>>1032458
So.
The state facing challenges politicians have to make decisions. For making decisions they need information, but academics can only produce "raw data" which politicians can't understand. The think tanks are the digestive tools, where experts on specific fields process the data and create policy suggestions, possible ways of going forward. Then politicians can pick from the policies and vote according to their voters will.
In an ideal world.
The peeps in think tanks need money to live the same as everyone else, and their donors can pretty much decide on directions of the policy suggestions, they can push agendas through them. And not just for politicians, but they can influence what voters think.
They appear as authorities on topic using their professional background, and newspapers present them as such. And we all know newspapers also get money from somewhere, subscription fees and advertisements just not enough to keep them running.
Donors are usually some big corpo, but can be state funded (see: CIA, but they don't have to be from intel/security).
Also think tanks is where some politicians get parked when they aren't in office. They can stay relevant by playing the expert.

Relevant reading is pdf related:
The Think Tank Racket by Glenn Diesen
How he puts it: the job of think tanks is influencing state policy and manufacturing consent.