한국 민주주의 사회에서 싱크탱크가 수행하는 역할에 대한 이숙종 EAI 원장의 기고문이 미국 민주주의재단(National Endowment Democracy: NED)의 민주주의연구네트워크(Network of Democracy Research Institutes: NDRI)가 발행한 “Democracy Think Tanks in Action: Translating Research into Policy in Young and Emerging Democracies” 보고서에 게재되었습니다. 이숙종 원장은 기고문을 통해 한국의 싱크탱크를 정부 지원을 받는 공공연구기관, 이윤추구를 목적으로 기업이 수립한 민간연구기관, 그리고 대학 또는 민간기구가 수립한 비영리연구기관의 세 종류로 나누고 그 역할을 분석하였습니다. 아울러 취약한 재정기반으로 적극적인 역할을 수행하는 데 있어 한계를 보이는 한국의 비영리연구기관들 가운데 EAI가 새로운 대안모델을 제시하고 있다고 평가하고, 그 구체적인 요소로 프로젝트 파이낸싱, 전문가 네트워크 활용, 국제 네크워크 구축, 연구결과물의 혁신적 배포 등을 꼽았습니다.

 

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이숙종 EAI 원장 기고문

 

Think tanks have become an integral force in the contemporary policy processes of most countries. Public-policy scholar Diane Stone defines them as “a vehicle for broader questions about the policy process and the role of ideas and expertise in decision making.” Think tanks serve both government and civil society by generating influential policy ideas and ultimately enabling better governance. These functions are not limited to domestic issues. Aided by a rapid transmission of information, today’s think tanks copy and learn from one another as they address similar policy questions. A significant number of think tanks disseminate their research output widely, and engage in international networking and exchanges. Political sociologist Inderjeet Parmar even argues that institutes involved in global affairs engage in unofficial diplomacy through international conferences.

 

American think tanks in particular have been widely recognized as influential in both domestic and international public affairs. Political scientist David M. Ricci writes that about one hundred think tanks thrive in the metropolitan Washington area, and that the ideas circulated there make a commendable contribution to society’s perennial search for political wisdom. He finds that today’s Washington think tanks emerged during the 1970s and 1980s to support a nationwide campaign by conservatives against what they saw as the dominant liberal policies and ways of life. Furthermore, he argues, the trends of the new American politics—the rising importance of expertise in campaigning and governing, an increasing dissonance in values, and the need to market political wares—have contributed to the growth of thinks tanks. Historian James A. Smith says that the proliferation of U.S. think tanks reflects the distinctive way in which Americans have sought to link knowledge and power. The knowledge and analytic techniques of experts are increasingly utilized in public service, as rational planning and scientific methods have come to be widely recognized as practical tools for improving policies. Emerging countries require planning and advisory institutions as much as developed countries, leading to the rising number of think tanks around the world. Policy experts R. Kent Weaver and James G. McGann maintain that officials in both information-rich and information-poor societies need research that is understandable, reliable, and useful, and such demands have helped to foster the development of independent public-policy organizations, or think tanks...(Continued)

 

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