First Mondays with PSG Consulting

PSG Consulting and Innovating for the Public Good: R&D for Democracy have launched a series of webinars focused on narratives, the power of themes and storytelling. This webinar will explore the crucial role media and entertainment play in amplifying values and ideals central to a strong democracy. Panelists will examine how storytelling can bridge divides, counter misinformation and inspire c...

In an era of information chaos, language isn't just communication — it's power. We discussed how words shape reality, dissected the metaphors that move movements, and thought about language that can cut through the noise, tell our story and reach people where they are.

Page Gardner kicked off the series on narratives, beginning with a discussion on definitional issues. Moderated by Erica Williams Simon , the expert panel included Laura Hughes and Joseph Phelan , who explored how to craft memorable and transformative narrative arcs. Key Takeaways From the Discussion: Narrative is more than a story — it’s the deeper patterns of meaning that connect stories togethe...

Join the next generation of leaders, including Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, North Carolina State Senator Sydney Batch and Hollywood filmmaker Billy Ray as they discuss strategies to address our current crisis, plan for the long term and counter the threat of an increasingly authoritarian Right.

In this special edition of the First Mondays Podcast, Page talks with Robert Jones, President and Founder of PRRI . "Down the home stretch of the campaign, Donald Trump has doubled down on his message of Christian nationalism and white grievance. While his speeches have indeed become more meandering and more extreme, they nonetheless contain a coherent appeal that taps key elements from authoritar...

PSG Consulting and Innovating for the Public Good: R&D for Democracy worked with TargetSmart to conduct dial testing during the September 10 presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. The research used live dials and pre- and post-debate surveys with an audience of swing voters and Democratic-leaning mobilization targets.  This study used moment-to-moment dial t...

The US Elections Project data show that the elections of 2018, 2020 and 2022 were three of  the highest-turnout U.S. elections  of their respective types in decades. The turnout in 2020 was the highest rate for any election since the 1900s, with about two-thirds (66%) of the voting-eligible population participating that year. In 2018, 49% of the voting-eligible population participated. The 1941 el...

This episode marks the start of our four-part First Mondays September Series , where we delved into the forces threatening America’s democratic institutions and the 2024 elections. Our distinguished panel of experts, including Tiffany Muller , Maya Wiley , Michael Waldman and Ben Scott , provided an in-depth analysis of the ongoing challenges facing American democracy. From voting rights and elect...

The 2020 elections saw enormous changes in how campaigns were conducted and how people voted. This is the first presidential election after the height of COVID-19. Will this be an election in which — as someone has said before — the more things change, the more they stay the same?   We have a rematch at the top of the ticket. Both candidates are unpopular, and it will be a close race. Voting patte...

The 2020 elections saw enormous changes in how campaigns were conducted and how people voted. This is the first presidential election after the height of COVID-19. Will this be an election in which — as someone has said before — the more things change, the more they stay the same?   We have a rematch at the top of the ticket. Both candidates are unpopular, and it will be a close race. Voting patte...

Quite a bit has been written about the use and misuse—or the potential for good and evil—of AI, particularly as it relates to the 2024 elections. The only limitation to the use of this powerful tool is our imaginations. On Monday, April 8th at noon, Eastern, the First Mondays webinar will feature experts in the use of AI. Samir Saluja and Darin Klein from Derive One bring decades of private sector...

Women have made innumerable contributions to this country and its economy. They have made advances and breakthroughs in the fields of science, technology, sports, medicine, the law, art, pharmaceuticals, the Armed Forces, food, conservation and on and on and on. We owe much of our quality of life and global standing to women.   This month also has a “not so happy” quality to it. March reminds us o...

25% of the electorate may be at large — “Double Negative” voters who do not like President Biden and do not like Donald Trump, and a subset of this group won't vote for either, leading to a substantial third-party vote. This potentially game-changing segment of the electorate has not been identified, has not been modeled and has not been targeted precisely with nuanced communications. But now,...

$18 billion dollars — that is what experts forecast will be spent in 2024 by candidates and political organizations. But in a stunning new book, Reinventing Political Advertising , strategist and consultant Hal Malchow provides a rigorous look at the cost-benefit analysis of political advertising as it is now practiced. He argues that as currently designed and used, paid political advertising gene...

Donald Trump's supporters have produced a video saying he was sent by GOD to rescue America from the "heathens" (very broadly defined). How do we understand the appeal of this approach and identify the segment of voters with whom it resonates? Iowa tells us that Trump's strength with Evangelical voters will help secure his nomination — and possibly — his election. New Hampshire&#...