The Global "GO-TO THINK TANKS”

The report provides a comprehensive mapping of the global think tank landscape, identifying 5,080 such institutions worldwide. It specifically highlights the 'go-to' think tanks through a selection process involving peer nominations and expert panels, resulting in a list of the top 10 and top 30 think tanks globally (excluding the US), as well as a separate ranking of the top 30 US-based institutions. The document also analyzes the growth and recent decline in the establishment of new think tanks, attributing these trends to factors such as the information revolution, globalization, and changing donor priorities.

• As of the report's data, there are 5,080 think tanks worldwide, with the highest concentrations in North America (1,924), Western Europe (1,198), and Asia (601).
• The United States has 1,776 think tanks, with 91% created since 1951 and more than half established in the last 25 years from the report's date.
• The growth of think tanks was driven by the information revolution, the end of government monopolies on information, the increasing complexity of policy problems, and globalization.
• A decline in the establishment of new think tanks worldwide is attributed to hostile political environments, restrictive funding priorities, underdeveloped institutional capacity, and competition from for-profit consulting and electronic media.
• The global ranking process identified 10 top think tanks outside the US, including the Centre for European Policy Studies (Belgium), the French Institute of International Relations (France), and the Royal Institute of International Affairs (UK).
• The author notes that OECD countries are overrepresented in the top rankings, while regions such as Africa and Eastern Europe are underrepresented due to differences in development and resources.

APA

McGann, J. G. (n.d.). The Global "GO-TO THINK TANKS”. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/LEADINGTHINKTANKS.PDF

Chicago

McGann, James G. The Global "GO-TO THINK TANKS”. Institute for Security Studies, n.d. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/LEADINGTHINKTANKS.PDF.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=McGann |first1=James G. |title=The Global "GO-TO THINK TANKS” |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/LEADINGTHINKTANKS.PDF |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mcgannndglobal, author = {McGann, James G.}, title = {{The Global "GO-TO THINK TANKS”}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/LEADINGTHINKTANKS.PDF}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }