If Governor Romney wants to limit the uncertainty surrounding his transition planning, he could soon announce his pre-election transition team, those think tanks which are likely to help him plan his transition, and a vision for how he intends to solicit ideas from a wide array of stakeholders. Such a move would compel think tanks to reconcile the role they want to play in the policy process: either as the voice of reason and impartial advice or as just another well-positioned interest group. It would also clarify that the same principles of democracy, public input, and transparency that are at the heart of the election are also fundamental to transition planning.Of course, at this point, based on a previous Think Tank Watch post on think tankers in the Romney campaign, it is no secret that scholars from Heritage and CSIS, among others, are heavily advising Romney.
Monday, May 21, 2012
Should Romney Disclose His Think Tank Advisors?
Heath Brown, Assistant Professor of Political Science at Seton Hall University and author of the book Lobbying the New President: Interests in Transition thinks he should: