Think tanks research and propose solutions to societal problems, with staff from diverse backgrounds. Funding sources vary and can be controversial. Recommendations can become law, making public awareness important.
A think tank is an organization dedicated to researching and discussing the problems facing society. As a general rule, these organizations also tend to propose possible solutions and may engage in education and advocacy to engage and interest members of the public in issues of concern. These organizations can be found all over the world, focusing on a wide variety of issues including the environment, technology, poverty, law, foreign policy, economics, education, military issues, and so on. away, and many of the brightest minds in the world are involved in them.
The slang term “think tank” for the brain arose in the early 20th century, with the usage in this context arising around the 1920s, although the concept of gathering brilliant minds to think about problems is much older . Often the staff is quite large and ideally extremely diverse, aiming to come up with innovative solutions and approaches to a variety of problems. Many organizations offer policy suggestions and the means to implement them, leading some people to call them “public policy organizations” and they are also referred to as “political institutes”.
Funding for think tanks comes from a variety of sources, and this is sometimes a controversial topic. Some are non-profit, relying on grants and generous donations from members of the general public interested in the organization’s cause. Others are actually funded by special interest groups or governments, and critics of the think tank system have pointed out that some sources of funding could compromise the group’s integrity.
The staff tend to be highly educated and are highly skilled in their fields. In a think tank that focuses on environmental issues, for example, the staff will include a cross section of people trained in environmental studies, ensuring that when the group comes up with suggestions they will be valid and accepted by the wider environmental community. It’s not uncommon for the organization to employ lawyers and economists to contribute to their discussions of social problems, as most solutions require money and involve legal issues, so addressing these potential hurdles early on can be a great idea.
Many think tanks become extremely prominent in host nations and abroad, and while they may only make public policy recommendations, their recommendations are often turned into law. The work of such organizations in the field of public awareness can be extremely important, as it gets people to think about public policy issues and the ways in which they can potentially be addressed.
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