PhD Review: The Brains Behind the Party. Varying and Evolving Roles of Political Party Think Tanks

Although political parties are considered powerful players in almost all Western democraties, until recently the ‘brains behind the party’ remained to a large extent a blind spot. By focusing on political party think thanks (PPTTs), Britt Vande Walle’s PhD helps closing this gap. PPTTs are (unlike other think thanks) formally linked to a political party, and (unlike political staffers) they transcend specific party segments and enjoy more autonomy. This piece discusses how this topic was approached in Vande Walle’s PhD, it gives an overview of the main findings, it reflects on the contribution that is made to the literature, and formulates some suggestions for future research.