‘The Wolves of K Street’: Inside the D.C. lobbying industry
May 3, 2024
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Brody and Luke Mullins discuss the rise of corporate lobbying power in D.C., the evolution of lobbying strategies, imbalance of power in big tech dominance, detrimental effects of lobbying, and the potential for a Hollywood-style show on the lobbying industry. They also explore the methodology and accuracy of political polling.
Political pollsters prioritize accuracy due to livelihood dependency.
Using both Democratic and Republican firms provides balanced polling.
Polling results are estimates requiring interpretation, trend tracking is valuable.
Deep dives
Public Opinion Strategies and Heart Research Methodology
Polling is conducted by contacting people via phone numbers, predominantly cell phones, and sometimes landline phones. The polling firms, Public Opinion Strategies and Heart Research, use a random sample, and contact thousands of respondents to achieve a meaningful response rate. The goal is to maintain randomness and utilize methods that adhere to solid standards of polling.
Polling Results Accountability
Political pollsters, unlike academic or media pollsters, have a strong incentive to ensure accurate polling results because their livelihood depends on it. This contrasts with other polls where the motivation may be to generate a story rather than accuracy. The use of both Democratic and Republican polling firms can provide a more balanced approach to polling.
Telephone Polling Methodology
Approximately 70% of responses are gathered through cell phones as they are more widespread than landlines. Response rates are usually low, single digits, and it can take multiple attempts to elicit a response. Randomness and waiting methods are applied to appropriately represent the demographic, and the approach combines both art and science.
Polling Precision and Interpretation
Polling results are estimates rather than exact answers and should be viewed as such. Tracking trends across different polls conducted by the same methodology can be more insightful than focusing on raw numbers for precision. Humility and acknowledging the margin of error are key traits for pollsters to ensure accurate results.
Judging Polling Reliability
Assessing the reliability of polling involves looking at the methodology, the track record of pollsters over time, and whether they incorporate telephone numbers in their polling processes. Transparency in methodology, a history of successful predictions, and a balanced approach with professional pollsters contribute to the credibility of polling results.
How did lobbying evolve from influence peddling to a power center where “corporate lobbyists are the only ones with their thumb on the scale”? Brody and Luke Mullins join Chuck to talk about their new book, “The Wolves of K Street.”
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