Global Influence of Think Tanks

In recent decades, think tanks have gained significant weight in shaping government policy, national security strategies, economic planning, and diplomacy. Once confined to academic circles, these institutions have evolved into invisible but influential pillars of national decision-making systems.

Far from being mere idea generators, today’s think tanks function as laboratories for geopolitical forecasting and form a vital part of a country’s intellectual infrastructure. The United States, for example, is home to more than 2,000 think tanks—some of which are directly funded by Congress and the White House. Institutions such as the Brookings Institution, RAND Corporation, Heritage Foundation, and the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) not only provide expert analysis in specialized fields, but also shape narratives that influence public opinion. According to the 2022 Global Go To Think Tank Index report, there are more than 8,500 active think tanks worldwide, with roughly 60% of them established in the past 30 years.

This trend reflects more than just a numerical increase—it highlights a growing demand for intellectual support in political decision-making. Think tanks have become especially influential in areas such as international relations, security, and energy policy, where they often serve as bridges between governments and non-state actors.

In recent years, institutions like Russia’s Valdai Discussion Club, China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, and Iran’s Institute for Political and International Studies have increasingly functioned as tools for projecting state ideology and strategic thinking beyond national borders. These think tanks go beyond analysis—they play a key role in advancing soft power diplomacy.

Through these institutions, states are able to promote their interests in ways that are more accessible and acceptable to the international community. In conflict-prone regions, this becomes part of the broader information war and serves as a tool to enhance global influence.

For example, amid the war in Ukraine, many Western think tanks not only countered Russian narratives but also sought to provide Ukraine with an intellectual edge in the information battle. Their reports became essential reference points for the media, government bodies, and non-governmental organizations.

The influence of think tanks is measured not only by the accuracy of their forecasts but also by their ability to frame events ideologically. They give meaning to facts, assign political significance to statistics, and cloak the language of power in scholarly rhetoric. In an increasingly unstable global environment, states are seeking faster and more precise decision-making processes. Where traditional bureaucratic systems falter, think tanks step forward as flexible, agile intellectual resources capable of providing rapid responses and well-founded assessments.

This is why the number of think tanks operating within organizations like NATO, the EU, and the UN continues to grow each year. These institutions do more than merely observe developments—they actively model potential risks and opportunities and simulate various scenarios. For example, during the Taiwan crisis between China and the US, about 70% of analytical reports were produced by think tanks, and these documents directly influenced Washington’s decision-making process.

Analytical centers also play another crucial role — they act as a kind of bridge between public opinion and official policy. In other words, public consciousness is shaped within the “laboratories” of think tanks, and on this intellectual foundation, a consensus acceptable to policymakers is formed. The media plays a key part in this process: it is through the media that think tanks disseminate their findings, thereby fulfilling their mission of shaping the public agenda.

This role of think tanks has become especially significant in the post-war period, particularly in areas such as information management, stabilizing public opinion, and developing balanced regional policies. Today, these centers serve as “translators” between official state institutions and society. Moreover, this is not merely a channel for passing information but a powerful tool of influence.

In today’s global politics, power is measured not only by military strength but also by ideas. Intellectual “soft” power often proves far more effective than traditional hard power. Think tanks serve as both a vital source and a key channel for the spread of this soft influence.

According to recent data, the greatest concentration of think tanks is found in the United States (over 2,100), China (more than 500), and India (around 400). This clearly shows that behind geopolitical ambitions lies a robust intellectual infrastructure. Although the number of such centers remains relatively small in the Middle East and the South Caucasus, their influence continues to grow noticeably each year. 

Another crucial role of think tanks lies in diplomacy—particularly in what is known as “track two diplomacy,” where they act as informal bridges between countries, operating outside official negotiations. These institutions become key intermediaries within the analytical realm. For example, Turkish centers like SETA and USAK have long influenced the shaping of ideological frameworks for both domestic and regional policies.

In the post-pandemic and post-war eras, intellectual security is becoming just as vital as energy security. Within this context, investing in analytical institutions essentially means investing in the state’s own system of thought. Without think tanks, national policy risks remaining merely reactive, while the modern world demands a proactive approach characterized by anticipatory analysis, strategic diagnosis, and ideological consistency.

These days, the focus has shifted from “Who commands the largest army?” to “Whose arguments carry the most weight?” More often than not, it’s not the headlines but analytical reports that provide the real answers. If there is a global contest for intellectual dominance, then think tanks stand at its forefront. Their expansion—in numbers and impact—has become an essential pillar of national security.

Think tanks today serve not only as the "brain" of the modern state but also as an intellectual backbone of society, functioning as public "centers of thought." 

The modern world demands calculation rather than emotion—precise, measured, and deeply considered. However, this calculation cannot be separated from ideology, because analysis is not just a collection of technical data; it is a tool of strategic and national importance.

Nowadays, concepts like modernity, power, and resilience are increasingly measured not by military arsenals, but by the strength of ideas. Without clearly formed meanings, there can be no decisions. And without decisions, building a future is impossible.