CSIS - The New Intermediary

Now that I have been in Washington for a week, it has become obvious to me that the political process is much more complex then I had ever imagined. People are always rushing, informing, debating, advising, pushing… every minute of every day relates to politics in some way. It makes me, as an outsider, wonder how people have enough time in their days to do so much – well organizations like The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) help make this fast political craziness possible.

As one of D.C.’s most respected and recognized think tanks, CSIS “provides strategic insights and policy solutions to decision makers in government, international institutions, the private sector, and civil society” (according to their website). This self-proclaimed bipartisan think tank conducts research and analysis on hot button issues and develops future policy initiatives. But what the heck is a THINK TANK??

Basically, once people reach a certain position in the political sphere, they have so many responsibilities that there is no time to research, plan and develop new public policies. This is where organizations like CSIS step in and provide research and insight to shape policy specifically in regards to foreign policy, national security and global challenges (i.e. energy and security).

CSIS also acts as a facilitator of conversation, which is why I would qualify them as a developing intermediary between policy makers, media and the public. While at Pew on Thursday, we talked about how companies (advertisers specifically) no longer need traditional news media sources (print newspapers and TV) to be an intermediary for reaching their target market. But it seems that CSIS has such an intellectual and analytical influence of the creation of public policy that they could be the future intermediary or gatekeeper who creates and facilitates creative conversation. Additionally, their scholars and employees work to promote public policy to ensure that nothing falls through the cracks while other issues demand the attention of key political players. CSIS is a research based organization that works diligently to remain at the center of the political party continuum and are doing an excellent job of creating conversation, involving the necessary people and providing the research to support the formation of policies. I believe CSIS is a necessary part of today's political process and I didn't realize just how important until two hours ago.

On the other hand, I was disappointed that they don't see the benefits of having an established presence on Twitter. During our two hour meeting, CSIS representatives mentioned several events and reports that could have been promoted via Twitter and increased their overall brand value. Instead they used e-mail blasts and relied on their reputation in the D.C. area. One of the objectives for their multimedia and social media strategy is to increase their presence outside the beltway - what better way to engage with people outside the district then via the FREE Internet? Perhaps Twitter’s reputation isn’t well-regarded but a strategic Twitter presence could bring prestige to the forum while providing CSIS with increased exposure. I understand they deal with numbers, complex and sensitive issues, but people are moving to the Internet quickly, CSIS should be ahead of the curve.

The site visit was very informative but I wish I could have learned more about their personal opinions on issues like privacy, national security in relation to the wikileaks scandal and how they see social media being used to conduct diplomacy (beyond what is already being done). Great hosts though – be sure to “LIKE” the CSIS facebook page after you finish this blog – also check out their iTunesU account.