issues, problems or proposals; (3) transforming ideas and problems into policy issues; (4) serving as an informed and independent voice in policy debates; (5) providing a constructive forum for the exchange of ideas and information between key stakeholders in the policy formulation process

Think Tank Autonomy: 

Think Tank Autonomy More or less autonomy from states More or less autonomy from corporations GONGOs

Traditional think tank types: 

Traditional think tank types academic contract research advocacy party-affiliated

Canine metaphors: 

Canine metaphors revolving door and holding shelf TTTs lapdog and guidedog TTTs greyhound reformist TTTs bloodhound TTTs pitbull TTTs poodle TTTs Worry Tank

"tank" metaphors: 

"tank" metaphors : fish tank (aquarium) battle tank police holding tank septic tank, gas tank sensory deprivation tank cultivation tank simulation tank --T. Judge, “Tank-thoughts" from "Think-tanks,”’ May 19, 2003, at: http://www.laetusinpraesens.org/docs00s/tank.php “Keep an eye on those two.”

Traditional think tank influence: 

Traditional think tank influence Articulation of elite interest and legitimation Institutional interests in pluralist framework D. Abelson, Do Think Tanks Matter? Assessing the Impact of Public Policy Institutes, McGill-Queens University Press, Montreal, 2000 D. Stone and A. Denham, Think Tank Traditions, Policy research and the politics of ideas, Manchester University Press, 2004

Measuring traditional think tank influence: 

Measuring traditional think tank influence Issue articulation (such are addressed to publics, intermediaries such as media, elites, governments, channeling policy currents, coalition formation, and aim to get issues onto the public agenda)

Measuring traditional think tank influence: 

Measuring traditional think tank influence Issue articulation Policy formulation (such as studies, evaluation, briefings, testimony, consultation, networking, iconic projects, demonstration effects)

Measuring traditional think tank influence: 

Measuring traditional think tank influence Issue articulation Policy formulation Policy implementation (such as contracting, advisory, media, supply of officials, training, database maintenance)

Indicators of traditional think tank influence: 

Indicators of traditional think tank influence Supply indicators: Proximity, funding and staffing level, fraction of total donor resources in US, staffing levels, networks of key players

Indicators of traditional think tank influence: 

Indicators of traditional think tank influence Supply indicators Demand indicators: Media exposure, testimony, briefings, official appointments, perched officials, consultation by officials or departments/agencies, conducive or receptive political environment

Indicators of traditional think tank influence: 

Indicators of traditional think tank influence Supply indicators Demand indicators Mission indicators: Recommendations considered or adopted by policymakers; perceptions of users; network centrality; advisory role to parties, candidates, transition teams, awards, publication in or citation of publications in academic journals, listserv and website dominance, adoption of contrarian positions (that is, opposed to official line)

“Actual policy initiative/change/implementation is the most obvious indicator of impact.  Research (case studies) and data on causality is always sorely lacking because funders tend to neglect such needs. So anecdotes, policymaker testimony, and circumstantial evidence are the common fallback in lieu of hard evidence.   If one is skeptical about such claims and the value of such evidence, there are other ways to measure a program's relevance to the policy process and potential to shape outcomes…” : 

“Actual policy initiative/change/implementation is the most obvious indicator of impact.  Research (case studies) and data on causality is always sorely lacking because funders tend to neglect such needs. So anecdotes, policymaker testimony, and circumstantial evidence are the common fallback in lieu of hard evidence.   If one is skeptical about such claims and the value of such evidence, there are other ways to measure a program's relevance to the policy process and potential to shape outcomes…”  BUT

Relationships/contacts with policymakers/implementersRelationships with individuals (Board members etc.) with relationships with policymakersExtent of/quality of circulation of research productsUptake of products by policymakers (public references)Uptake by other influential elites: editorial boards, columnists, media commentatorsUptake by political pressure groups and other civic actors Cumulative media references to research productsReflection of research products in policy statements and documents...conceptual and textual reflections: 

Relationships/contacts with policymakers/implementers Relationships with individuals (Board members etc.) with relationships with policymakers Extent of/quality of circulation of research products Uptake of products by policymakers (public references) Uptake by other influential elites: editorial boards, columnists, media commentators Uptake by political pressure groups and other civic actors Cumulative media references to research products Reflection of research products in policy statements and documents...conceptual and textual reflections Anecdotal Data

Example 1: CEIP and Iraq War: 

Example 1: CEIP and Iraq War CEIP floated a trial balloon for an innovation in monitoring and inspection policy that would have used armed force to achieve access and transparency for arms control and disarmament purposes, but would not have entailed declaring war and occupation of Iraq.

Example 1: CEIP and Iraq War: 

Example 1: CEIP and Iraq War Bush Administration had to respond UN allies floated the idea after briefings Congressional testimony Media coverage

TTT Example 2: Heritage: 

TTT Example 2: Heritage “change mental maps” “printer friendly pocket cards”

Virtual Think Tanks  Transnational Think Nets : 

Virtual Think Tanks Transnational Think Nets Enabling conditions: Internet + globalization

Transnational Think Nets: 

Transnational Think Nets global public policy networks single issue global social movements diasporic networks transecting transnational networks

Key Concepts for Transnational Think Nets: 

Key Concepts for Transnational Think Nets the information milieu of the global public sphere is the critical domain for policy articulation and implementation because it contains the common knowledge and shared reference points that are critical to successful negotiation seek to identify natural affines that share weak links solution to the “small worlds” problem

INFOAXIOM 2 www.infoaxioms.org: 

INFOAXIOM 2 www.infoaxioms.org Common Knowledge and Networks Speed of diffusion varies by weak-strong links (less processing, less distance, fastest communication in weakly coupled networks)

GLOBAL PUBLIC POLICY NETWORKS: 

GLOBAL PUBLIC POLICY NETWORKS Example 1. World Commission on Dams Example 2. The World Commission on Water …multi-sectoral, single-issue, static, even bureaucratic…

Transnational Think-Nets: 

Transnational Think-Nets communicate across borders and behind the scenes speak truth to power top quality information and analysis Informational and analytic timeliness, accuracy, insight (especially early warning of pending events, emerging issues, or anomalies in conventional perspectives connectivity to networked policymakers.

Transnational Think-Nets: 

Transnational Think-Nets Multi-sectoral Cross-issues (multi-dimensional) Diasporic Nodal networked Sustainability, Insecurity, Dislocation, Poverty, Governance…

The Global Collaborative webspace: 

The Global Collaborative webspace

The Initiative: 

The Initiative Activity that has a discernible, measurable, tangible impact on global problem that prefigures global solution over 2 years Deep research on solutions and strategies Networking, common knowledge, communication, coordination, collaboration Embracing Uncertainty

Slide44: 

Edge colors reveal the relationships between the nodes at their endpoints. Dark gray edges indicate that the nodes at the endpoints are closely related, and light gray that the relationship is more loose.                                                                                                      When one moves the mouse over a node, for instance "Levi Strauss" in the diagram at left, one sees the gray edges colored blue and red. A red edge indicates that when one does a google similar-page for the source site, i.e levi.com , the target site, guess.com will appear on Levi's similar page list. A blue edge indicates the reverse relationship, for instance that when one does a search on dockers.com that levi.com will appear on Dockers similar page list. Both red and blue edges can be present simultaneously as is the case between Levi and Dockers.