Why Think Tanks Will Become Ever More Important

Lobbying and public affairs campaigns are in constant need of solid evidence.  One of the ways of demonstrating that there is a real issue and that evidence of a problem exists is to commission a think tank to write a report.

This has helped turn think tanks into a free-standing industry and has led to a much more crowded marketplace.  The political positioning of many is clear for all to see and the think tanks often make a virtue of this.  Others prefer to set out a clearly independent line.

What all would agree on is the need to produce rigorous and well-argued research.  Without this they lose their credibility both with political audiences and, as a knock-on consequence, those organisations who commission the work.