From my experience, a think tank (sometimes called an institute) is a group of thinkers subordinate to a political figure. The think tank produces political discourse adhering to the ideology and views of that political figure when actual research institutions refuse to and when bribing them is not worth the effort.

My brain took several minutes to not register this question as “What do you think tanks actually do?” and was confused as to what the fuck everyone was talking about.

They carry heavy ordinance weaponry and protect it with thick armour.

Think tanks are used for developing and researching an ideology or political perspective, both theoretically and how to apply it to real world scenarios. Although obviously in bourgeois society, bourgeois ideology is going to get the most investment for development, they are not necessarily all bourgeois.

For example, The Tricontinental is a sort of Think Tank, though it goes by “Institute for Social Research”. It develops geopolitical research and thought from a Marxist perspective.

Though what is usually referred to as a think tank is things like the Hoover Institute, which provide cover for imperialism and neoliberalism.

If you want to delve deeper, look up Marx’s "dominant ideology " concept and Gramsci’s “hegemony”. Think tanks are research institutions that serve the explicit and intentional goal of struggling in the battleground of cultural hegemony.

Capitalists found out that their liberal populations will accept anything they define as tyranny or immorality as long as it has one degree of separation from government. It’s not “government propaganda” that says that we need to say, bomb Djibouti, no it’s the “Institute for the Promotion of Peace has released a study on why bombing Djibouti leads to peace”.

Same reason why it’s outrageous corruption if someone gives a politician a bribe, but if they “lobby” them then it’s okay.

They pay your friends when your not in office.

They don’t think much, that’s for sure.

The Big Stall, by Donald Gutstein talks about how specifically in Canada they provide cover for oil companies. More broadly they’re just another voice to support right wing (sometimes left wing) talking points. They’ll publish official sounding studies that are skewed to show whatever objective they want. Day to day, I assume not much, maybe they have large projects with deadlines.

All of these answers accurately describe parts of the elephant 👍

Also, over & over I misread this as, “What do you think tanks actually do?”

Identify issues (real or fake) and then suggest policy to solve (or profit from) said issue. Think tanks almost always have a specific ideology that they pursue.

I think they shoot stuff

edit real answer:

They are what the upper class use when they want to do something but need to say ‘studies show…’,

If the people they pay dont say what they want they fire them or hire a different group of people until they find someone who agrees to say what they want to say.

Its what happens when you remove reproducibility from research and corrupt the funding process as well as not only attempting to avoid research bias, but obfuscate it as much as possible.

They employ a list of big names (or failsons/faildaughters).

Some create strategies on how to build and maintain the American empire. Even publish whole books on it. Brian Berletic frequently cites think tanks in his videos.

Idk. From what I’ve heard, they’re vanguards of the capitalist class, so I guess it gives a hint to that nature?

Propaganda