Explain · Like I'm five version
Think tanks in terms of A true crime podcast
A think tank is just a group of detectives sitting in a room trying to solve the mystery of how to run the whole country.
Just like a true crime podcast, they start with a big question, like why people do not have enough houses or why the trains are always late. They spend hours talking and looking at piles of papers, which are their version of dusty old evidence boxes. The experts sit around a table with microphones, telling long stories about what they think happened. They want to find the one simple clue that explains everything, even if the answer is usually just a bit boring.
The group gathers all their notes to write a report that is just like a script for the final episode. They hope that the people in charge will listen to their show and change the rules because of it. Sometimes they add spooky music or loud voices to make their ideas sound more exciting than they really are. It is all about trying to convince everyone else that they have finally cracked the case, even if someone else will just come along later to start a new podcast about the same thing.
Their goal is to get everyone to agree on the solution before the show ends. They take all the facts they found and turn them into a tidy story for the news. If they are lucky, the politicians will take their advice and help make things better for everyone.
Where the analogy breaks downThink tanks do not usually have a mysterious host with a sponsorship deal for mattress companies.