Few scholars have dedicated their attention to the role of think tanks as policy experts within captured states. We investigate how, why, and to what extent think tanks are used in the captured states in the Western Balkans. Our assumption was that think tanks could become party to the processes of “capture”. However, original findings from focus group and interviews with think tankers show that think tank expertise is perceived as an imposed obligation—from external pressures and existing national regulatory frameworks. Accordingly, incorporation of think tank policy advice is fulfilled to an extent, but not necessarily for the sake of improving the quality of public policies. In this environment, think tanks are enrolled in the simulacra of inclusive policy deliberation without substantially influencing policy making. Nevertheless, these organizations have developed creative mechanisms to survive, preserve their independence, and still foster advice uptake within captured bureaucracies. Openly value-driven advice is the overarching one.

中文翻译：

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“国家俘获”政策建议？智库作为西巴尔干地区的专家顾问

很少有学者关注智囊团作为被占领国政策专家的作用。我们调查西巴尔干地区被占领国家如何、为何以及在何种程度上使用智库。我们的假设是智库可以成为“捕获”过程的一部分。然而，焦点小组和智囊团访谈的原始调查结果表明，智囊团的专业知识被视为一项强加的义务——来自外部压力和现有的国家监管框架。因此，纳入智库政策建议在一定程度上是实现了，但不一定是为了提高公共政策的质量。在这种环境下，智库参与了包容性政策审议的模拟，但并未对政策制定产生实质性影响。尽管如此，这些组织已经制定了创造性的机制来生存、保持其独立性，并仍然促进在被占领的官僚机构内吸收建议。公开的价值驱动建议是最重要的。