ABSTRACT
The purpose of this chapter is to introduce and explore global think tanks and policy networks in detail. Specifically, this chapter explores the origins and emergence of both global think tanks and policy networks. In particular, attention is placed on the various stimuli and underlying foundations that have stimulated the rise of these entities. There are brief discussions on the past and current challenges facing both transnational think tanks and policy networks as well as what the future holds for both, although the next chapter will explore those areas more thoroughly. A small number of select individual cases that have been quite successful are included as points of reference. The idea of “global public goods” (GPGs) is emerging on the inter-
national agenda, with an increased recognition of and attention to cross-border social problems among policymakers, civil society actors, and the public. GPGs are nonexcludable (everyone can use them), nonrival (impossible to be depleted from overuse), and have benefits that transcend population, time, and political barriers. GPGs have increased drastically as issues that were typically of national concern are now too big for any one nation to handle by itself. Knowledge has been used by Joseph Stiglitz as an example of a GPG.1 Most public goods, according to Kaul et al., suffer from underprovision, as individual actors deem it in their best interest to enjoy the free benefits of letting others deal with the problem.2 This phenomenon is known as the “free rider” problem. It occurs when consumers benefit from the public good without contributing to its production. It is a result of selfish, individualistic thinking. An example would be the global warming issue; some countries may not partake in emission cut programs, even though they benefit from other countries doing so and cutting worldwide CO2 levels. The United Nations Development Programme described the challenges facing this phenomenon:
Sometimes a good may be lacking. Instead of peace, conflict and war may prevail, ravaging people’s lives. And sometimes a good may exist but be shaped in such a way that it entails costs for some people or countries while benefiting others. For example, procedures for managing international financial crises have at times placed a heavier burden on borrowers than on lenders. So it is not only the level at which goods are provided that may affect people’s lives: the way in which they are provided matters too.3
