Charlie Rose Talks to Steve Case

You’ve moved on from the AOL-Time Warner merger to become someone presidents consult with. How did that happen?
It evolved over a few decades. I was involved in the 1990s, working with President Clinton, on issues around Internet policy. Then I worked with President Bush on some things; more recently with President Obama. I’ve seen the Senate and the House change hands a bunch of times. I’ve seen the rhythms of how Washington works.

And when people ask what you do, what do you tell them?
The main thing I do is [venture capital firm] Revolution; we invest in people and ideas that can change the world. The broader theme is trying to make sure we remain the most entrepreneurial nation in the world. I don’t think it’s guaranteed; 250 years ago, America itself was a startup, just an idea. Now it’s the leader of the world because it has the leading economy. We need to make sure we’re investing in entrepreneurs all across the country and celebrating the work of startups.