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Major U.S. Think Tanks: Heritage Foundation Heritage was started to counter what it perceived as the liberal intellectual climate of Washington in the 1970s. The Heritage Foundations mission is 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. Heritage pursues this mission by performing research addressing key policy issues and effectively marketing these findings to its primary audiences: members of Congress, key congressional staff, policymakers in the executive branch, the nation's news media, and the academic and policy communities. Official Organizational Status: Independent research and educational institute. Political Orientation: U.S. Conservative Scope/Research Areas: The Heritage Foundation's research areas include: economic issues, health and welfare, education, culture and religion, security and defense, foreign policy and international relations/institutions. Priority is given to issues, such as: Social Security reform, fundamental tax reform, livable cities, ballistic missile defense, education reform, domestic and economic policy and foreign and defense policy. Recent publications include: Feulner, Edwin J.: The March of Freedom. (1998). Holmes, K. et.al.: 1999 Index of Economic Freedom. (1998). Funding Sources: 1998 Budget: US$ 26 million. Private donations (47 %), foundations (21 %), investment income (21 %), corporate donations (4 %). Among others US$ 1 million from the Korea Foundation - funded by South Korea's foreign ministry. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Table: Publishing Programs of Think Tanks
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Dissemination Strategies Think tanks undertake research in very specific public policy areas. Which topics they cover mainly depends on their political and ideological orientation. In any case think tanks produce incredible amounts of "research findings". The crucial aspect usually is not their production, but their distribution. Therefore most think tanks have developed sophisticated dissemination strategies, whose main aim is the communication of their ideas to important audiences. These include members of governmental institutions, policymakers in the executive branch, news media, intellectuals, business men as well as academic and policy communities - in short, everybody, who is involved in shaping public opinion. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Major U.S. Think Tanks: RAND Corporation In 1948 RAND was created at the urging of its original sponsor, the Air Force. After World War II, RAND focused especially on research in national security. Today RAND operates on a broad front, making its research available to public policy makers at all levels, private sector leaders in many industries, and the public at large. RANDs research and analysis aims to: provide practical guidance by making policy choices clear and by addressing barriers to policy implementation; develop solutions to complex problems by bringing researchers in all relevant academic specialities; dissemination of research findings. RAND has more than 500 employees. Official Organizational Status: Independent Institute Political Orientation: U.S. Center-right Scope/Research Areas: RAND specializes in: Foreign relations and diplomacy, security and defense, economic issues, regional studies, science sand technology, labor and human resource development, social issues, education and health and welfare. Funding Sources: 1998 Budget: US$ 113.5 million. National, local and state government (83 %) and private donations (17 %). | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Examples of Mainly Corporate Funded Think Tanks: Cato Institute Founded in 1977 the Cato Institutes 1998 budget made up US$ 11 million. Its funding consists of corporate and private donations (especially from corporations and executives in the highly regulated industries of financial services, telecommunications and pharmaceuticals industries) and sales of publications. Catos corporate donors include tobacco firms: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Central processing unit A CPU is the principal part of any digital computer system, generally composed of the main memory, control unit, and arithmetic-logic unit. It constitutes the physical heart of the entire computer system; to it is linked various peripheral equipment, including input/output devices and auxiliary storage units... | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Neural network A bottom-up | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Goldman Sachs Broker-dealer and futures commission merchant specializing in investment, finance, research, mergers and acquisitions. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Johnson & Johnson Johnson and Johnson is a manufacturer of health care products serving the consumer, pharmaceutical and professional markets. For the nine months ended 10/3/99, revenues increased 17% to $20.24 billion. Net income increased 14% to $3.38 billion. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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DuPont Company American corporation engaged primarily in the manufacture of chemicals, plastics, and synthetic fibers. The company was founded by éleuthère Irénée du Pont (1771-1834) in Delaware in 1802 to produce black powder and later other explosives, which remained the company's main products until the 20th century, when it began to make many other chemicals as well. Today DuPont has plants, subsidiaries, and affiliates worldwide. Its headquarters are in Wilmington, Del. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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NationsBank Provider of banking and financial services to individuals, businesses, and corporations. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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BankAmerica Corporation American holding company incorporated on Oct. 7, 1968, which owns Bank of America National Trust and Savings Association (incorporated Nov. 3, 1930) and several subsidiaries engaged in financial services, insurance, real estate, investment management, computer leasing, and other banking-related services. Bank of America NT & SA has some 1,400 branches in California and operates subsidiary banks and financial institutions in several other U.S. states and in Europe, Latin America, and the Far East. It is one of the world's largest banks in assets. Headquarters for both BankAmerica Corporation and Bank of America NT & SA are in San Francisco. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Division of labor The term refers to the separation of a work process into a number of tasks, with each task performed by a separate person or group of persons. It is most often applied to | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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