美国智库的法律责任与法律约束初探

Preliminary Study on the Legal Responsibilities and Legal Constraints of the US Think Tanks

[目的 /意义]《关于加强中国特色新型智库建设的意见》指出:中国特色新型智库是"遵守国家法律法规、相对稳定、运作规范的实体性研究机构"。本文拟通过研究美国智库的相关法律,介绍美国智库在法律框架下的运作,为中国新型智库建设提供可供借鉴的国外经验,完善和加强中国智库的法制建设。[方法 /过程]以实证方法,对美国智库运作的法律环境进行了综合介绍和初步研究。[结果 /结论 ]虽然智库已经众所周知,但美国智库的概念至今在法律上也没有专门的界定。事实上,完备的法律规制弥补了这一不足。在美国,智库并不是以"智库"这个词汇出现在法律里面的,而是以法人的形式写进法规中,并受到法律的约束和法律的规范。只要申请成为免税的非营利的民间志愿的组织,作为法人的智库就要按照相关的法律,履行相关的法律责任和承担相关的法律义务,纳入美国的法律框架下循规蹈矩,依法运作,一旦违法就要受到有关法律的制裁。

[Purpose/signifi cance] Building New Think Tanks with Chinese characteristics must obey the law. By analysing the legal responsibilities and legal constraints of the US think tanks, this paper provides foreign experience for the construction of the Chinese think tanks. [Method/process] The legal environment of US think tanks is analyzed by case study methods. [Result/conclusion] there is not a specialized legal term to defi ne the think tanks in the US. In fact, complete legal rules and regulations standardize and restrain the operations of think tanks. This article provides a new legal perspective to watch the operations of foreign think tanks.