Tank Thinking in America. How do I get in on this? Where’s my tank?

You’ve seen the talking heads on TV – On the News Hour: Professor so and so from the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. On Charlie Rose: Ms. Michael so and so from the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank. On 60 Minutes, Dr. Edward So and so of the Rand Corporation, a defense policy think tank.

What the hell is a think tank anyway? Is it a real entity or just a term to pump up our perception of this “thinker” or to add gravitas to his or her institution?
The American Heritage Dictionary (my favorite) says a think tank is “a group or institution organized for intensive research and solving of problems , especially in the areas of technology, social or political strategy, or armament.” Wikipedia pretty much concurs, and notes that “most think tanks are non-profit organizations.”

There are more than 4,500 think tanks world wide -- in countries as disparate as Israel, Venezuela, Russia, Jamaica, even Uzbekistan has one. In US, more than 1300 are listed on Wikipedia, an incomplete list they say.

Think tanks vary by ideological perspectives, sources of funding, issue focus and audiences they aim to influence. All sorts of think tanks:
~Independent, civil society think tanks
Some ideologically identifiable, e.g., Heritage Foundation, Cato Institute, The Center for American Progress
Others not, e.g., The Center for Strategic & International Studies
~Policy research institutes located in or affiliated with a university, e.g., Hoover Institution at Stanford University
~Governmentally created or state sponsored think tanks, e.g., The Rand Corp
~Corporate or trade association think tanks
And lots more.

Let’s look at some examples, via their IRS form 990’s, mainly for 2010.
A government funded think tank, The Rand Corporation
Rand was formed with a 1946 USAF grant to Douglas Aircraft, and later spun off as a free-standing corporation. Charter: “To help improve policy and decision making through research and analysis.” Revenues (2010): $261.9million, up 5% from prior year. (Not bad, in an austerity environment.) Government grants made up $226million of that – not sales, not fees, grants. That’s what justifies this 1700-person corporation being tax exempt. Yes, it’s a non-profit, losing $849,000. CEO James A Thompson earned $733,900. (There are some CEO’s of for-profit corps ten times larger that don’t earn that.)

A conservative, civic think tank, The Heritage FoundationCharter: “to formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values and a strong national defense.” That’s a mouthful. Revenues of $78.3mm, up 14% from prior year. (Wow, +14% in a recession.) But a loss of $2.1mm. Despite that dire deficit, CEO Edwin Fuelner had a good year: compensation, $1,096,000. For a $78 million operation!

Let’s cross the aisle:
A liberal think tank, The Center For American Progress“Dedicated to improving the lives of Americans through progressive ideas and action.” Revenues: $38.6mm, up 35% from prior year. What? 35%! And, they made a surplus: $7.0mm. Perhaps this think tank couldn’t think up ways to spend it fast enough. CEO John Podesta made (a modest) $238,000.

A libertarian think tank, The Cato Institute“To broaden the understanding of public policy based on the principles of limited government, free markets, individual liberty, and peace.” Revenues $40.4mm, up 26% from prior year. +26%! And these libertarians know how to sock it away: surplus of $16.8mm! 40% of revenues! They put away $9.7mm the year before. CEO Edward H. Crane earned $488,200.

And what about non-partisan, non-ideological think tanks?
The Center for Strategic and International Studies“Dedicated to analysis and policy impact.” Short and sweet: think and make a difference.
Revenues: $39.1mm, up 35% from ’09. Surplus (yes, another sock-it-away year) of $9.0mm. CEO John J. Hammer earned $414,000.
(Incidentally, I subscribe to CSIS’s Critical Questions service; I highly recommend these occasional e-mail updates on what lies behind little-noted but significant current affairs developments. Go to www.csis.org and sign up.)

These think tanks appear to be recession-proof. CEO’s of for-profits would kill for these revenue increases and operating surpluses – and be tax exempt, to boot.

So, who does the thinking in these think tanks? Fellows. Fellows are authors, scientists, scholars, physicians, politicians, columnists, diplomats -- just about anyone who can think. From scanning through 990’s, it appears that the going rate for a Fellow is around $185,000 – $250,000. And of course, most of these Fellows have regular day jobs as well; think tank pay is pin money to supplement their income.

Think tanks themselves are becoming subjects of thought. The Hudson Institute – a think tank -- is holding a conference next week entitled “Are Think Tanks Becoming Too Political?” The 2012 Winter edition of National Affairs leads with an article entitled Devaluing Think Tanks.

Well, when institutions begin holding seminars on themselves, then you know that this is an industry. And given those double-digit revenue increases in the midst of recession, this is a growth industry. And, folks, with those surpluses and those paychecks, this growth industry of think tanking appears to be one sweet racket.

So my question is, how do I find a tank that will pay me to think? If any of you have a suggestion, don’t hesitate -- Please -- Help me find a tank to think in.