From Academic Organization to National Think Tank: A Historical Study on Center for Civic Education (Tsinghua Journal of Education; Vol.38, No. 5)

Center for Civic Education is the most influential Think Tank in the field of civic education in America. Since 1960s, while American civic education experienced dilemma and reform, Center for Civic Education, at the same time, has transformed from the Civic Education Committee of University of California at Los Angeles to a national Think Tank. This plays an important role in promoting policy-making of American civic education, curriculum standardization of school citizenship education, sustained development of nationwide education programs, implementation of international development strategies, and spreading of American democratic values. With the historical background of American civic education and American modern Think Tank, this paper summarizes the stages of development of the Center. This paper holds that the decisive factors of the Center’s transformation include the following points: building a bridge between “knowledge” and “power” through continuing and effective responses to the theme of civic education at ideological and strategic level, affecting decision makers by forming a Policy Advocacy Coalition with those who have common political beliefs, realizing such functions of Think Tank as setting and guiding policy agenda of civic education, providing effective products of civic education, promoting the international development of American civic education. This research contribute to promoting understanding of operating process and strategies of the Center, giving effective advice to Chinese Think Tank in cooperation with American Think Tank，enhancing Chinese Think Tank’s the sense and ability of dialogue，so as to strengthen their voices.