Donald E. Abelson
Donald E. Abelson | |
|---|---|
| Occupation(s) | Political scientist, professor |
| Years active | 1970s–present |
| Employer(s) | McMaster University, University of Western Ontario |
| Known for | Expertise on think tanks in the United States and Canada |
| Notable work | American Think-Tanks and their Role in US Foreign Policy (1996), Do Think Tanks Matter? Assessing the Impact of Public Policy Institutes (2002), A Capitol Idea: Think Tanks and US Foreign Policy (2006), The Myth of the Sacred: The Charter, the Courts, and the Politics of the Constitution in Canada (2002) |
Donald E. Abelson holds a professorship in political science at McMaster University. He has produced extensive scholarship on the role of think tanks in shaping public and foreign policies within both the United States and Canada. Widely regarded as a foremost expert on think tanks across these nations, Abelson is frequently called upon by CBC and various media organizations for his insights.
Career
Abelson’s expertise encompasses American politics, foreign affairs, and the study of think tanks. He serves as a professor in the Department of Political Science at McMaster University and previously led the Centre for American Studies at UWO.
In 2010, he was named the first Director of the Canada-U.S. Institute, serving an initial three-year term. Abelson has authored multiple books and is regularly featured in media discussions concerning American political developments and Canada-U.S. relations.
Research
The core of Abelson’s research investigates public and foreign policy dynamics in Canada and the United States, emphasizing the role of think tanks.
Think tanks
Since the 1970s, there has been significant growth in both the quantity and influence of think tanks in the US and Canada. These nonprofit entities initially sought to provide rigorous research and expert policy analysis. Abelson has documented their transformation into advocacy organizations that promote particular ideological viewpoints and policy agendas. In 2012, he characterized this shift as the emergence of "advocacy think tanks." According to The Washington Post, Abelson observed that contemporary think tanks in Washington, DC tend to be "less scholarly but increasingly political," often aligning themselves with specific parties or factions.
His examinations of how think tanks shape public and foreign policy have established him as a leading authority on these institutions in both countries, as noted in the 2013 publication Policy Expertise in Contemporary Democracies.
Publications
Abelson has written numerous books addressing themes such as foreign policy, think tanks, and political science.
His notable titles include American Think-Tanks and their Role in US Foreign Policy (1996), Do Think Tanks Matter? Assessing the Impact of Public Policy Institutes (2002), and A Capitol Idea: Think Tanks and US Foreign Policy (2006), which explores the active involvement of American think tanks in influencing foreign policy decisions.
Additionally, he co-authored The Myth of the Sacred: The Charter, the Courts, and the Politics of the Constitution in Canada (2002) alongside Patrick James and Michael Lusztig.
Commentator
Abelson frequently provides commentary on CBC Radio and other media platforms, specializing in topics related to American politics as well as Canada-U.S. relations.