National, regional, and global think tanks: Catalysts for ideas and action

This chapter is designed to map out the general relationship between government and think tanks in the US public policy process. It is a unique relationship arisen from certain peculiar social, historical, and institutional realities. Nevertheless, elements of the relationship can be adapted and applied elsewhere. We explore the global think tank phenomenon with respect to six specific sub-themes: future orientation, policy agenda reconfiguration, collaboration, intellectual synthesis, data dissemination, and integrating the policy process.