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The examples and perspective in this article deal primarily with the United States and do not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please improve this article or discuss the issue on the talk page. |
- For other meanings, see Grass roots (disambiguation).
A grassroots movement (often referenced in the context of a political movement) is one driven by the constituents of a community. The term implies that the creation of the movement and the group supporting it is natural and spontaneous, highlighting the differences between this and a movement that is orchestrated by traditional power structures. Often, grassroots movements are at the local level, as many volunteers in the community give their time to support the local party, which can lead to helping the national party. For instance, a grassroots movement can lead to significant voter registration for a political party, which in turn helps the state and national parties.
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Technique
Grassroots organize and lobby through procedures including:
- hosting house meetings or parties
- having larger meetings—AGMs
- putting up posters
- talking with pedestrians on the street (often involving informational clipboards)
- gathering signatures for petitions
- setting up information tables
- raising money from many small donors for political advertising or campaigns
- organizing large demonstrations
- asking individuals to submit opinions to media outlets and government officials
- holding get out the vote activities, which include the practices of reminding people to vote and transporting them to polling places.
Origins
In the United States, the first use of the phrase "grassroots and boots" is thought to have been coined by Senator Albert Jeremiah Beveridge of Indiana, who said of the Progressive Party in 1912, "This party has come from the grass roots. It has grown from the soil of people's hard necessities." 1
Astroturfing
Faking a grassroots movement is known as astroturfing. Astroturfing, as the name suggests, is named after AstroTurf, a brand of artificial grass. Astroturfing means to mimic a grassroots movement, with the powerful lobbyists behind the movement hiding their agenda by pretending to be individuals voicing their opinions. 2
See also
References
- ^ Courtesy: Eigen's Political & Historical Quotations "Beveridge, Albert J." (2006-05-20).
- ^ Walter Truett Anderson (01-05-96). "Astroturf -- The Big Business of Fake Grassroots Politics".
External links
- The Citizen's Handbook (guides to grassroots/community organizing)
- Counterhegemonic
- Socialist WebZine
- Socialist Party NYC Local
Wikipedia content modification information:
- This page was last modified on 21 December 2008, at 17:00.
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