Descending the ivory tower: American think tanks and their role in United States foreign policy, 1976--1988

For close to a century, think tanks have formed an integral part of America's political landscape. As research institutions specializing in domestic and foreign affairs, think tanks have played an important role in advising political leaders on a wide range of issues. However, since the mid 1900s, the role of think tanks as impartial policy research institutions has changed dramatically. Rather than assigning the highest priority to providing government officials with their expertise, several think tanks have come to resemble interest groups and political action committees by pressuring political leaders to pursue policies compatible with their institutional interests. No longer content with observing the political process from their "ivory towers", contemporary think tanks have become active participants in the political arena.; The study examines the changing role of think tanks in the United States and their growing involvement in the foreign policy making process. In particular, the study identifies those think tanks which played a visible role in advising the Carter and Reagan administrations and explores the various governmental and non-governmental channels they relied on to exercise influence. Among the think tanks discussed in the study are: The Brookings Institution, the Council on Foreign Relations, the Trilateral Commission, the Heritage Foundation, the Hoover Institution, the American Enterprise Institute, the Center for Strategic and International Studies and the Institute for Policy Studies.