Introduction

In-depth study of think tanks (TTs) has only recently begun in Brazil, and the number of academic papers and press articles is increasing (Cançado, 2004; Barcellos, 2006; Sá, 2011), reflecting growing interest in these public policy analysis research institutes. In Brazil, such studies are still restricted to a niche, with papers addressing analysis of specific fields, such as international relations and administration. Examples of this segmentation are: business organisations, such as liberal institutes (Gros, 2004); institutes of applied economics (Durand, 1997); foreign policy institutes (Soares, 2011); or those representing TTs clusters (Lima, 2010).

How do Brazilian TTs differ from their North American counterparts? If the term does not figure in Portuguese or in Brazilian law, how are they framed legally? What challenges do they encounter in establishing and maintaining themselves? These are some of the questions that this chapter aims to answer. Although reference is made to the US, it should be noted that this is not a comparative study.

This exploratory, descriptive research was based on a literature review, analysis of institutional websites and a semi-open-ended questionnaire used as a script for semi-structured interviews. Institutions were selected according to the literature – above all, McGann's (2012) global ranking and its 81 Brazilian TTs, and Rosa-Soares's (2009) dissertation, which listed 20 of them – and to answers given by interviewees, who spontaneously mentioned approximately 100 purported TTs. Between August 2011 and March 2012, 99 experts, including Brazilian scholars, diplomats, former ministers and members of TTs, were interviewed; roles quite often overlapped.

Origins and boundary porosity

Just as policy analysis studies had their origin in the central nations, such as the US, then becoming paradigmatic for academic discussions in other countries, so the same can be said of TTs. Accordingly, it is imperative to refer back to the North American model in order to understand this type of institutional arrangement in Brazil. After all, ‘think tanks are an American invention, and their development is largely an American phenomenon’ (McGann, 2011, p 35).

For most (78.79%) of the interviewees, TTs are a type of institution now present in Brazil: answers ranged from “certainly” to “embryonic” and “yes, some – only a few considering the magnitude of the agenda and its complexity and the size of the country, the size of its academia”.