British Think-tanks and Their Networks

This paper concentrates on UK-based think-tanks with a domestic policy focus and analyses their communicative and cooperative networks in relation to a clearly defined set of actors (civil servants, other think-tanks, journalists, business, elected representatives, ministers, trade unions, academics). Which of these actors do British think-tanks communicate and collaborate with most to exert influence on domestic public policy development? What forms does such communication and collaboration take? What are British think-tanks’ objectives for cooperation with non-UK organisations? Answers are based on survey and interviews data. The data suggests that while UK-based think-tanks communicate and cooperate intensively with some actors within Britain, contacts and cooperation regarding domestic policy with organisations outside the UK is non-extensive. Particular actors are more important for advocacy think-tanks than they are for academic think-tanks; some actors have very little importance for either type.