The Chronicle Herald (Provincial)
Think tanks play critical role on policy advice
Think tanks are public policy research and engagement organizations that enable policymakers and the public to make informed decisions about public policy. Simply put, think tanks attempt to bridge the gap between knowledge and policy.
While there are a variety of different types, the vast majority provide arm's-length, independent advice to policymakers and the public and use applied and basic research to support their policy recommendations.
Of the more than 11,000 think tanks around the world, there are two main types: those affiliated with universities, political parties or government bodies, and those that are independent.
Those that are completely autonomous rely on no single interest group or donor for funding and are autonomous in operations or funding from government. There are quasiindependent think tanks autonomous from government but dependent on a specific interest group or donor for funding.
Think groups deal with a broad range of public policy issues, including health care, education, domestic and international development, the environment, energy and natural resources, foreign policy and international affairs, science and technology, social issues and defence and national security.
The United States has the largest number of think tanks (more than 2,200) followed by China (1,400).
Canada has 85. The most well-known include the C.D. Howe Institute, the Fraser Institute, the Institute for Public Policy Research, the Conference Board of Canada, the Montreal Economic Institute, the Macdonald-laurier Institute and, in our region, the Atlantic Institute for Market Studies (I was a two-time board member of AIMS) and the Atlantic Provinces Economic Council.
REGIONAL MATTERS
AIMS was founded in 1994 by Brian Lee-crowley, founder and current managing director of the Macdonald-laurier Institute. AIMS is supported by donations, funded research projects and paid events. Over the years, it has produced a significant amount of public policy research focussed entirely on Atlantic Canada. Despite a modest budget, the use of external experts and researchers has allowed AIMS to punch well above its weight in terms of its public policy research.
After struggling with funding since its inception, AIMS merged in July 2020 with the Fraser Institute, the highestranked think tank in Canada, with the commitment that there would continue to be a focus on public policy research in Atlantic Canada. The Fraser Institute was recently ranked among the best think tanks (14th globally) by the University of Pennsylvania.
The top-ranked think tank in the most recent index was the U.s.-based Brookings Institute.
Like most top-ranked institutes, the Fraser Institute relies on a peer review process to vet its research using an editorial advisory board of leading international scholars. It uses a double-blind process, with neither the author nor the reviewers known to each other.
The Fraser Institute is ranked in the top 20 in the world for its quality assurance and integrity policies and procedures, and number 11 as an independent think tank.
POLICY RESEARCH
In a recent conversation, Niels Veldhuis, president of the Fraser Institute, outlined some work produced by AIMS in the past year. The research is part of the Fraser Institute's Atlantic Canada Prosperity Project. Three studies are worth noting.
Atlantic Canada's Precarious Public Finances looks at the growing debt-to-gdp ratios in Atlantic Canada and the ability to pay for increasing debt as a result of lower credit ratings stemming from concerns about solvency among the four provinces. The region already pays generally higher interest rates for newly issued provincial debt than other provinces.
Fiscal Federalism and the Dependency of Atlantic Canada outlines the disproportionate role of federal funding in the region and the vulnerability faced by the region if there are significant changes to the equalization arrangements with the rest of the country that are up for renegotiation in 2024. There will be pressure from the West to do so, particularly given the economic challenges faced by Alberta and its energy sector.
Fiscal Lessons for Atlantic Canada from Saskatchewan examines the choices faced by that province in the '90s to avoid bankruptcy and how those choices led to a quick turnaround. Newfoundland and Labrador are currently in a similar situation, and the Maritimes could also learn from these lessons.
Supporting think tanks, especially those with a regional focus, is critical to ensure the availability of independent policy advice and alternatives to policy makers. This is especially true in economically challenged regions such as Atlantic Canada.
The research from think tanks like Fraser/aims and APEC is generally available to the public. I would encourage Atlantic Canadians to access this research and become better informed about the policy choices facing our region. A more informed public will lead to better public policy and more pressure on politicians.