Global financial markets and European Union leaders heaved a sigh of relief after the first round of the French presidential election last month. And so did professional pollsters. It turns out the polls were not broken in France, as they were said to have been in the American presidential election […] Read more »
Is Big Data Destroying the U.S. Political System?
Chuck Todd argues that the rise of big data has hollowed out the middle of political discourse in pursuit of an ever-shrinking slice of the electorate. Meet the Press, NBC News Read more »
No, big data did not polarize us
… Polarization in American politics is right now about as strong as it was in the late 19th century. There’s probably a mediocre steampunk sci-fi novel out there about the McKinley campaign hiring an analyst to build some Charles Babbage analytical engine to perfectly target prospective Republican voters across the […] Read more »
How Big Data Broke American Politics
Big Data revolutionized the way American politicians win elections. In the process, it broke American politics. … Here’s our theory: The reason our lawmakers aren’t responding to the center of the electorate is because they’ve concluded (with ample electoral evidence) that they don’t need centrist or swing voters to win. […] Read more »
Bold Promises Fade to Doubts for a Trump-Linked Data Firm
Standing before political and business leaders in New York last fall, Alexander Nix promised a revolution. … Mr. Nix’s little-known firm, Cambridge Analytica, claimed to have developed something unique: “psychographic” profiles that could predict the personality and hidden political leanings of every American adult. “Of the two candidates left in the […] Read more »
For Marketers, TV Sets Are an Invaluable Pair of Eyes
… TVision — which has worked with the Weather Channel, NBC and the Disney ABC Television Group — is one of several companies that have entered living rooms in recent years, emerging with new, granular ways for marketers to understand how people are watching television and, in particular, commercials. … […] Read more »