AI doesn’t learn from a neutral information environment. IFPG research with @deweysquare.bsky.social examines unequal access to Right and Left-Center content in AI training pipelines — and what it means for public knowledge. Explore Pillar #3: innovatingforpublicgood.org/innovation-t...

PSG Consulting’s newsletter looked at ~4,900 political ads and found two very different elections: — Competitive races focus on healthcare, taxes & the cost of living. — Noncompetitive races lean on Trump & immigration. Subscribe to #NeedToKnow for more: whosinyourmediamarket.substack.com

Happening Today @ 11am ET: Strategies to Defeat Anti-Trans and “Othering” us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi... One of the strongest narratives Americans use to understand their lives is us versus them. "I cannot __ because of __." Learn why this narrative is so powerful and who benefits from it @11am!

The American voter profile is evolving faster than the political playbook. That's why Electoral Innovation is a core pillar of IFPG — from pioneering work on Double Negative voters to new investments in electoral vote strategy. innovatingforpublicgood.org/electoral-in...

WEBINAR RESCHEDULED: Join us on Thursday, July 30 @ 11am ET: Strategies to Defeat Anti-Trans and “Othering” us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi... Learn why the us-versus-them narrative is so powerful & who benefits from on Thursday!

Pew estimates double negative voters — those who view both parties unfavorably — represent 26% of voters heading into 2026. IFPG is proposing a custom model to help campaigns identify and communicate with this critical cohort. Read our current research: innovatingforpublicgood.org/electoral-in...

How are your dollars being used to impact the electoral environment in 2026? Join IFPG and PSG Consulting on July 28 for Strategies to Defeat Us Versus Them-ism. Register today: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

@nytimes.com's David French warns Republicans could use an obscure constitutional power to contest House races & retain their majority. Democracy defenders must unite, expand the map, fund organizing now and invest beyond 2026. More in my recent Substack: open.substack.com/pub/pagegard...

IFPG and @hartresearch.bsky.social are studying how othering narratives take hold — and how to counter them at scale. Three of four research phases are complete, with field testing next. Learn more: innovatingforpublicgood.org/narrative-in...

Othering messages account for ~$96M — or ~13% of total ad spend tracked by the Need to Know newsletter. Immigration/border threat messaging — amplified by DHS & ICE — is most dominant, accounting for ~$82M, or ~83%, of total othering message spend. whosinyourmediamarket.substack.com/i/201235767/...

Happening July 28 @ 12pm ET: Strategies to Defeat Us Versus Them-ism us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi... One of the strongest narratives Americans use to understand their lives is us versus them. "I cannot __ because of __." Learn why this narrative is so powerful & who benefits from it next Tuesday.

Join us on July 28: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

Innovating for the Public Good: R&D for Democracy@ifpg.bsky.social · 2w ago

Happening July 28 @ 12pm ET: Strategies to Defeat Us Versus Them-ism us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi... One of the strongest narratives Americans use to understand their lives is us versus them. "I cannot __ because of __." Learn why this narrative is so powerful & who benefits from it next Tuesday.

Dems won’t solve their brand problem by playing defense on the cultural issues Republicans use to define them. In my latest Substack, I respond to Thomas Edsall, arguing that rebuilding the party starts with delivering tangible improvements in people’s lives: pagegardner.substack.com/p/the-new-yo...

Republicans are running 2 very different 2026 campaigns. In safe seats & primaries, their ads embrace Trump. In competitive races, they focus on kitchen table issues like healthcare & cost of living. Dive deeper in July's Need to Know Newsletter: whosinyourmediamarket.substack.com/p/a-record-s...

Winning the next election matters. So does building the foundation for the elections that follow. In her latest Substack, IFPG Founder @pagegardner.bsky.social makes the case for pairing immediate action with long-term investment in democratic resilience. pagegardner.substack.com/p/its-a-math...

It’s a Mathematical Certainty: Short-Term Politics Cannot Defeat Long-Term Power

The fight for democracy will not be won in a single election cycle.

pagegardner.substack.com

The article notes how more campaigns — & potential bad actors — are embracing AEO, a strategy to design digital content to inform chatbot answers. This makes it critical to understand which sources AI tools can access & elevate. Check out IFPG’s research: innovatingforpublicgood.org/research-and...

@nytimes.com highlights IFPG research with @deweysquare.bsky.social and PSG Consulting, finding that far-Right and “very low” factual-integrity sites were more accessible to AI tools than center-Left or highly factual sources. Check it out: www.nytimes.com/2026/07/19/u...

Politicians Are Trying to Change What Chatbots Say About Them

Political campaigns have something new to worry about these days: unflattering or incomplete information produced by A.I. programs when voters ask questions about candidates.

nytimes.com

IFPG Founder @pagegardner.bsky.social was recently featured in @influentialwomen.bsky.social’s 2026 Women to Watch series for her work to advance civic engagement, voter participation and democracy innovation. Read more: influentialwomen.com/women-to-wat...

Big Tech, AI and crypto have spent nearly $90 million on politics this cycle. Yet almost none of that money has gone into competitive races. So where is it going? The latest Need to Know newsletter breaks it down: whosinyourmediamarket.substack.com/p/a-record-s...

Who gets to define patriotism? In a recent Substack, IFPG Founder @pagegardner.bsky.social explores how "us-versus-them" politics fuel division & undermine democracy — a timely reflection on themes central to IFPG's work on othering & forces shaping our civic life. open.substack.com/pub/pagegard...

In a recent Substack Live, IFPG Founder @pagegardner.bsky.social spoke with Erica Williams Simon about her important new endeavor, Soul Story, and why progressives must reclaim faith as a source of hope, purpose and meaning — not cede it to the Right. Watch here: substack.com/@innovatingf...

Double Negative voters—those who hold unfavorable views of both parties but still plan to vote—could make up 25% of the 2026 electorate (@pewresearch.org). IFPG Founder @pagegardner.bsky.social explores why these voters matter & IFPG's work to target them. pagegardner.substack.com/p/double-neg...

Thank you @influentialwomen.bsky.social for including me in your 2026 Women to Watch series! I'm honored to be recognized for my work advancing civic engagement, voter participation & democracy innovation. influentialwomen.com/women-to-wat...

Across 2026 House, Senate and gubernatorial ad transcripts, messaging splits sharply depending on whether a race is competitive. whosinyourmediamarket.substack.com/p/a-record-s...

Campaigns spend millions on advertising, but they rarely know everything voters are seeing across the broader media landscape. The July issue of "Need to Know" explores the spending surge, differing party strategies, and Crypto & AI PAC spending patterns. substack.com/home/post/p-...

Chuck Schumer- why aren’t you visiting your colleague Mitch McConnell to wish him well or to see is he is actually alive?

A recent @politico.com article pointed to the fact that most Americans embrace their patriotism. Yet patriotism is often seen as an expression of right-wing sentiments. Some use the word “patriotism” as an “us versus them” tactic. open.substack.com/pub/pagegard...

Patriotism Is for US

Reflections on our 250th year

open.substack.com

In my recent Substack Live with Erica Williams Simon, we spoke about her important new endeavor, Soul Story, and why progressives must reclaim faith as a source of hope, purpose and meaning — not cede it to the Right. Watch here: substack.com/@innovatingf...

$769 Million & Counting — the July issue of Need to Know: Who's in Your Media Market is live on Substack! This month's issue highlights the explosion in spending, the different spending strategies among Democrats & Republicans, and Crypto & AI PAC spending. open.substack.com/pub/whosinyo...

Unprecedented amounts of AI and crypto money is flooding our political system. As @pagegardner.bsky.social and @tiffanymuller.bsky.social explain, these corporate special interests are looking for lawmakers who will rubber stamp their agenda by fighting for deregulation in the halls of Congress.