The Progressive Politics of the Millennial Generation
The sleeper development that was widely overlooked in the 2006 election was the 22-percentage-point margin of support given to Democrats by 18-29 year-olds, almost all of them members of the up-and-coming Millennial Generation. This was just the latest piece of evidence about a generation that has been trending progressive and increasingly voting Democratic in large numbers. But a comprehensive review of available data from a range of polls and surveys in recent years shows just how fortuitous this generation is for progressives. Millennials are emerging as an enormous asset for progressives going forward – as enormous as the sheer size of this, the largest American generation ever.
New Tools: Advertise Online
Impressed by the reach and unprecedented science of online advertising, the private sector is flocking to online ads. Advertising online should exceed $20 billion this year in the United States. That’s roughly 8% of all U.S. advertising and up more than 25% from ’06. Corporate America is convinced of online’s efficacy: banners perform 40-80% better than TV, magazines, and newspapers in brand recall and in generating interest in a brand. At the average effective cost per thousand impressions of $3.50, banners are 80% cheaper than TV and newspaper. And with search, advertisers can hit specific info-seekers for as little as 10 cents per lead, connecting at exactly the moment when each individual is primed for action.
Mobile Media in 21st Century Politics
The development of mobile media is not going to take place in the distant future. As this report points out, mobile media has already proven to have big political impacts in other countries, and it played a key role in the immigration demonstrations all over the United States this spring. Now is the time for progressive political practitioners to start to engage this new technology and media. The report ends with seven concrete steps to begin mastering this new world.
About the Reports:
The New Politics Institute issues periodic written reports that explore how different technologies or media or demographic groups are changing the way politics is conducted. Below you can see the range of reports, by clicking on them you can get the full reports in various forms.
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The 2008 elections are not just about the next four years, but potentially about the next several decades, argue Rosenberg and Leyden, who urge progressives not to simply think about a 50-state strategy, but a 50-year one. The collapse of the conservatives has provided an unusual political opening, they observe, while major shifts in technology and media, demographics, and the challenges the country faces have combined to give progressives an even rarer opportunity to restructure politics for the long term.
Impressed by the reach and unprecedented science of online advertising, the private sector is flocking to online ads. Advertising online should exceed $20 billion this year in the United States. That’s roughly 8% of all U.S. advertising and up more than 25% from ’06. Corporate America is convinced of online’s efficacy: banners perform 40-80% better than TV, magazines, and newspapers in brand recall and in generating interest in a brand. At the average effective cost per thousand impressions of $3.50, banners are 80% cheaper than TV and newspaper. And with search, advertisers can hit specific info-seekers for as little as 10 cents per lead, connecting at exactly the moment when each individual is primed for action.
Return to the Advertise Online tools page.
Imagine you’re at a rally with thousands of your supporters. You ask them to join your effort by taking out their mobile phones and sending a one-word text message to a 5-digit number. They do so, and they immediately receive a message back thanking them for joining and telling them to expect periodic updates and action items from your team.
A few days later, Congress schedules a vote on an issue that’s important to your organization. You send a text message that contains a phone number to your supporters, who then make the call in just a few clicks. They hear your pre-recorded talking points audio message and are then routed immediately to the office of their senator or congressman.
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