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The University of Massachusetts Amherst
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Making a Difference

Policies and Strategies for Social Change

What are think thanks?

Think tank is a phrase used to describe organizations (usually non-profit) which conduct public policy research and analysis. They often publish papers based on their research and make them available for free on their web sites.

Some think tanks are nonpartisan, but others advocate particular political positions. Be sure to take this into consideration when evaluating their material.