Think tanks as agents of social change

Abstract

Think tanks have been broadly defined as organizations specialized in shaping and disseminating public policy ideas. They have become powerful agents fostering or hindering social change. They make social change happen in several ways: designing economic and social policies, putting forward powerful ideas to influence policy-makers and public opinion, and inducing paradigm shifts with a combination of strategies. In addition, they develop an ambitious research agenda, and they undertake social activism to penetrate or join civil society and social movements. The struggle to promote social change entails not only a diverse mix of strategies but also the articulation of networks and coalitions that cut across countries and regions, connecting think tanks with academic institutions, NGOs, and other civil society actors. Social activism has become, in this way, one of the most important strategies followed by think tanks to make social change happen.The purpose of this entry is to reveal the war of ideas between neoliberal and alternative think tanks in Latin America. Although there are many groups of think tanks involved in this war, the focus will be on two cases, Atlas Network and CLACSO, both of which have created far-reaching networks disseminating hegemonic and counter-hegemonic narratives and strategies to defend or transform the status quo.