Volume 14: Isabel Steinweg (2009): The Chicago Council on Global Affairs – A Foreign Policy Think Tank of the Midwest
Heartland 14 / WVT 2009
ISBN 978-3-86821-120-7
€ 22,00 • $ 29,00
Eighty years ago, the American heartland was considered the bastion of U.S. isolationism. Today the Midwest has become the home of various foreign policy organizations and international forums eager to make their voice heard in the national debate on global issues. One of the most brilliant examples is the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. Established in 1922, the Chicago Council belongs to the first generation of U.S. think tanks, which have considerably shaped U.S. foreign policy during the years of World War II and the post-war era. Since its beginning – during a time of fervent isolationism – the Chicago Council has been successful in bringing together global decisionmakers and leaders from the Midwest. Thus, it has made an important contribution to enhancing Chicago’s and the region’s image in the world. Moreover, the Council’s Global Chicago Center is exclusively dedicated to educate Chicagoeans about the city’s global assets and to provide information about international events happening in Chicago.
However, the Council’s story does not end here. Being an old guard think tank, the Chicago Council has employed formal and informal methods to influence public opinion and important decisionmakers in the region and beyond. How do these methods look like and what are their specific aims? Is it true that think tanks are one of the most important (and sometimes hidden) players in the policymaking process? These questions along with many other issues will be discussed in this thesis.
197 pp., 51 fig.
Table of Contents
0 Purpose of the Thesis 6
1 The Importance of Translation-Related Cultural and Terminological Studies 10
1.1 The Translator's Workbench: Modern Programs and Media Tools 10
1.1.1 Today's Knowledge-Based Society 10
1.1.2 Online Research 11
1.1.3 Online Encyclopedia and Databases 12
1.1.4 Online Forums and Other Communication Services 14
1.2 Documenting Linguistic and Cultural Knowledge 15
1.2.1 Document Management with WebResearch 15
1.2.2 Simple Concordance: Key Words and Collocations 16
1.2.3 Terminology Management 17
2 Think Tanks in the United States 19
2.1 How to Define a Think Tank 19
2.2 Think Tanks in the United States: The Different Cycles of Think Tank Development 24
2.2.1 Classification Scheme 24
2.2.2 Universities without Students 25
2.2.3 Government Contractors 28
2.2.4 Advocacy Think Tanks 30
2.2.5 Other Types of Think Tanks 32
2.3 The United States: A Breeding Ground for Think Tanks 33
2.4 Think Tanks in the Policymaking Process 38
2.4.1 Introduction 38
2.4.2 Roles and Objectives 39
2.4.3 Operating Methods and Activities 42
2.4.3.1 Operating Structure 42
2.4.3.2 Formal Activities 44
2.4.3.3 Informal Methods 46
2.4.4 How to Measure Influence 47
2.4.5 Today's Challenges for Think Tanks 51
2.5 U.S. Foreign Policy and the Influence of Think Tanks 53
2.5.1 General Facts 53
2.5.2 The CFR and its Role in American Politics 55
2.5.3 Case Study: The Bush Doctrine 60
3 The Chicago Council on Global Affairs 63
3.1 The CCGA as an Educational 63
3.1.1 Introduction 63
3.1.2 Mission Statement and History 65
3.1.3 Management and Finances 69
3.1.4 Membership Programs 74
3.1.5 Educational Activities 76
3.2 The Chicago Council on Global Affairs – the Think Tank 79
3.2.1 One Identity – Two Faces 79
3.2.2 Definition Criteria 81
3.2.3 Think Tank Activities of the CCGA 85
3.2.4 The CCGA and Other Think Tanks 89
3.3 “Global Chicago” - the Regional Focus of the CCGA 93
3.3.1 Understanding the Midwest 93
3.3.2 Chicago – World City in the Midwest 96
3.3.2.1 Chicago's Global Connections 96
3.3.2.2 Global Actors in Chicago – from NGOs to Business Associations 98
3.3.2.3 Global Actors in Chicago – from Ethnic Communities to Humanitarian Associations 102
3.3.2.4 Chicago’s Challenges in the 21st Century 105
3.3.3 The CCGA as a Local Think Tank 106
3.3.4 Connecting Chicago's Global Assets: www.globalchicago.org 110
4 Concluding Remarks 113
5 Multilingual Terminology Database 115
5.1 Introduction 115
5.2 Terminology Database 117
6 Appendix 173
6.1 Questionnaire 173
6.2 Chicago Council on Global Affairs – Board of Directors (2007/08) 173
6.3 Chicago Council on Global Affairs – Chairmen/ Directors since 1974 176
6.4 Chicago Council on Global Affairs: 2007 Financial Statement (Excerpts) 177
6.5 The Chicago Council on Global Affairs – Major Donors in 2006/07 178
7 Sources 179
7.1 Print Sources 179
7.1.1. Books 179
7.1.2 Dictionaries 180
7.2 Internet Sources 181
7.3 Pictures 191
cultural studies in the heartland of