India and US - III

[acharya]

42. Alexander, Kristian. <b>"The Impact of Think Tanks on US Foreign Policy:Examining the Case of Iran and Nuclear Proliferation"</b>

Paper presented at the annual meeting of the International Studies Association, Town & Country Resort and Convention Center, San Diego, California, USA, Mar 22, 2006 Online <PDF>. 2008-07-17
<http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p98633_index.html>

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Public debate regarding U.S. foreign policy often originates within the many think tanks located in Washington, D.C. and elsewhere. While the news media provide the medium for debate, these institutions supply the debaters in the form of academic specialists, former government and military officials, and outspoken figures from the private sector. The primary goal of these idea brokers is to influence public opinion and government policy through the dissemination of research findings and the airing of opinions on a variety of issues, and that is not any different when it comes to the issue of Iran and nuclear proliferation. How much of an impact or influence think tanks have in policy-making and in shaping the policy-making environment is a question that scholars studying these institutions continue to struggle with.This study attempts to answer four critical questions of importance to U.S. policy makers. One: What are the main factors and driving forces behind Iran?s surge to ?go nuclear?? Which of the prevailing theories of nuclear proliferation best explains Iran?s decision to ?go nuclear?? In order to better understand Iran?s rational in pursuing the nuclear option, one has to critically examine the main arguments that have been laid out especially by various Iranian scholars and Iranian government policy-makers. On the other hand, little systematic policy-oriented work has been conducted on potential U.S. foreign policy options and the possible consequences of each of the existing proposed policy agendas. The second question that this study will thus investigate is: What are the existing U.S. policy proposals that have been advanced by various think tanks and experts on U.S.-Iran relations, which are of salience to the U.S. administration? In doing so, I will determine what has been the impetus of U.S. delineated proposals and the underlying theoretical background and rationale from which policy makers (mostly think tanks) have derived their policy proposals. This leads to the third research question: What is the link between think tank policy proposals and the possible translation into a foreign policy agenda adopted by the U.S. government? Think tanks are linking pins between academia and policymakers and have very often been instrumental in coming up with various policy proposals of critical importance to national security. The fourth and final question of this study is: Can think tanks bridge the gap between theory and practice, between academics and policy-makers? Does academic research on foreign policy matter for practice, and if so, under what conditions?