FiscalNote Releases Third Annual ‘State of Government Affairs Industry 2022’ Survey

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Wednesday, February 2, 2022 – FiscalNote, a leading technology provider of global policy and market intelligence, today unveiled its third annual “The State of Government Affairs 2022 Industry Survey,” based on responses from approximately 300 professionals serving in roles which include government relations, public policy, corporate and external affairs, and grassroots and advocacy, representing major industries across the global marketplace. 

The results of the survey represent the latest insights and predictions of professionals representing a diverse cross-section of Fortune 500 companies, as well as large trade associations, nonprofits, and law and lobbying firms around the country.

In addition to taking the pulse of participants regarding workplace issues, organizational challenges, and the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the survey also generated findings on the number and variety of issues followed by government affairs practitioners, the obstacles they encounter in fulfilling their responsibilities, the tools and resources they most often use, the role of data and human analysis, and perspectives on the changing landscape of their industry in 2022 and beyond

State of Government Affairs Industry 2022 - Key Survey Findings

Impact of COVID-19 & Politics:

• More than 80% of respondents stated COVID-19 has increased their job-related stress, while only 11 individuals surveyed claimed their stress level has significantly decreased. 
• When asked what causes the most anxiety in their day-to-day jobs, the political environment tops the list at 54%, outpacing fear of missing legislation/regulation (46%), time constraints (42%), and lack of resources (36%).

Issues followed:

• 60% stated the number of policy issues they are following has increased since last year. 40% are following at least 10 issues each year, with nearly 1 in 5 respondents now following 20 or more issues annually.
• More than 80% of respondents admitted they miss critical legislation or regulatory updates on issues they follow during the year; only 6% ‘never miss anything’.

Obstacles & Challenges:

• In line with other survey results, almost half of respondents (47%) stated the volume of issues they needed to monitor was the biggest challenge they face, closely followed by not having enough time (46%) and small team sizes (43%).

Tools & Resources:

• Subscriptions to news services was named by 3 out of 4 surveyed professionals as the most essential tool for their job (72.7%). 
• An almost equal number (72.2%) stated using legislative trackers - such as FiscalNote, CQ, and Curate - was critical to their success, far outpacing industry associations and software.

Data & Analysis:

• Even as the survey showed data continues to play a fundamental role in the government affairs space, fully 83% of respondents stated human analysis/consulting was very or somewhat important to their work.
• When asked what kind of human analysis is most important to their jobs, three out of the five responses focused on risk management - economic risk, geopolitical risk, and ‘risk aversion’.

Shifting Landscape: Federal vs. State:

• 48.4% of those surveyed named the Federal government as the focus of most of their policy issues, but almost as many (45.1%) cited States as being a focus of issues of concern.
• Similarly, when asked to name which governmental entities would affect their industry in the next five years, almost as many named State (72.4%) as Federal (74.3%). Local skyrockets in importance, from 4.2% now to an expected 31.3% in the coming years.

• When asked which has had the biggest impact on their industry in the last five years, regulatory activity was the top response at 47%, surprisingly followed by social media at 40%, and lack of Congressional movement on issues at 37%.

FiscalNote’s survey was conducted between October 14, 2021 and November 24, 2021. For more detailed information, please see the full report here.

About FiscalNote
FiscalNote is a leading global technology provider of legal and policy data and insights. By combining AI capabilities, expert analysis, and legislative, regulatory, and geopolitical data, FiscalNote is reinventing the way that organizations minimize risk and capitalize on opportunity. Home to CQ, Roll Call, Oxford Analytica, and VoterVoice, FiscalNote empowers clients worldwide to monitor, manage, and act on the issues that matter most to them. To learn more about FiscalNote and its family of brands, visit FiscalNote.com and follow @FiscalNote.

Media Contact
Nicholas Graham
FiscalNote
press@fiscalnote.com