What do think-tanks do?
The rise, and slight decline, of the mysterious outfits quoted in newspapers and magazines
By T.W.
To mark the publication of “Go Figure”, a collection of The Economist’s explainers and daily charts, the editors of this blog solicited ideas on Facebook and Twitter. This week we publish five explainers suggested by our readers, who will each receive a copy of the book.
“ACCORDING to such-and-such, a think-tank,” is a phrase familiar to readers of any newspaper, not least The Economist. Sharp quotes, intriguing facts and bold new policy proposals are attributed to the mysterious tanks (as is plenty of rubbish). What exactly are these outfits, which churn out reports on everything from Brexit to badgers?
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