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February

02
2016

10:00 am EST - 11:00 am EST

Past Event

Silicon Valley’s influence on the Democratic Party

Tuesday, February 02, 2016

10:00 am - 11:00 am EST

Brookings Institution
Saul Room/Zilkha Lounge

1775 Massachusetts Avenue NW
Washington, DC
20036

Over the past two decades, the tech industry has made around $60 million in political contributions, making it second only to the oil and gas industry in terms of political spending. This huge influx of capital is impacting the ways that political parties approach Silicon Valley magnates. In his new ebook, The Age of Optimists: A Quantitative Glimpse of How Silicon Valley Will Transform Political Power and Everyday Life, journalist Greg Ferenstein conducts the first systematic study of the Silicon Valley elite’s rise to power. What do these individuals believe politically and what is their vision for the future? What does the fundraising of Silicon Valley campaign dollars mean for the future of the Democratic Party?

On February 2, Governance Studies at Brookings hosted Ferenstein to discuss his findings, including the ways in which Silicon Valley money is fueling a tea-party-like schism between well-educated urban liberals and the rest of the Democratic Party. Ferenstein discussed the priorities of wealthy Silicon Valley individuals, and how they have changed and will continue to affect the Democratic Party.

 

Agenda