ABSTRACT
A major goal of this study is to ascertain what may help the think tank community and individual organizations reach their full potential. While each organization has a slightly different concept of its purpose, most survey respondents feel the role of think tanks is to serve as independent, innovative, and credible providers of ideas and analysis for policymakers, the public, and the media. Think tanks serve our country best when they are able to: study and analyze issues of national and international concern; challenge conventional wisdom and develop workable alternatives to the status quo; anticipate problems before they arise; and communicate their findings and recommendations to policymakers and the public. Many scholars feel that think tanks should be responsible for helping to identify emerging issues that have not yet become mainstream and alerting policymakers of their development. This requires longer term funding. Other roles of think tanks include providing a venue for debate, cutting through political discourse to identify the real problems, defining the questions that shape public policy, providing support for various policy alternatives and against others, and broadening the range of policy options.
