{"id":10717,"date":"2024-06-19T10:13:26","date_gmt":"2024-06-19T04:43:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.univariety.com\/blog\/?p=10717"},"modified":"2024-06-19T11:19:04","modified_gmt":"2024-06-19T05:49:04","slug":"think-tank-career-public-policy-research","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.univariety.com\/blog\/think-tank-career-public-policy-research\/","title":{"rendered":"What is a Think Tank? – Influence Change Through a Career in Public Policy"},"content":{"rendered":"

‘Change the world’ \u2013 The idea has been drilled into us since childhood. Every inspiring speech, TED Talk, or motivational quote, you ever heard has the same essential message \u2013 \u2018You have the power to change the world\u2019. However, the more important questions are \u2013 How? Where? Not everyone can be a revolutionary, a politician, or the change-maker of a generation. Here’s the deal – you don\u2019t necessarily have to be any of those people to bring about change. You can seek a career in public policy research and find out what changing the world really looks like. And you can do so in a Think Tank.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is a Think Tank?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

In the vocabulary of most people, Think Tanks don’t exist, and even among those who are aware of their existence, they almost seem like mysterious entities. If you google it, you will end up imagining secret facilities where men with big brains and suits cook up solutions to problems that you never imagined existed. You might end up finding a joke with the punch line – \u2018So you have to think in a tank?\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s demystify think tanks, shall we?<\/span><\/p>\n

Think Tanks go by many names \u2013 \u2018Ideas Factory\u2019, \u2018Public Policy Research Institute\u2019, \u2018Investigation Centre\u2019, \u2018Laboratory of Ideas\u2019, and more. As the names suggest, these are institutes that undertake research into public policy on economics, political strategy, military, social policies, culture, technology, agriculture, and numerous other areas. They are largely non-governmental, non-profit, independent agencies that seek to research and publish their findings in an unbiased manner. But exceptions do exist.<\/span><\/p>\n

A Career in Public Policy in Think Tanks<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Think Tanks across the world take up many investigative, research, ideation, and action tasks regarding public policy. They often work closely with educational institutes, state and national governments, and even for-profit corporations. Many prestigious and reputed think tanks are part of task forces that seek to investigate and change policies.<\/span><\/p>\n

Take for example the case of the Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR)<\/strong> \u2013 a non-governmental Think Tank that came into existence in 1999 when a group of professors filed a PIL (Public Interest Litigation) with the Delhi High Court seeking the disclosure of educational, financial, and criminal records of candidates contesting in elections. Because of their extensive research, groundwork and case, in 2003, the Supreme Court of India made it mandatory for all candidates filing nominations in general, state, or local elections to file an affidavit with full disclosure about their educational, financial, and criminal history.<\/span><\/p>\n

And that is the kind of change you can work towards in a career in public policy!<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>There are many careers within a think tank that you can take up.<\/span><\/p>\n