Multirole Mechanism in Chinese Non-Governmental Think Tanks—A Comparison with the US “Revolving Door

This article uses the China Institute for Reform and Development (CIRD) in Hainan as a think tank case study of the multirole mechanism that has enabled it to operate effectively in formulating policy issues and influencing policies. This multirole mechanism is comparable to the “revolving door” in the United States but has a different structure and operation mode. This article ascribes these differences to the two countries’ contrasting political systems, polities and personnel systems, and highlights that the experiences of think tank operation are closely related to the political system background .