Answered before asked.

 

I've had a hard time understanding "partisan" think tanks. For instance, let's say that a think tank considers itself a "Conservative" think tank. Well, that seems like they have their questions answered before they're asked. What does the minimum wage do to employment? What do you think the Liberal "Center for Economic and Policy Research" will say? Well, you're right. No surprise there.

Before I get wild and say something like that's the opposite of science and people are starting with their conclusions (I guess I did just say that), I will say that there's something at least reassuring about it. They're being ingenuous. I don't blame them. I have my own beliefs, and going into a question I already have a pretty strong hunch as to what I'll say (although that's certainly subject to change given strong enough counter-evidence). So it makes sense. People are Liberals, and they have a tendency to believe Liberal things. Therefore, Liberal think tanks exist to promote what they believe. Same with Conservatives, Libertarians, and so on.

But for Christ sake it still leaves a terrible taste on my tongue. I think it was Daniel Kuehn (Who now works at one, strangely enough. The Urban Institute.) who brought up the question of how exactly their interviews go. Do they go out and ask them if they have a certain ideology, and whether or not they'll promote it? Do they not hire people who have different opinions? Funny, since there are laws against that.

But just quick thoughts. This is more the length I'm going for.