A think tank, or public policy institute, is an organization that carries out research and advocacy on topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, the military, technology and culture. Most think tanks are non-governmental organizations, though some are semi-autonomous government agencies and others are associated with particular political parties, businesses or the military, and they are often funded by individual donations alongside government grants.
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The eighteenth-century coffeehouse is frequently cited as a forerunner of the modern think tank, a space where political and economic ideas were debated and refined before publication.
Think tanks and learned societies are both institutions organized around producing and disseminating specialist knowledge outside the university, though the think tank orients toward policy and the learned society toward scholarship.
The literary and political salon is frequently identified as a precursor institution to the modern think tank, gathering influential figures to discuss and shape ideas.
Think tanks frequently draw their staff and methods from university scholarship while operating independently of the university teaching mission.
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Source Think Tank (Wikipedia)Leadtier 2Quote, Lead
Modern think tanks began as a phenomenon in the United Kingdom in the 19th and early 20th centuries, with most of the rest being established in other English-speaking countries.
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1. Think Tank (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationLead section
A think tank or public policy institute is an organization that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, technology, and culture.
Lead, institution-type-category voluntary-association
A think tank or public policy institute is an organization that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, technology, and culture.
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