Building an Architecture for Political Influence: Atlas and the Transnational Institutionalization of the Neoliberal Think-tank
Résumé
This chapter explores the historical dynamics of emergence of a dense ecology of neoliberal think tanks. Starting from the setting up, in 1955, of the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) in Britain, I explore the role of an organization, Atlas, that was created to replicate and diffuse the success of the IEA and to litter the world with free market think tanks. As I explore the founding of Atlas and its early years of operation, I am particularly interested in the process through which the organizational form of the neoliberal think tank came to be constructed, diffused and progressively institutionalized during that period. Through this historical case study I hope to contribute to our understanding of the contemporary interplay between business and politics.