Inside "think tanks"

a research agenda for Brazilian think tanks

Authors

  • Camila Carneiro Dias Rigolin Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos - SP, Brasil.
  • Maria Cristina P. Innocentini Hayashi Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos - SP, Brasil.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18617/liinc.v8i1.460

Keywords:

Think tank, Expertise, Planning, Public policies

Abstract

This paper explores the relationship between knowledge and political decision or between expertise and the design of public policies. It presents a theoretical and methodological framework for the characterization of Brazilian think tanks. These are institutions that work at the front line of academic circles and governmental spheres. Think tanks are a privileged locus of policy making, where power disputes are framed in terms of idea issues. The study of the nature of these institutions allows us to better understand how certified knowledge influences political decision and how experts build prestige and status in contemporary society. This proposal is based in concepts that come from two disciplinary fields: Sociology of Knowledge and Political Theory. Together, they provide the analytical framework to investigate the ascendance of expertise in the building, implementation and evaluation of public policies.


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Published

27/04/2012

Issue

Vol. 8 No. 1 (2012): Science, Technology, and Social Innovation

Section

Dossier Science, Technology, and Social Innovation

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Copyright (c) 2025 Camila Carneiro Dias Rigolin, Maria Cristina P. Innocentini Hayashi

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