Think Tanks in Poland: Policy Experts at the Crossroads
- Development of the think tank sector in post-communist states is, at times, regarded as a self-evident consequence of the processes of democratization. However, the specific “environment of obstacles and opportunities” makes it neither automatic, nor easy for think tanks of the region to join the policy game. In particular, it is not clear to what extent the think tanks in transition democracies can or should engage in strictly political disputes. The alleged shift from
academic towards advocacy profiles that is said to characterize Western think tanks evokes numerous questions in post-communist settings.
The paper provides an analysis of the development of the think tank sector in Poland and the challenges it faces on its way towards "maturity". It aims at getting some insights into perspectives of think tanks themselves. Building on a qualitative analysis of think tanks’ mission statements, survey data and interviews with think tank managers, it analyses how they construct their positions of policy experts at the crossroads between politics, science, business and the
media.