Political Foundation: A Special Actor In German Foreign Policy

There are six traditional political foundations in Germany. Among German non-state actors that involved in foreign relations, political foundations are unique and at times enigmatic players. They have many of the features associated with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) while remaining almost entirely dependent on state funding and subject to ministerial management in their activities. They are special institutional creation of German political culture. In Germany, political foundations work as one of the important foreign policy Think-tanks. Internationally, they are present in over 100 states with permanent offices organizing various training, consulting and policy dialog programs. In developing countries, foundation's work focuses on the reform of social and political structure and establishment of frame conditions. In western countries, they make intensive and continuous dialogs among elites to maintain and strengthen diplomatic partnership. As the "conduit" of German Model, the history of political foundation reflects the integration of "Normalization State" and "Post-nation State" concepts in Germany foreign policy.