Why it matters: Think tanks, policy analysts and advocacy groups are vitally important — they help shape the party’s policy platforms and channel the base’s enthusiasm. And a new set of players are gaining power in that world just as Democrats seize the reins in the House and wade into a policy-heavy primary for 2020.

What they’re saying: “There has been a huge shift in what kinds of policies are considered big enough to meet the scale of our problems,” said Waleed Shahid of the 2-year-old group Justice Democrats.

“New, startup think tanks” are “filling the void,” he said.