Think Tanks’ Influence On U.s.decision Making In Central Asia

As the "fifth power",US think tank is regarded as the "external brain of the government" and plays an important role in providing advice and consulting services for the government.Through the mechanism of "revolving door",organizational communication,mass communication and other channels,think tanks can shape public opinion,influence elite class,and then directly or indirectly influence the formulation of foreign policy decisions.Think-tanks publicize their policy recommendations through official or unofficial channels.The more common forms include organizing official or unofficial meetings,attending hearings,disseminating through the network of people in the "revolving door" mechanism and submitting policy reports.Founded in 1996,the Central Asia Caucasus Institute is the first think tank focusing on Central Asia affairs and an important center for the study of Central Asia in the United States.This paper analyzes the role,participation path and influence of think tanks in diplomatic decision-making through elitism theory and pluralism theory.The author combs the status quo of American Central Asian studies and the development process of American Central Asian think tanks.The author selects the Central Asia Caucasus Institute,which has the greatest influence on American Central Asian diplomatic decision-making,as an example,to analyze the role and function of the think tank in the American Central Asian diplomatic decision-making system and the path of participation in decision-making.The author combines quantitative and qualitative research methods to deeply explore the implicit and explicit influence of this think tank on American diplomatic decision-making in Central Asia.On this basis,the author selects the Great Central Asia Project,the New Silk Road and the New Central Asia Policy as examples to compare and analyze the two versions(academic version and policy version)of the US Central Asia policy.Then it discusses the ways and influences of CACI’s participation in the American Central Asian diplomatic decision-making.On this basis,the author discusses the enlightenment of the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute’s experience on the construction of China’s Central Asian think tanks.