In September, the world of political science will gather in Glasgow,
Scotland, to meet at the European Political Consortium Conference. A
new Section ‘Governing knowledge’ has been established that ‘would
provide a forum for a growing body of research examining the
relationship between knowledge, monitoring and policy in the context
of global and European governance’. A total of six panels have been
accepted within this ECPR section in Glasgow (See details at
http://ecpr.eu/Events/SectionDetails.aspx?SectionID=229&EventID=14).
Members of the Think Tank Network Initiative have put together an
exciting panel for this conference. Its title is ‘Connecting Ideas and
Interests: expertise and ideology among the new think tank policy
entrepreneurs’. The papers to be presented at the panel will address
the role of think tanks in the production and dissemination of policy
ideas and the translation of ideas and ideology into concrete policy
proposals. Particular focus will be on the following: In what ways are
world views and interests represented and promulgated in mainstream
and elite political discourses by think tanks? How do political
parties adopt or adapt think tank expertise? Do think tanks share
similar strategies and tactics for influencing political parties and
the climate of opinion?
Papers will deal with diverse issues; for example the role of
think-tanks in the ideological battle over Eurobonds; the part
think-tanks play in the debate over Scottish independence; the reach
and intensity of communicative and collaborative networks of British
think-tanks; and the resurgence of neo-liberal economics think-tanks
in Austria.
Hartwig Pautz