Fall 2023 Fellow
Building on over forty years of involvement in American politics, Arnon Mishkin leads the Fox News Election Decision Team, which is responsible for analyzing election and polling results and developing models to project election outcomes.
Following the 2016 election, Mishkin and his team, working with the Associated Press and the National Opinion Research Center, developed the Fox News Voter Analysis/AP VoteCast, which is the first alternative to the Network “Exit Poll,” and is conducted in all states with statewide elections. It is now considered the most definitive and timely snapshot of American voter attitudes.
During election season, he often appears on Fox News to assess the impact of different campaigns and the likely trends in the electorate.
Mishkin has taught as an adjunct professor at Northeastern University, and has served as a Resident Fellow at Harvard University’s Institute of Politics.
Mishkin got his start in politics as a protégé of David Garth of The Garth Group. The firm was widely known for the election of: multiple governors of New York; New York Mayors, including John Lindsay, Ed Koch, Rudy Guiliani and Michael Bloomberg; as well as US Senators John Heinz and Arlen Spector of Pennsylvania. Most importantly, the firm was known for its pioneering use of television advertising, at a time when most campaigns relied on it minimally.
In addition to his work as a political analyst, Mishkin runs a strategic management consultancy, Mishkin Associates, where he focuses on general strategic consulting for a wide array of businesses.
Formerly a partner with The Boston Consulting Group, Arnon earned a BA from Yale University and an MBA, with distinction, from Harvard Business School.
Mishkin is delighted to spend Fall 2023 at the University of Southern California. Fight On!
Study Group: Planning the 2024 Campaign in a Polarized America
“America is divided” has become a truism: Americans follow different media, they admire different types of leaders, and they often embrace different “facts” based on their partisan leanings. This division – between rural and urban, between educated “elites” and those without college degrees, and among different races and ethnicities – has been underpinning our politics, arguably since our founding, and have certainly been highlighted in the elections of 2016-2022. This study group focused on the 2024 campaign – with both the 2024 primary campaigns (likely primarily on the GOP side) and the general election campaign that will follow.
Fall 2023 Semester Recap
Arnon Mishkin said this about his experience at USC’s Center for the Political Future: “I was honored to be selected to be a Fellow at the USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future. The students who signed up for my study group were motivated, ambitious, and smart – and I look forward to seeing what they will accomplish in the coming years. I valued getting to know them – sensing where they agreed and disagreed – and trying to give them some guidance in the coming years.”
USC students in Arnon’s study group shared this about their experience:
“The Fellows Program gave me insight into the political process that I couldn’t find in my typical course load as a journalism major. Being able to discuss political polarization ahead of the 2024 election with such a high ranking member of the Fox News team was an enriching experience that challenged my beliefs.”
Edward Huang, Journalism
“I really enjoyed my time in the study group. Not only did I learn about political processes like elections, voting, targeting, and political comedy, but I heard firsthand and in-depth analysis of the upcoming election. I enjoyed the opportunity to learn from both Mr. Mishkin and our amazing guests.”
Lauren Curtis, Political Science
“Arnon was patient and well connected. You could tell how respected he is in his field, and he selected interesting and unique guest speakers for us to learn from. Arnon was willing to answer any question and listen with open, curious ears.”
Siri Kanter, International Relations and Public Policy
“I have been involved with CPF study group for a few semesters and I love hearing from different speakers every week. I consider myself quite the political nerd and the study group allowed me to meet other students who share a passion for politics.”
Elizabeth Chen, Public Policy
Arnon shared his thoughts on the importance of politics, his first political experience, his advice for having respectful political discourse, and what he appreciates about CPF in his “Quick Takes: Q&A with CPF Fellow Arnon Mishkin” video.