How Think Tanks Sell Policy to South Carolinians

In our last piece, we pulled back the curtain on how think tanks infiltrate the legislative process in South Carolina. (You can read it here.) But drafting policy is only half the battle. The real power lies in getting these proposals adopted and accepted—not just by lawmakers, but by the public, too. This is where their sophisticated marketing strategies come into play, using tactics designed to sway opinions and create the illusion of widespread support.

But before diving into their tactics, let’s pause for a second. When did it become normal for think tanks and special interest groups to shape legislation? How did this become acceptable in our Constitutional republic, where we elect people to be responsible for legislative action? These groups aren’t elected, and they certainly aren’t accountable to the people. They’re shaping policies and setting the agenda behind closed doors, acting as the de facto legislators of this state.

And the scariest part? They’re dictating them. It’s no wonder we have a law for every little thing and regulations that nobody understands. Unelected bureaucrats and think tanks are making the rules, not the people we voted for. If that doesn’t make your skin crawl, what will?

Okay, had to address the elephant in the room. Back to business. Let’s break down some of the common marketing tricks think tanks use to manufacture consent for their policy proposals and sell their agenda as if it’s coming straight from the people’s will.

Introducing the Buy-In Tactic

Think tanks know that convincing people to “buy-in” to their policy proposal is key to ensuring it becomes a law or regulation. How do they get that “buy-in” secured? With good old-fashioned marketing. Marketing is the art and science of influencing people’s perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors through strategic communication, imagery, and messaging. At its core, marketing shapes how something is seen in the minds of a target audience. Marketing is powerful because it taps into the core of human psychology. Forget logic—it’s all about emotion, perception, and belief. Effective marketing tells a story that connects with people on a deeper level. It can make something unnecessary feel necessary. That’s why people end up supporting ideas, products, or policies they might not have considered otherwise. When done correctly, marketing can influence anyone.

Think tank folks carefully craft campaigns to create the illusion that everyone—from business leaders to community advocates—is rallying behind their policy. Think tanks are masters of subtle manipulation. They craft narratives to make their proposals feel like the only reasonable solution. Their marketing tactics are a calculated effort to make their agenda appear inevitable, carefully presenting their policies as if they’re already the default choice. And they have the money to do it—a lot of it.

Below are a few of their most insidious strategies:

The “Poor Needy Person” Strategy

Think tanks love to wrap their policies around the most sympathetic figure they can find—the struggling single mother, the unemployed father, or the small-town family barely scraping by. Are they people who need help? Of course. Are their struggles real? Absolutely. No one’s saying their problems don’t matter. What we’re pointing out is how these struggles are shamelessly used to push an agenda. It’s not okay, and the saddest part is that the people being held up as examples rarely benefit from the policies being pushed in their name. Think tanks use their stories to make you accept the proposal, but the result is often dependency—not empowerment—and that hurts everyone in the long run.

It’s a clever bait-and-switch. Instead of debating the actual flaws in the policy, critics get labeled as cold-hearted villains. Suddenly, it’s not about whether the policy works. It’s about whether you care about the vulnerable. This tactic? It’s emotional blackmail dressed up as empathy, and it’s meant to shut down opposition before the debate even begins.

The Good Intention Marketing Message

They also know that a halo effect goes a long way. By using phrases like “protecting our children’s future” or “empowering communities,” they position their proposals as morally righteous. This tactic taps into good intentions, framing the policy as not just a solution, but a virtuous one. Who’s wants to be seen as opposing good intentions? Never mind that the actual details of the proposal might be terrible. 

The Unity Tone

Think tanks love to throw around the idea of unity, as long as everyone’s uniting around their agenda. You’ll hear phrases like “finding common ground,” “bringing people together,” or the classic “we must all work together.” Translation: agree with us, or you’re the problem. Wait, doesn’t this feel like peer pressure? It’s like being back in school with the “cool kids” telling everyone, “If you don’t agree with us, you’re just not one of us.” And if you speak up? Now you’re the troublemaker, the one disrupting the “unity” everyone’s supposed to be on board with.

Any resistance? Well, that’s just divisive, right? By framing their policy as the one thing we can all rally around, they make it nearly impossible for opponents to speak out without being painted as petty or obstructive. It’s all about controlling the narrative. They want you to feel like their solution is the only option. No debate needed. Because who wants to be the one spoiling the party of unity? Oh, right—anyone paying attention to the details.

The Compromising Tactic

This is a popular tactic. Resistance is inevitable, which is why think tanks are ready to offer concessions that seem like a compromise. But these are nothing more than strategic retreats. The core of the policy remains untouched, repackaged just enough to gain support from moderate voices. By the time the “compromise” reaches a vote, it still accomplishes their original goals. It’s a Trojan horse approach that lawmakers fall for time and again.

South Carolinians, sadly, we can no longer ignore this hard truth: Think Tanks are deeply embedded in our legislative process, crafting bills that become the laws you live under—laws that often benefit those pulling the strings behind closed doors. This isn’t some rare occurrence or minor nuisance. Their influence is responsible for the flood of terrible laws cluttering our books. Laws that impact your daily life, your business, your kids’ education. But the real kicker? They’re doing it under the guise of “helping.”

So, why should you care? Because every bad law passed under your nose chips away at your liberty and makes your voice a little bit weaker. These groups are systematically reshaping the legal landscape to suit their agendas. Meanwhile, they’re counting on you to remain uninformed and disengaged, assuming you won’t notice the tangled mess they’re creating and hopefully we are notl too late, but we may be. Think of every tax hike, every burdensome regulation, every so-called “reform” that left your life worse off. Odds are, think tanks had their hands all over it.

The next legislative session starts in January. In just a few short weeks, November and December will be filled with pre-filed bills—most of which have already been drafted, reviewed, and gift-wrapped by these very groups. Knowing who’s behind the curtain is the key to protecting your rights. If you don’t know who’s writing the laws, you can’t fight back effectively. And if you don’t push your representatives to defend the Constitution, they won’t.

This only stops when you’re armed with knowledge and willing to call out your legislator—loudly. Challenge them to stand by the oath they took to protect the people’s rights, not bend to the will of special interests. Because if you don’t, who will?

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not constitute legal or professional advice. ConservaTruth assumes no liability for any actions taken based on this content. Read more.

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