Reply #6: Think tanks exist to float policy ideas.

[Taxloss]

That mmight or might not be taken up by political parties. They exist because it means that informed, intelligent (in theory ...) people outside office are able to come up with stuff that politicos can't because they're politicos.

What I mean is that they're proactive, and while many are partisan, they do not campaign on behalf of their parties (at least in the UK) and are not activist beyond at a policy level.

DU is a more reactive, campaigning and activism-led site, and I have seen few platform policies floated, here, so I would say it is not a thinktank.