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A grassroots political movement is one driven from below by the fundimental constituents of a community. The term implies that the genesis of the described political movement is natural, even spontanious, and imposes a dichotomy between this and a movement orchistrated from from above by traditional power structures.
Technique
Grassroots organize and lobby through procedure including
- door-to-door, also known as canvassing
- phone banking
- house parties
- meetings
- 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
- get out the vote activities which includes the practices of reminding people to vote and/or transporting them to polling places.
Origins
In the United States, the first use of the word "grassroots" is thought to have been coined by Senator Albert Jeremiah Beveridge of Indiana, who declared of the Progressives Party in 1912 that: "This party Progressive Party has come from the grass roots. It has grown from the soil of people's hard necessities." Courtesy: Eigen's Political & Historical Quotations
Faking a grassroots movement is known as astroturfing, after the name of a popular Artificial lawn. Astroturfing is similar in practice of the grassroots movement, except that those behind it, the lobbyists, hide their agenda by appearing as specific individuals voicing their opinions. The term has incorporated itself into common speech.
References
See also
External links
- The Citizen's Handbook (guides to grassroots/community organizing)
"Grassroots"