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1.83 MB
Extraction Summary
4
People
4
Organizations
2
Locations
0
Events
2
Relationships
4
Quotes
Document Information
Type:
Government report section / committee oversight document
File Size:
1.83 MB
Summary
This document is Section 5 of a House Oversight report discussing 'Think Tanks.' It details the history of US think tanks, originating with philanthropists like Carnegie and Rockefeller, and outlines their role in shaping public policy and opinion. The text specifically highlights that think tanks are high-value targets for foreign influence, particularly from the People's Republic of China, and discusses the 501(c)(3) tax status governing these organizations. While the user query pertains to Epstein, this specific page does not mention him directly, though it may be part of a larger production of documents related to foreign influence or oversight investigations.
People (4)
| Name | Role | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Andrew Carnegie | Industrialist/Philanthropist |
Cited as an early leader in private philanthropy who endowed research institutions.
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| John D. Rockefeller | Industrialist/Philanthropist |
Cited as an early leader in private philanthropy who endowed research institutions.
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| Andrew W. Mellon | Industrialist/Philanthropist |
Cited as an early leader in private philanthropy who endowed research institutions.
|
| Henry Ford | Industrialist/Philanthropist |
Cited as an early leader in private philanthropy who endowed research institutions.
|
Organizations (4)
| Name | Type | Context |
|---|---|---|
| People’s Republic of China |
Mentioned as a foreign government engaging in influence activities targeting US think tanks.
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| US Government |
Mentioned in the context of policy making and tax codes.
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| Internal Revenue Service |
Implied via reference to the Internal Revenue Code and 501(c)(3) status.
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| House Oversight Committee |
Implied by the footer stamp 'HOUSE_OVERSIGHT'.
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Locations (2)
| Location | Context |
|---|---|
|
Primary location of the think tanks discussed.
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People’s Republic of China
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Source of foreign influence mentioned.
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Relationships (2)
Listed together as early philanthropists who endowed research institutions.
Listed together as early philanthropists who endowed research institutions.
Key Quotes (4)
"Think tanks play an unparalleled role in shaping American public opinion, media narratives, and US government policy."Source
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Quote #1
"For this reason, they are high-value targets for lobbying and influence activities by foreign governments and nongovernmental actors, including those from the People’s Republic of China."Source
HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_020516.jpg
Quote #2
"Most of these think tanks and research institutions enjoy tax-exempt status under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code..."Source
HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_020516.jpg
Quote #3
"Institutions that receive this tax-exempt status must either be charitable philanthropic organizations or research organizations (think thanks) that operate in a supposedly nonpartisan way..."Source
HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_020516.jpg
Quote #4
Full Extracted Text
Complete text extracted from the document (2,485 characters)
SECTION 5
Think Tanks
Think tanks play an unparalleled role in shaping American public opinion, media narratives, and US government policy. For this reason, they are high-value targets for lobbying and influence activities by foreign governments and nongovernmental actors, including those from the People’s Republic of China.
Think tanks in the United States date to the early twentieth century, when industrial capital and private philanthropy (led by the likes of Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, Andrew W. Mellon, and Henry Ford) began to endow private nonprofit research institutions at a time when there was increasing government demand for expertise on a growing range of public policy issues. Over the past century, think tanks have come to play ever more vital roles in the American public policy process, and they contribute both directly and indirectly to public education, a richer public dialogue via the media, greater civic engagement, and better-informed government policy formulation.
Of the approximately 1,800 think tanks in the United States today, about half are research institutions located within US universities. For the purpose of this section, however, only those think tanks located in nonuniversity private sector settings are considered. Most of these think tanks and research institutions enjoy tax-exempt status under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, which stipulates that they are restricted from legislative lobbying as “action organizations.” Institutions that receive this tax-exempt status must either be charitable philanthropic organizations or research organizations (think thanks) that operate in a supposedly nonpartisan way and in the general public interest. Because they are largely privately funded through donor contributions, US think tanks compete tenaciously for support, professional expertise, and public impact.
Roles of Think Tanks in American Society
The universe of think tanks in the United States is very diverse, and each think tank performs different missions for different audiences and clients through different means of output. Four roles are especially relevant to discussions of Chinese interest and potential influence seeking.
The first and most important role is educating the public and better informing the “policy community.” The majority of mainstream think tanks consciously perform these functions through a variety of mechanisms: publishing books, articles in
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