1. International Relations Program
Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program
Analytical Center of the Government of the
Russian Federation
August 2, 2013
GOVERNMENTSTHINK TANKS AND
2. International Relations Program
Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program
“'Measuring the Performance of Think Tanks”
James G. McGann, Ph.D.
Assistant Director
International Relations Pogram
Director
Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program
University of Pennsylvania
Phone: 001 (215) 898 0452
jmcgann@sas.upenn.edu
3. Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program (TTCSP)
“Think Tanks’ Think Tank”
Research and data on think tanks
Global Database 6603 Think Tanks
Global Go-To Think Tank Index
Global and Regional Networking
Think Tank Capacity Building Program (TTCBP)
Knowledge exchange and capacity-building for governmental and NGO
think tanks
Current Studies
Think Tanks in the BRICS and G20
Think Tanks in India & China
Trends and Transitions Security and International Affairs Think Tanks
Global Think Tanks and Policy Advice & Governance
Fifth Estate: Think Tanks and US Domestic and Foreign Policy
International Relations Program
Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program
PENN’S TTCSP AND THE TTCBP
4. I. Global Overview of Think Tanks
II. Overview of Global Go To Think Tank
Rankings Report
International Relations Program
Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program
PRESENTATION STRUCTURE
5. International Relations Program
Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program
Knowledge-based, policy-oriented
institutions
Serve governments,
intergovernmental organizations,
and civil society
A public policy
research, analysis
and engagement
organization
THINK TANK:
6. WHAT ROLE DO THINK TANKS PLAY?
International Relations Program
Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program
“Within universities, research is frequently driven by arcane
theoretical and methodological debates only distantly related to real
policy dilemmas. Within government, officials immersed in the
concrete demands of day-to-day policy-making are often too busy to
take a step back and reconsider the broader trajectory of U.S. policy.
Think tanks help bridge this gap between the worlds of ideas and
action.”
- Richard Haass
President, Council on Foreign Relations
“Think Tanks and U.S. Foreign Policy: A Policy-Maker's Perspective”
7. Generate policy-oriented research, analysis, and advice
Engage and educate policymakers, media and public on policy issues
Identify, train, and develop talent
Provide a home for public figures who are out of office
Convene experts to float policy proposals and build consensus
Serve as bridge between knowledge and policy communities
Help bridge the gap between policymakers and the public
Be in the vanguard of political and economic development, and of policy
innovation
The canary in the mine: key civil society indicator
International Relations Program
Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program
ROLE OF THINK TANKS
9. International Relations Program
Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program
554
1194
1836721
339
1919
40 Africa
Asia
Europe
Latin America and the
Caribbean
Middle East and North
Africa
North America
Oceania
GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION OF THINK TANKS BY REGION
(2012)
10. 2012 GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION OF THINK TANKS BY REGION
International Relations Program
Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program
Region
Number of
Think Tanks
% of Total
Africa 554 8.4
Asia 1194 18
Europe 1836 27.8
Latin America and Caribbean 721 11
Middle East and North Africa 339 5.1
North America 1919 29.1
Oceania 40 .6
Total 6603 100
12. TYPES OF THINK TANKS
International Relations Program
Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program
Type Examples
Party-Affiliated
• Konrad Adenauer Foundation (Germany)
• Jaures Foundation (France)
• Progressive Policy Institute (U.S.)
Governmental
• China Development Institute (China)
• Institute for Political & International Studies (Iran)
• Congressional Research Service (U.S.)
Quasi-
governmental
• Institute for Strategic & International Studies (Malaysia)
• Korean Development Institute (Korea)
• Woodrow International Center For Scholars (U.S.)
Autonomous and
Independent
• Pakistan Institute of International Affairs (Pakistan)
• Institute for Security Studies (South Africa)
• Institute for International Economics (U.S.)
Quasi-
independent
• European Trade Union Institute (Belgium)
• NLI Research Institute (Japan)
• Center for Defense Information (U.S.)
University-
affiliated
• Foreign Policy Institute, Hacettepe University (Turkey)
• Institute For International Relations (Brazil)
• The Hoover Institution on War, Revolution and Peace, Stanford University (U.S.)
13. 1960s and
1970s
• TTs start to
appear in
large
numbers,
especially in
OECD
countries
1980s
• Global
expansion of
TTs begin as
TTs start to
specialize
• First studies of
TTs in
literature
appear
1990s
• Explosive
increase in
number of TTs
worldwide
2000s
• Global networks
of TTs form the
most
comprehensive
source of
information
internationally
available for
policy makers
HISTORICAL THINK TANK TRENDS
International Relations Program
Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program
15. 1st wave 1917-1929 World War I; Great Depression
2nd wave 1937-1945 World War II
3rd wave 1950-1989 Cold War
4th wave 1960-1979 War on Poverty, Social Movements, International
Development
5th wave 1980-1992 War of Ideas & the End of Cold War Consensus
6th wave 1989-2001 End of the Cold War; Impact of Globalization
7th wave 2001-2008 War on Terror
8th wave 2009-Present Global Economic Crisis & Rise of the G20
International Relations Program
Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program
THINK TANKS AND PARADIGMS SHIFTS
16. Demands for independent information and analysis
Technology & communication advances
Globalization of NGO funding
More complex and high pressure issues
Information revolution
Democratization
End of government monopoly on information
International Relations Program
Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program
REASONS FOR THE GROWTH OF THINK TANKS
17. Complexity and technical nature of policy problems
Size of government and crisis in confidence in
government officials
Globalization and the growth of state and non state
actors
Need for timely and concise information and analysis “in
the right form at the right time”
Emergence of Global Think Tanks
REASONS FOR THE GROWTH OF THINK TANKS
International Relations Program
Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program
18. Individual donations
Corporate donations
Foundation grants
Government grants and contracts
Endowment
Other Revenue (rental income, sale of
publications)
International Relations Program
Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program
Diversified Funding =
Ideal Funding Model
FUNDING SOURCES
19. International Relations Program
Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program
• Timely and accessible research & analysis that is in
“the right form, at the right time”Relevance
• Scholars and analysts who consistently produce high
quality, independent research & analysisRigor
• Data, research & analysis that is evidence based,
subjected to a careful review process and quality
controls
Reliability
• A range of high quality, accessible products that meet
the needs of policy-makers, journalist & policy elites
that are carefully marketed to key stake holders
Reach
The four Rs of
High Impact Think Tanks
20. • Based on the quality of a Think Tank’s ideas, independence
and influence
• Think Tank is only as good as its last good idea, so keep the
ideas coming
• Go-to place (GTP) for research and analysis on an issue or
for a leading expert on a topic
• “Critical mass of positive buzz”
• In US, the GTP for the 2000 plus policy-makers, journalists
and policy elites who shape public policy
Reputation
Tangible and Intangible
Dimensions
The Fifth R
International Relations Program
Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program
21. HYBRIDIZATION
OF THINK TANKS
International Relations Program
Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program
Increasing blend of
organizational types
Changing nature of
staffing patterns
Academic Center
Consulting Firm
Advocacy Group
Policy Enterprise
Media Tank
Techie Tank
Academic Scholar
Analysts/Technocratic
Activist/Ideologue
Marketing/Sales Exec.
Journalist
Techie or Social Networker
22. THINK, DO AND TWEET TANKS
International Relations Program
Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program
Think Tank Research & Analysis
Think & Do Tank Turns Ideas in to Action
Talk Tank Convenes Policy Elites
Do Tank Pushes Other People’s Ideas
Techie Tank Let Technology Do the
Talking
23. Think tanks clearly face unique challenges depending
on nature and state of political and economic system
in which they operate
All think tanks, however, face a common set of
challenges that can be summarized by 4 Ms:
International Relations Program
Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program
CHALLENGES – THE “4 MS”
24. International Relations Program
Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program
• What are think tanks and how do they establish
their research priorities in a fast changing world?Mission
• How and where do think tanks recruit and
retain top talents?Manpower
• Who funds think tanks and how
independent are they?Money
• How do think tanks convince policy-makers
of their worth?Market
It is for this reason that we propose a regional think tank
summit that will provide for a peer-to-peer exchange of best
practices in think tank management and policy development
25. GLOBAL GO TO THINK TANK
RANKINGS REPORT
OVERVIEW
International Relations Program
Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program
26. WHAT IS THE GLOBAL “GO-TO”?
Comprehensive, global ranking of the world’s top think
tanks that are selected from a universe of 6,545 policy
organizations from every region of the world (182
countries)
Highlights the important contribution think tanks make
to government and civil society globally
Based on a worldwide survey of 1,500 scholars,
journalists, policymakers and peers from 120 countries.
“An insider’s guide to the global marketplace of ideas”
International Relations Program
Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program
27. SNAPSHOT OF GGTTT INDEX’S GLOBAL REACH
• Germany (84)
• India (52)
• Belgium (47)
• UK (45)
• France (40)
• Brazil (34)
• China (25)
• Russia (24)
• Israel (23)
• Argentina (20)
• Australia (17)
• Japan (17)
International Relations Program
Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program
• Poland (15)
• Singapore (14)
• South Africa (14)
• Sweden (14)
• Malaysia (14)
• Ukraine (13)
• Mexico (12)
• Turkey (12)
• Denmark (10)
• Egypt (8)
• Ghana (8)
• Hungary (8)
• Ecuador (7)
• Bangladesh (5)
• Peru (5)
• Bulgaria (4)
• Bolivia (4)
• Chile (4)
• Ethiopia (4)
• Nepal (4)
• Belarus (3)
• Yemen (2)
• Iran (1)
• Cambodia (1)
28. BACKGROUND
Global “Go-To” initiated in 2006; first report 2007
2009 – featured at a UN briefing, published in Foreign
Policy magazine and The Economist
Expert and Peer-based ranking system that attempts to
identify “centers of excellence”
Creates a global list of top think tanks by region and
functional policy areas
Provides think tanks, donors, and constituents with a
another metric to evaluate performance
International Relations Program
Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program
30. Global Reach of the Rankings
• 6,603 think tanks invited to participate
• 1,947 individuals from 120 countries
participated in the process
• Think tanks were nominated and then ranked in
38 categories
• Total number of think tanks nominated 1,647
• Total number of nominations well over 57,000
• 171 think tanks nominated for the top think in
the world
International Relations Program
Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program
31. Snapshot of Participants
• 793 nominated expert panelists
• 150 journalists and scholars
• 55 current and former directors of think tank
programs and networks
• 40 public and private donors
• 100s of think tanks
• 25-30 intergovernmental organizations
• 120 academic institutions
International Relations Program
Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program
32. What’s New 2012 and 2013
• New Categories 2012
– Top Energy and Resource Policy Think Tanks
– Top Education Policy Think Tanks (Unranked)
– Best For-Profit Think Tanks (Unranked)
– Best Advocacy Campaign
– Best Policy Study/Report Produced 2011-2012
– Best Independent Think Tanks
• New Categories 2013
– Best Think Tank By Country
International Relations Program
Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program
33. What’s New This Year
• Modified Categories
– Asia is now divided into two categories.
• Top Think Tanks in Asia (Excluding China, India, Japan, and the
Republic of Korea)
• Top think Tanks in China, India, Japan, and the Republic of Korea
– Best New Think Tanks now examines organizations founded over
the past 24 months instead of 18.
– The Americas have been rearranged into:
• Top Think Tanks in Central American and the Caribbean
• Top Think Tanks in Mexico and Canada
• Top Think Tanks in South America
International Relations Program
Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program
34. Meeting, Listening Responding
– Some contend that that Go To Report has a strong
OECD bias. Changes have been implemented to
enable underrepresented regions and countries to be
represented in the rankings:
• Dramatically increasing the number of listings in each category
• Splitting Asia into two categories
• Creating a separate category for Mexico and Canada
• Creating two global rankings both with and without the U.S.
• Creating a category recognizing organizations with a budget of
less that $5 million
International Relations Program
Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program
35. Feedback, Evaluation Redesign
• There have been methodological changes in addition to the structural fixes.
– In 2010 over 100 Expert Panelists participated in an evaluation of the
ranking criteria and nominations and indexing process. This resulted in a
number of major changes designed to limit bias, improve inclusivity and
the quality and integrity of the process.:
• The nomination process was opened to every think tank in the world
as identified by the TTCSP. This replaced a system where the initial
slate of institutions was developed by the Expert Panels.
• Process is now a mix of peer and expert nomination, and ranking.
Final ranking now reviewed and evaluated by Expert Panels
• An outreach effort was launched in Asia, Latin America, Africa, and
MENA to improve response from these regions and further expand
the Report.
International Relations Program
Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program
36. Rankings – Global*
• Top Think Tanks – Worldwide (Non-US)
– Chatham House (United Kingdom); Bruegel (Belgium);
Stockholm, International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)
(Sweden); Amnesty International (United Kingdom); Chinese
Academy of Social Sciences (CASS)
• Top Think Tanks – Worldwide (US and Non-US)
– Brookings Institution (United States); Chatham House (United
Kingdom); Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (United
States); Stockholm International Peace Research Institute
(SIPRI)(Sweden); Center for Strategic and International Studies
(CSIS)
*For the sake of brevity only the top 5 think tanks are listed in each
category.
International Relations Program
Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program
37. Rankings - Regional
• Top Think Tanks In the United States
– Brookings Institution; Carnegie Endowment for International
Peace; Council on Foreign Relations (CFR); Center for Strategic
and International Studies (CSIS); RAND Corporation
• Top Think Tanks in Western Europe
– Bruegel (Belgium); Chatham House (United Kingdom); Stockholm
International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) (Sweden);
International Crisis Group (ICG) (Belgium); Amnesty International
(United Kingdom)
International Relations Program
Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program
38. Rankings - Regional
• Top Think Tanks in Central and Eastern Europe
– Center for Social and Economic Research (CASE) (Poland);
Carnegie Moscow Center (Russia); Institute of World Economic
and International Relations (IMEMO, RAS) (Russia); Polish
Institute of International Affairs (PISM) (Poland); Moscow State
Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) (Russia)
• Top Think Tanks in Asia (Excluding
China, India, Japan, and the Republic of Korea)
– Lowy Institute (Australia); Singapore Institute of International
Affairs (SIIA) (Singapore); Centre for Strategic Studies (CSS) (New
Zealand); Australian Institute for International Affairs (AIIA)
(Australia); East Asia Institute (Singapore)
International Relations Program
Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program
39. Rankings - Regional
• Top Think Tanks in China, India Japan, and the Republic
of Korea
– Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) (China); Japan
Institute of International Affairs (JIIA) (Japan); Korea
Development Institute (KDI) (Republic of Korea); China
Institutes of Contemporary International Relations (CICIR)
(China); Asan Institute for Policy Studies (Republic of Korea)
• Top Think Tanks in Sub-Saharan Africa
– South African Institute of International Affairs (South Africa);
Centre for Conflict Resolution (South Africa); Institute for Security
Studies (South Africa); African Center for the Constructive
Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD) (South Africa); Africa Institute
of South Africa (South Africa)
International Relations Program
Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program
40. Rankings - Regional
• Top Think Tanks in Mexico and Canada
– Fraser Institute (Canada); Consejo Mexicano de Asuntos
Internacionales (COMEXI) (Mexico); Centre for International
Governance Innovation (CIGI) (Canada); North-South Institute
(Canada); Centro de Investigacion y Docencia Econmoica (CIDE)
(Mexico)
• Top Think Tanks in South and Central America
– Fundação Getulio Vargas (Brazil); Economic Commission for
Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) (Chile); Centro do
Estudios Públicos (CEP) (Chile); Centro de Divulgacion del
Conocimineto Economomico para la Libertad (CEDICE Libertad)
(Venezuela); Centro de Estudios de la Realidad Economicica y
Social (CERES) (Uruguay)
International Relations Program
Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program
41. Rankings - Regional
• Top Think Tanks in the Middle East and North Africa
(MENA)
– Carnegie Middle East Center (Lebanon); Gulf Research Center
(GRC) (Saudi Arabia); Begin Sadat Center for Strategic Studies
(Israel); Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation
(TESEV) (Turkey); Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic
Studies (Egypt)
International Relations Program
Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program
42. Rankings – Research Area
• Top Security and International Affairs
– Center for Strategic and International Studies (United States);
Chatham House (United Kingdom); Brookings Institution (United
States); Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) (United States);
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (United States)
• Top International Development
– Brookings Institution (United States); Overseas Development
Institute (ODI) (United Kingdom); Center for Global
Development (CGD) (United States); Center for International
Development (CID) (United States); Woodrow Wilson
International Center for Scholars (United States)
International Relations Program
Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program
43. Rankings – Research Area
• Top Environment
– World Resources Institute (United States); Brookings Institution
(United States); Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES)
(United States); Worldwatch Institute (United States);
Earthwatch Institute (United States)
• Top Health Policy
– Bloomberg School of Public Health Research Centers (JHSPH)
(United States); Cambridge Centre for Health Services Research
(United Kingdom); Brookings Institution (United States); RAND
Corporation (United States) ; Fraser Institute (Canada)
International Relations Program
Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program
44. Rankings – Research Area
• Top Domestic Economic Policy
– Brookings Institution (United States); Cato Institute (United
States); American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research
(AEI) (United States); National Bureau of Economic Research
(NBER) (United States); Peterson Institute for International
Economics (United States)
• Top International Economic Policy
– Bruegel (Belgium); Brookings Institution (United States); Peterson
Institute for International Economics (United States); Kiel Institute
for the World Economy (Germany); Chatham House (United
Kingdom)
International Relations Program
Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program
45. Rankings – Research Area
• Top Social Policy
– Brookings Institution (United States); RAND Corporation (United
States); American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research
(AEI) (United States); Urban Institute (United States): Amnesty
International (United Kingdom)
• Top Science and Technology
– MIT Science, Technology, and Society Program (STS) (United
States); Max Planck Institute (Germany); RAND Corporation
(United States); Center for Development Research (ZEF)
Germany); Information and Technology and Innovation
Foundation (ITIF) (United States)
International Relations Program
Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program
46. Rankings – Research Area
• Top Transparency and Good Governance
– Transparency International (TI) (United Kingdom); Amnesty
International (United Kingdom); Freedom House (United States);
Open Society Institute (OSI) (United Kingdom); Mo Ibrahim
Foundation (United Kingdom)
• Top Energy and Resource Policy
– World Resource Institute (United States); Oxford Institute for
Energy Studies (OIES) (United Kingdom); RAND Corporation
(United States); American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy
Research (AEI) (United States); Center for Energy and
Environmental Policy Research (CEEPR) (United States)
International Relations Program
Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program
47. Rankings - Special Categories
• Most Innovative Policy Ideas/Proposals
– Brookings Institution (United States); Carnegie Endowment for
International Peace (United States); Peterson Institute for
International Economics (United States); Cato Institute (United
States); International Crisis Group (ICG) (Belgium
• Best New Think Tank
– Google Ideas (United States); Economic Strategies for the 2st
Century (e21) (United States); Macdonald-Laurier Institute (MLI)
(Canada); Econwatch Society of Political Analysis (Germany);
Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS) (Malaysia)
International Relations Program
Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program
48. Rankings - Special Categories
• Outstanding Policy-Oriented Research Program
– Brookings Institution (United States); Carnegie Endowment for
International Peace (United States); RAND Corporation (United
States); Bruegel (Belgium); Council on Foreign Relations (CFR)
(United States)
• Best Use of the Internet or Social Media
– Heritage Foundation (United States); Center for American
Progress (CAP) (United States); Brookings Institution (United
States); Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) (United States);
Amnesty International (United Kingdom)
International Relations Program
Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program
49. Rankings - Special Categories
• Best Use of the Media (Print or Electronic)
– Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) (United States); Brookings
Institution (United States); Carnegie Endowment for International
Peace (United States); Amnesty International (United Kingdom);
Human Rights Watch (United States)
• Best External Relations/Public Engagement Program
– Brookings Institution (United States); Amnesty International
(United Kingdom); Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
(United States); Chatham House (United Kingdom); Center for
Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) (United States)
International Relations Program
Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program
50. Rankings - Special Categories
• Most Significant Impact on Public Policy
– Amnesty International (United Kingdom); Brookings Institution
(United States); Bruegel (Belgium); Council on Foreign Relations
(CFR) (United States); Carnegie Endowment for International
Peace (United States)
• Best University Affiliated Think Tanks
– Hoover Institution, Stanford University (United States); Belfer
Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard University
(United States); Institute of Development Studies (IDS), University
of Sussex (United Kingdom); Center for International
Development (CID), Harvard University (United States); Center
for International Studies and Research (CERI), Sciences Po
(France)
International Relations Program
Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program
51. Rankings - Special Categories
• Best Government Affiliated Think Tanks
– World Bank Institute (WBI), World Bank (United States); United States
Institute for Peace (USIP) (United States); Chinese Academy of Social
Science (CASS) (China); Royal United Services Institute for Defence and
Security Studies (RUSI) (United Kingdom); United Nations University
(UNU) (Japan)
• Best Party Affiliated Think Tanks
– Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS) (Germany); Friedrich Ebert
Foundation (FES) (Germany); Heinrich Boll Stiftung (HBS) (Germany);
Demos (United Kingdom); Fredrich Nauman Foundation (FNS)
(Germany)
International Relations Program
Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program
52. Rankings - Special Categories
• Annual Operating Budget under $5 Million USD
– Foreign Policy Research Institute (US); North-South Institute (Canada);
Center for Social and Economic Research (CASE) (Poland); Centro
Brasileiro de Relacoes Internationais (CEBRI) (Brazil); Libertad y
Desarrollo (Chile); Centro de Estudios Publicos (CEP) (Chile)
• Best Advocacy Campaign
– Amnesty International (United Kingdom); Human Rights Watch (United
Kingdom); Transparency International (TI) (Germany); International
Crisis Group (ICG) (Belgium); Batory Foundation (Poland)
• Best Policy Study/Report Produced in 2011-2012
– Brookings Institution (United States); Bruegel (Belgium); Council on
Foreign Relations (CFR) (United States)
International Relations Program
Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program
53. Rankings - Special Categories
• Best Policy Study/Report Produced in 2011-2012
– Brookings Institution (United States); Bruegel (Belgium); Council on
Foreign Relations (CFR) (United States); Carnegie Endowment for
International Peace (CEIP) (United States); Center for Strategic and
International Studies (CSIS) (United States)
International Relations Program
Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program
54. SNAPSHOT OF WHO PARTICIPATES
793 nominated expert panelists
150 journalists and scholars
55 current and former directors of think tank
programs and networks
40 public and private donors
100s of think tanks
25-30 intergovernmental organizations
120 academic institutions
International Relations Program
Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program
Unranked lists are included where participation did not reach the necessary threshold. They have been offered for consideration with the hope that they can be expanded upon for next year’s report. Best Independent Think Tanks was abandoned entirely due to lack of nominations.
The rearrangement of the America’s had to be readjusted due to low participation in the Central America and Caribbean ranking. This region was folded into the South America category in the final report. This section represents the categories we began the research process with. During this process, changes were necessitated by the responses received during the voting process.