Blog Entries

The secret to membership success is no secret - good communications

ljp@gwu.edu — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:08:06 +0100

By David Rehr, Ph.D., GSPM Adjunct Professor and member of The Council on American Politics

We can never communicate too much with our association members. But the communications must be interesting and exceptional. Anything less wastes their valuable time and erodes their perception of the association.

So how can we, as CEOs, going forward this year remind our memberships of the great jobs we do for them, the value in their associations, and the importance of their financial [...]

How do you measure Capitol Hill influence?

ljp@gwu.edu — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:05:51 +0100

By David Rehr, Ph.D., GSPM Adjunct Professor and member of The Council on American Politics

With 72,000 associations, more than 4,000 political action committees, and nearly 17,000 people vying for the time and attention of members of Congress, how do we know when our efforts are making an impact?

We spend our association members’ money on media and messaging, hire staff to go to Congress, engage grassroots constituents back home to talk up the issues, raise money for candid [...]

Teaching Campaigning in Cairo

ljp@gwu.edu — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:39:17 +0100

GSPM professors teach practical skills to emerging politicians in Egypt.

Feb. 2, 2012

By Laura Donnelly-Smith

Jason Linde, M.A. ’95, stood in a Cairo classroom in front of a group of Egyptian political party members, preparing to talk to them about managing a campaign. The students in his group were part of a class of about 80 representing more than a dozen political parties, ranging from the established far-right Al-Nour party to newly formed secular parties that ha [...]

Universities: Kennedy

ljp@gwu.edu — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:03:17 +0100

By Kristin Coyner, CQ Staff

Since leaving the House in 2007, Republican Mark Kennedy of Minnesota has been busy — in addition to giving strategic advice to business, he helped start the Economic Club of Minnesota, has been lecturing at universities and has even led a University of Pennsylvania research team on high-speed rail. It has been a career transformation for the CPA who held executive positions at Accenture and Pillsbury Co., and he made another last week when he became exec [...]

All Over Except the Shouting (and Negotiating): Post-SC, Double Down Edition

ljp@gwu.edu — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:43:53 +0100

by Dr. Michael Cornfield

duckrabbitpolitics

I still think Romney has the nomination wrapped up, so there.

Turns out he finished second instead of first in the opening phase of the Iowa caucus, and the revision of this media event became public on January 19. That same terrible, horrible, no good very bad Romney day, ABC News and CNN debate moderator John King botched their presentation of the news tidbit that Newt Gingrich's second wife claims he asked her for an " [...]

A Wonderful but Slightly Scary Demonstration of Political Power

ljp@gwu.edu — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 14:30:02 +0100

by Dr. Michael Cornfield

duckrabbitpolitics

Thanks to several Internet giants, today countless millions of Web users will get a lesson in policy advocacy. Good on them for exercising their First Amendment rights to speak out, assemble, and petition! It's a great day for online politics.

Still, the protest against the current versions of anti-piracy legislation also illustrates the unresolved, and perhaps unresolvable, dual status of [...]

All Over Except the Shouting (and Negotiating)

ljp@gwu.edu — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 20:56:27 +0100

by Dr. Michael Cornfield

duckrabbitpolitics

1. Mitt Romney has wrapped up the race for the GOP 2012 nomination by proving to his party that he can win sufficient numbers of votes among populations such as Iowa and New Hampshire to make a legitimate run against President Obama. He has survived the attacks and bested all his rivals.

2. Newt Gingrich has blown up the last remaining bridge on which social conservatives could meet, coalesce behind an anti-R [...]

Where Things Stand After Iowa

ljp@gwu.edu — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 14:56:27 +0100

by Dr. Michael Cornfield

duckrabbitpolitics

1. No one won any delegates. The transition into the delegate awarding phase has just begun.

2. Michelle Bachmann is eliminated.

3. Rick Santorum gets to wear the underdog cloak for at least one week. He must raise money and deploy a field organization fast. This probably entails putting forth an economic populist message to go along with his social conservatism.

4. Ron Paul is the protest candid [...]

CSR Soars in 2011; Look for Better Integration With Biz Units in 2012

ljp@gwu.edu — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 16:39:06 +0100

PR News

In 1929, the dean of Harvard Business School, Wallace B. Donham, said in a speech: “Business started long centuries before the dawn of history, but business as we now know it is new—new in its broadening scope, new in its social significance. Business has not learned how to handle these changes, nor does it recognize the magnitude of its responsibilities for the future of civilization.”

An Exercise in Fixing the Federal Deficit: A Splendid Saturday Summit

ljp@gwu.edu — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 16:58:43 +0100

A Splendid Saturday Summit

December 5, 2011

I don’t think there is a bigger reason or better symbol of Congress’s sub-basement level reputation these days than its continuing irresolution regarding the federal budget (pun intended). Delays, gimmicks, special favors, and changes at the margin where changes at the core are needed seem endemic to how Congress deals with one of its most important purposes.

Foxnews.com

By Juan Williams

Published November 18, 2011

While the Super Committee meets behind closed doors in a last-ditch effort to reach its goal of reducing the nation’s debt by $1.5 trillion over the next ten years, both political parties are preparing for failure ahead of the November 23rd deadline. Rather than finding constructive ways to solve the national debt Republican [...]

Learning online: Virtual masters degrees in public relations on the rise

ljp@gwu.edu — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 21:49:43 +0100

PRSA Tactics Magazine

November 18, 2011

By Larry Parnell, Program Director, Strategic Public Relations

Right now, thousands of students are taking online courses to finish their undergraduate programs, obtain an advance degree or enhance their knowledge in a new category.

In its most recent report, the Condition of Education 2011, the United States De [...]

Polls suggest Herman Cain losing support

ljp@gwu.edu — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 16:36:40 +0100

CBS News - By Brian Montopoli - 11/14/11

After initially maintaining his support in the wake of sexual harassment allegations, the drumbeat of negative stories appears to be catching up to White House hopeful Herman Cain.

Support for Cain among Republican primary voters has dropped sharply compared to his support before the late October revelations that he was accused of sexual harassment while head of the National Restaurant Association in the 1990s, new polls suggest.

[...]

Succession planning critical to a company’s success

ljp@gwu.edu — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 16:22:42 +0100

By James David Spellman

Rupert Murdoch’s long, imperious reign has left News Corporation without a designated successor but with the likelihood of high-profile, internecine power struggles among family members and shareholder factions to choose a new leader.

Deutsche Bank was locked in a bitter kerfuffle between the supervisory board chairman and the chief executive before announcing in late July a dual-management structure.< [...]

Battleground Poll: Post-allegations, the Cain drain

ljp@gwu.edu — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 19:41:16 +0100

POLITICO - By JAMES HOHMANN | 11/13/11 11:34 PM EST

Herman Cain sits atop the Republican presidential field in the new POLITICO/George Washington University Battleground Poll released Monday.

A deeper look at the numbers, however, suggests recently revealed past sexual harassment claims against Cain have caused some voters to reconsider their support. A high-profile press conference held by one accuser, Sharon Bialek, and her attorney Gloria Allred last Monday seems to hav [...]