[[alternative]]Participation and Influence of Think Tank on National Defense Policy

[[abstract]] 智庫在研究取向上通常著眼在與公共政策相關的領域上，其目的必須符合公眾利益為前提，且能因應外在環境的改變作適時靈活的調整；在功能導向上必須跨越行政官僚體系傳統思維模式，對公共政策不斷提出評論並進行可行性評估，成為政府施政理念的來源；組織特性上必須保有行政運作、研究方向、財務結構的獨立性和自主性，其產出雖然強調與政府施政所需契合，然而在議題建構、政策規劃、政策評估等作為卻必須超然於政府之外。 解嚴之後智庫從事公共政策的研究不似已往敏感，且行政部門也開始仿效先進國家與民間研究機構建立起合作的契約關係。然而國內多數智庫將研究領域集中在政治與財經兩大議題，其中僅有學術型的國策研究院、契約型的台灣綜合研究院、倡議型的台灣新世紀文教基金會等少數機構，對國防政策相關議題有所涉獵。由於國防事務關涉國家安全，國防決策的運作模式外界仍無法窺知；且智庫本身專業能力亦不足勝任，因此智庫從事國防議題的研究成果極為有限。 當前國內智庫面臨的困境有三，第一是財源的匱乏，大多機構虛有其名，不具備研究與倡議能力。第二是人才的流失，部份研究人員心猿意馬，伺機進入校園謀求教職。第三是公信力受損，智庫與政治、政黨和意識型態的緊密結合，已經成為當前的發展趨勢，甚至成為金權政治的運作機構。由於缺乏健全的財務結構，致使無法吸納優秀人才，且公共形象不符社會期待，勢將限制未來的發展空間。 台灣的非政府組織尚在發展階段，屬於非營利性質的智庫應以發揮對公共政策的導航力量自許，秉持不受政府、企業或利益團體的操控為原則，展現自發性的倡議功能；積極與各種不同屬性的學術研究機構進行交流，藉以擴大國際視野；財源應儘量超越企業或政府的捐助，尋求與政府及企業建立委託專案研究的契約關係。智庫唯有堅持公共性、公益性及自主性，和政府間保持合作、競爭、監督及對等的關係，才能建構第三部門永續發展的坦途。 [[abstract]] The think tanks, in their orientations of research, often focus on areas related to public policies, with purposes being in accordance with public interests and able to be adjusted flexibly to the changes of outer environment; in their orientations of functions, must surpass traditional ways of thinking of the administrative bureaucracy, propose criticism of and do feasibility study on the public policies constantly, and make which the source of ideas for the government administration; in their characteristics of organization, must retain independence and autonomy on their administrative operation, research directions, and financial structures, though their production is emphasized to be conformed to the need of the government administration, their actions on issue constructing, policy planning, and policy evaluating must remain beyond the control of the government. Ever since the curfew is lifted, it has become less sensitive for the think tanks to work on research about public policies, and the administration department has begun to emulate the developed countries to build up cooperative contractual relations with private research institutes. However, most of the think tanks in Taiwan focus their research on politics and economy. Only a few of them dip into issues relevant to national defense policies. For examples, the academic type Institute for National Policy Research, contractual type Taiwan Research Institute proposing type, Taiwan New Century Foundation etc. The general public is still excluded from the national defense’ decision-making patterns because national defense affairs are pertinent to national security, and the think tanks are not yet competent, therefore the related research results are extremely limited. Currently the think tanks are confronting three difficulties. Firstly, the scarcity of money. Most institutes are nominal and are not capable of doing research and making propositions. Secondly, the loss of talented people. Part of the research workers are in a restless and jumpy mood and are waiting for chances to apply for positions to teach in schools. Thirdly, the damage on the public credibility. The tight combination of the think tanks and politics, political parties, and their ideologies has become a current trend of development, and the think tanks even become the operational institutes for plutocracy. Due to the lack of sound financial systems, they can’t absorb outstanding talented people, and their public images do not accord with social expectations, which will definitely limit their future development. Since the non-governmental organizations in Taiwan are still in the developing stage, the non-profit think tanks should expect themselves to exercise a steering power over public policies, insist on the principle of not being manipulated by the government, corporations, or interests groups, and manifest spontaneous proposing functions; be aggressive in relating with academic research institutes of various attributes in order to expand their international visions; surpass subsidies from corporations or the government financially and instead seek to build up a contractual relation based on consigning projects with them. The only way for the think tanks to construct a pathway to the perpetual development of the third sector is to retain their public spirit, public interests, and autonomy, and maintain a relation of cooperation, competition, surveillance, and equality with the government