May 2009 Archives
Capitol Hill, America
By Jeremy Rosenberg
May 29, 2009
Quick notes from inside the beltway....
D.C.'s the global think tank capitol. What's that mean to the city's daily life, other than an endless supply of op-ed pieces for the Washington Post?
Permalink DiscussTTLA @ Think Tank Central
By Jeremy Rosenberg
May 18, 2009
TTLA will be in think tank central -- Washington, D.C. -- later this week, in part to attend this conference.
The District is home to 347 tanks, according to invaluable research compiled by think tank guru James McGann. That's 22% more tanks located in one city than exist in any other country.
More from TTLA next week, and more coming soon including our long-promised interview with Michael D. Rich, executive vice president of RAND....
Permalink DiscussMalaysian Tank Boss Was 'Vilified'
By Jeremy Rosenberg
May 18, 2009
The May 18, 2009 editon of the New Yorker features an Ian Burma article headlined: "Letter From Malaysia: Eastern Promises."
The article – online as an abstract and author Q&A here – is about the life and times of Anwar Ibrahim, who might become Malaysia's next Prime Minister.
The story serves up plenty of context, including one think tank-related anecdote that again demonstrates how repercussions abound for people working in the independent public policy and research fields. This recalls tank expert James McGann's recent "NGO Pushback" comments during his TTLA interview.
Permalink DiscussC to the Izzay, T to the...
By Jeremy Rosenberg
May 15, 2009
Saberi Case Involved Think Tank
By Jeremy Rosenberg
May 12, 2009
Journalist Roxana Saberi was released from an Iranian prison yesterday, her eight-year jail term for espionage reduced to two-years and suspended.
According to today's papers, Saberi's lock-up was directly related to the goings-on at a Tehran-based think tank (and yes, we realize how differently that term can be interpreted.) From the Los Angeles Times:
Permalink Discuss (2 Comments)Wrap-Up: This Week With 'Global Go-To' Expert James McGann
By Jeremy Rosenberg
May 8, 2009
Editor's Note: This is Part 6 of 6 Scheduled Posts
Sunday: Richard Nielsen's Full-Page Illustration
Monday: 'Global Go-To Think Tanks' Report -- An Introduction
Tuesday: Interview with James McGann -- What is a Think Tank?
Wednesday: Interview with James McGann -- RAND and West Coast Tanks
Thursday: Interview with James McGann -- International Tanks
Today: Wrap-Up and Reactions
Today is the conclusion of the TTLA conversation with Dr. James G. McGann. All week, we've been posting links, statistics, and the analysis of McGann regarding the report he and his team produced, "2008 The Global 'Go-To Think Tanks': The Leading Public Policy Research Organizations In The World."
We pick up the dialogue where we left off yesterday...
Permalink DiscussInterview with James McGann -- International Think Tanks
By Jeremy Rosenberg
May 7, 2009
In today's installment of TTLA's six part conversation with James McGann about his rankings of global think tanks, the conversation turns to the international scene.
TTLA: This blog jotted down some of the international cities that your report mentions as think tank hubs. What do these cities have in common that makes them hubs: Buenos Aires, Istanbul, Kuala Lumpur, Kiev?
James McGann: "There are two basic reasons. One is that there is a significant concentration of think tanks, and they are both provincial [as well as] often serving the region. And two, is that there is a significant degree of interaction on a regional basis with other institutions, and the catalyst of these meetings both organizationally and intellectually are these think tank hubs."
Permalink DiscussRAND and West Coast Think Tanks
By Jeremy Rosenberg
May 5, 2009
In the fourth segment of their six part conversation, TTLA and James McGann take a look at the West Coast's think tanks.
TTLA: By this blog's reading of this survey, RAND was the far-and-away winner on the west coast, and certainly in the Los Angeles area. [See footnote++] If that's so, what are some of the factors that make RAND so highly regarded, and has that always been the case?
Jim McGann: "If you look at the evolution of think tanks, with those that have made the top 25 list, those are institutions that tend to have created an institutional model where the range of products are of high quality, are reliable, are accessible – and certainly, RAND fits that bill.
Permalink DiscussJames McGann Explains: What is a Think Tank?
By Jeremy Rosenberg
May 4, 2009
In the third segment of TTLA's six part conversation with James McGann about his global think tank rankings, we ask him the million dollar question.
TTLA: What is a think tank? How difficult was it to come up with a definition, and how long did it take for you and your collaborators to do so?
Permalink DiscussGlobal 'Go-To Think Tanks' Report -- An Introduction
By Jeremy Rosenberg
May 4, 2009
Today, TTLA kicks off a full week devoted to the research by, and the words of, Dr. James G. McGann, PhD, and his team of interns.
McGann is the director of UPenn's Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program. For the second consecutive year, the program has provided manna from tank-watchers' heaven -- a survey of the worldwide think tank scene, complete with statistics, pie charts, definitions, conclusions, and rankings, lots of rankings.
Permalink DiscussComing All This Week: Global Think Tank Rankings and an Interview with the Expert Behind Them
By Jeremy Rosenberg
May 4, 2009
James McGann Week on TTLA:
- Today: Richard Nielsen's Full-Page Illustration
- Monday: 'Global Go-To Think Tanks' Report -- An Introduction
- Tuesday: James McGann answers: What is a Think Tank?
- Wednesday: Interview with James McGann -- RAND and West Coast Tanks
- Thursday: Interview with James McGann -- International Tanks
- Friday: Wrap-Up and Reactions
Illustration copyright and courtesy Richard Nielsen, 2009
Permalink DiscussMore Book News: Prometheus Head's 'Evolution'
By Jeremy Rosenberg
May 1, 2009
More KCET Local Blogs
404 City- Read Ophelia Chong's latest post, Bring Back Shoulder Pads
Blur + Sharpen- Read Holly Willis's latest post, Drew Heitzler's Double Feature
Cakewalk- Read Erin Aubry Kaplan's latest post, All Shook Up
City of Angles- Read Brian Doherty's latest post, Schools Feel Fiscal Crunch
The Guest Room- Read Ki-Min Sung's latest post, Little Tokyo, f.k.a. "Bronzeville"
Movie Miento- Read Adolfo Guzman-Lopez's latest post, Lakers
Pixeltown- Read Yoli Martinez's latest post, POD: Flickr Our Memorial Day
Where We Are- Read D.J. Waldie's latest post, 54. Tapped out
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