About the New Politics Institute

The New Politics Institute is a new kind of think tank helping progressives understand today’s transformation of politics due to the tumultuous changes in technology, media and the demographics of the country. NPI uniquely focuses on politics, not policies like other think tanks. NPI helps progressives not only understand the changes, but master the new political strategies needed to succeed in this new environment. In this way, it also acts like a strategy center, helping form practical strategies that people in politics can use to deal with the new realties of politics right now.

We do this by bringing together a network of top experts and professionals with a deep understanding of new technologies, old and new media, and critical constituencies like Hispanics and young people of the Millennial Generation. But we also bring together some of the top innovators and open-minded practitioners of politics who understand how these trends and changes play out in the real world. The people in the NPI network span the ideological spectrum of progressive politics. We focus on how to modernize the practice of politics for the entire movement, for progressives of all stripes. We are a national network, with offices in San Francisco and Washington, DC.

Since its founding in May 2005, the New Politics Institute has held a series of open public events in Washington, DC, to raise the awareness of the progressive political and campaign establishment. We have written many reports that have been distributed to groups and individuals around the country. We also have given high level talks, such as our signature “The New Politics Begins” talk, held private meetings with a range of progressive organizations, and met with many individual political actors in our efforts to spread the word.

Our most recent initiative is our Tools Campaign to help progressives leverage four proven new tools that are completely ready to be used in politics this fall. They are “Buy Cable” rather than just broadcast television ads; “Engage the Blogs” and see the blogosphere as an energized asset; “Use Search” by buying extremely efficient and effective search ads; and “Speak in Spanish,” to reach this critical new constituency.

However, many of the emerging new tools are not clearly understood, or sound political strategies yet devised. Neither ideological movement is moving ahead. We have ongoing efforts to help invent the politics around how to use mobile media through cell phones, take advantage of user-generated video spread virally on the internet, conduct politics through social networking websites that are wildly popular with young people, and enter the new territory of video and computer games. These and other areas are already starting to affect politics but will only increase their impact in the coming years.

We also will do much more in the still-vital old media fields like television, which remains the predominant way to reach people in politics. These old media sectors are going through huge transitions and no one is quite sure how politics will work after TiVo and the demise of the 30-second broadcast television ad. In television, direct marketing through databases, and some other areas, conservatives are outperforming progressives, so NPI tracks their strategies and helps think about ways to counter them too.

We at the New Politics Institute believe that we are in the early stages of the creation of a new politics in the early part of the 21st century that is reminiscent of the reinvention of politics in other historical eras. A new agenda is emerging that will take on the true challenges of our time. A set of new tools and media is emerging that will shape how politics is primarily conducted. And a new America is emerging that will reshape what the progressive coalition will be going forward.

The New Politics Institute aims to help progressives understand the tools and demographic changes, and master the new strategies prompted by them. We want to help progressives imagine and invent the new politics that will unfold in the decade ahead.