You can construe it more broadly than that. "Think tanks" are influence laundering operations. If someone or some corporation wants something (anything) done,

You can construe it more broadly than that. "Think tanks" are influence laundering operations. If someone or some corporation wants something (anything) done, it is more persuasive when the proposed ideas come from an ostensibly neutral organization rather than a transparently self-interested one. This works well or it wouldn't be done this way. This is also why influence laundering organizations will fight tooth and nail to defend the appearance of funding-independence while knowing quite well that it's a lie: the appearance of neutrality is the product they are selling to patrons, and if they can't sell product they will go out of business.