On this week’s episode of the Pulse Pod, we welcome Jeff Berkowitz, Founder and CEO of Delve, a company that provides competitive intelligence for public affairs. Jeff was Research Director at the RNC and did two tours under four chairman over five election cycles. In this episode, we discuss about how opposition research and risk advisory can impact what a lot of us are about to turn our attention to: the state legislative sessions and federal issue work. Listen now!
Be sure to subscribe to The Pulse Pod!
Key Takeaways:
- Nowadays, collecting information is relatively easy. The challenge is to synthesize great loads of information into something that’s actionable.
- In today’s public affairs environment, what you don’t know can hurt you. Jeff Berkowitz mentions that in politics, but also in the political apparatus of government, it’s taken for granted that CI information is crucial. Understanding what the overall context looks like is key when it comes to anticipating what can happen next.
- According to Jeff Berkowitz, life is going to happen very fast for government professionals in the next month concerning legislative conventions. The side that’s not yet thinking about who are those legislators, who has influence over them, what are going to be their priorities, how are they shaped by the campaign cycle, etc., will definitely be starting from behind on how to assess that landscape, which might have quite a negative impact on their business and policy interests.
- In US recent political history, there’s been a significant uptick in the extremes of both parties, in which red states have become “redder” and blue states have become “bluer.” Unfortunately, this means less moderating influences in the legislative process to create an environment in which actual compromise and progress can be made.