Acton Breaks into Top Spots of Global Think Tank Ranking

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (Jan. 22, 2015)—The Acton Institute is listed among the best think tanks in the U.S. and abroad, according to a new report. The University of Pennsylvania’s Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program (TTCSP) released its 2014 Global Go-To Think Tanks Report today. For the first time, Acton was in the top thirty of think tanks in the United States and in the top ten global social policy think tanks.

Highlights from the Report:

• Acton Institute 9^th in the Top Social Policy Think Tanks (11^th in 2013)
• Acton Institute 29^th in Top Think Tanks in the United States (34^th in 2013)
• 11^th in Best Advocacy Campaign (10^th in 2013) for PoveryCure.org
• 17^th in Best Think Tank Conference (17^th in 2013) for Acton University

The Think Tank & Civil Societies Program maintains comprehensive data on almost 7,000 think tanks worldwide, of those more than half are considered in the ranking, but fewer than 300 organizations make it into the final report. Free market think tanks had a strong presence on the report this year, taking top spots in several categories in the U.S. and internationally.

While the TTCSP has been in existence for 25 years, this is the program’s 8^th ranking report. James G. McGann, director of the program said that the goal of this research and report is “to increase the profile and performance of think tanks and raise the public awareness of the important role think tanks play in governments and civil societies around the globe.”

The program has a rigorous ranking criteria which includes: the “quality and commitment of the think tank’s leadership;” the “quality, number, and reach of its publications;” the think tank’s “reputation with policymakers;” its “media reputation;” its “ability to produce new knowledge;” “financial stewardship;” and the organization’s “impact on society.”

The Go-To Think Tank Report also included some interesting facts about think tanks: 30 percent of all think tanks are located in North America and 27 percent are in Europe. The United States has the most think tanks with 1830, followed by China with 429. In the U.S., The District of Colombia has the most of any state with 396 and Michigan is home to not just Acton, but also 30 other think tanks.

Read the full report here.