Drivers of Political Mobilization

By recognizing responsibility-G1 people naturally participate in the 7 arenas of social/political commitment…

…which are sustained and developed by those who feel obligated to use pressure to make a difference:

In undertaking political work-G2, these political players become adept at using some of the 6 instruments of influence…

…which are sustained and developed by self-interestedly taking advantage of emerging crises:

In driving political mobilization-G3, political organizers harness one or more of the 5 outcomes of crises… 

now read on…

Function

To marshal a group to persuade a decision-maker or body in wider society to choose a particular path when a likely alternative choice (or no choice) would be damaging to the group’s interests. 

Mobilizer & Mobilized

Executive leader of the relevant membership organization mobilizes group members with connections to power-brokers, decision-makers and the media, as well as non-member supporters and sometimes all members (e.g. if mass action is judged necessary or a fighting fund is required).

Typical Features

The atmosphere is warlike: «red alert» is sounded and everyone is at «battle stations». Efforts seek to entice cooperation and coerce capitulation.

Requirements for Success

• Use a war-footing metaphor to create a well-financed, comprehensive, well-informed and organized approach.
• Use expert legal advice at every step.
• Bring pressure via media, lobbying, diplomacy, and offering or calling in favours.

See the Picture

Structure Details

GL1: The natural responsibility is to ensure the crisis, if relevant, is used to the advantage of your group if it mobilizes and deploys its resources effectively.
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GL2: The obligation at this crucial juncture is to use the law intelligently to benefit your own group.
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GL3: The self-interest of the group is get the desired official decision made i.e. in a way that creates definitive benefit or blocks definitive damage.

Examples

• Ensuring a city gets selected as host for a major convention.
• Getting a particular industry subsidized by the government of the day.
• Reversing an executive order that would have brought
  excessive costs and intrusive regulation.

Problems and Criticisms

• The general public may never know about the influence brought to bear.
• Deepest pockets win the day.
• Improper pressures are employed.
• Produces unjust or irrational decisions (from a public good perspective).
• Delays sensible resolution and worsens the underlying basis of the crisis.

Function

To reassure the public that a widespread concern is being seriously addressed by the responsible entity (or entities).

Mobilizer & Mobilized

Political leader or Senior executive mobilizes employed staff of the relevant department or membership organization plus consultant experts (commercial, legal &/or academic) as appropriate.

Typical Feature

Practical recommendations answering the question: «what are you doing to help?».

Requirements for Success

• Speed in appraising and responding; command of willing specialist expertise; decisiveness of response.
• Commitment of extra resources: funds are obtained from a contingency fund for this purpose, or raised via an emergency appeal to the public.
• Use of communication channels to provide a continuing report of progress on the issue.

See the Picture

Structure Details

GL2: The natural responsibility is to maintain the rule of law—which commonly means more effort to monitor and apply existing laws, repeal of unsatisfactory laws or passage of more beneficial laws.
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GL3: The obligation is to make all necessary official decisions.
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GL4: Groups, agencies and government departments take responsibility for a prominent societal issue insofar as it is in their self-interest to do so.

Examples

• Government response to the swine flu epidemic in terms of monitoring, advice, treatment, and prevention.
• Union response when members lose their jobs during an
  economic downturn.
• Membership organization responds to legislative changes with a
  major effect on expectations of all their members.

Social Reform

Crises are essential for social reforms, especially tragedies of the commonsgenerated by commercial profits and private convenience.

London had pea-soup fogs for hundreds of years caused by the combination of smoke from coal fires and mist from the sea. It was a known cause of illness. In 1952, a «killer fog» occurred that reduced visibility to a metre or so. Traffic stopped. Work stopped. On Day 2, thousands of people died. On Day 5, a wind drove away the fog. It is calculated that 10,000 people died from this event.

The crisis gave a momentum for tougher action on domestic and industrial behaviour—burning coal, that was previously considered wholly acceptable.

Social measures were embodied in a variety of Acts passed over several years requiring: smokeless fuel in homes, relocation of power stations, and minimum heights for industrial chimneys, and more. Read about the «Killer Fog». 

Problems and Criticisms

• Targets public anxiety and sentiment rather than the underlying problems.
• Decisions are rushed and may be unnecessary, ineffective or harmful. e.g. a recent swine flu scare cost $ Billions but was not as severe as the normal seasonal flu.
• Hijacks or disrupts the real agenda—the issue may be a chimera or unimportant.
• Government measures typically help some people and groups and not others.
• Once the public is soothed, aid is often uncertain, onerous to get, or forgotten.

Function

To demonstrate existing values in a specific personal and responsible action that has a practical socio-political effect when many others in society act similarly.

Mobilizer & Mobilized

Campaign organizer e.g. within a political party, a public advocacy group, or a membership organization mobilizes the relevant public e.g. the general public, a section of society, the membership, or a community.

Typical Feature

Simple time-limited action that can be taken as evidence of a genuine personal view, such as: voting, sending a pre-written letter, boycotting, marching, donating, signing a petition.

Louis D. Brandeis, US Supreme Court Justice 1916–39 The most important political office is that of the private citizen.

Requirements for Success

• The societal issue must have intrinsic popularity amongst the target public, and the crisis should be timely for them (e.g. not mixed up with other crises).
• Effective organization, management and funding, including use of volunteers. Sometimes expert consultants may usefully contribute.

See the Picture

Structure Details

GL3: The natural civil rights of members of a society include deciding how and when to apply their own values. These simple decisions have an official status in this context.
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GL4: Each person in society has an obligation to recognize and appreciate relevant societal issues.
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GL5: Campaign organizers self-interestedly select, slant and emphasize the public interest so that people see their choices as beneficial for al

Examples 

• Opposing the policy of a company (e.g. Sunday opening) by
  demonstrating on a particular day.
• Influencing the vote in the legislature on a specific matter by
  every person sending an identical letter to his or her own
  elected representative.
• Supporting a charity’s efforts to build a specific school for disadvantaged children by making a donation targeted to that goal.

Problems and Criticisms

• Campaigners can be irritating, boring, and intrusive if not timely or relevant.
• Canvassing can be counter-productive if the values are not widely observed.
• Campaigners become exhausted and demoralized if unpopularity is severe.

Function

To use the deepest convictions of a section of society to stop the perpetration of social harm, actual or potential.

Mobilizer & Mobilized

Natural leader, highly articulate and with the appropriate credentials mobilizes followers who regard themselves as «true believers».

Typical Feature

Willingness to apply forceful measures to get a result that accords with a dogma. So leaders get labelled as rabble-rousers or ring-leaders; and followers get similarly disparaged.

Requirements for Success

• Backing from within the establishment—without which the radicals and their views would not survive in society.
• Conviction, passion and combativeness; readiness to engage in activities that put their own members and others at risk of harm.
• Life-defining ideological commitment by the believers.

See the Picture

Structure Details

GL4: Committed believers find it natural to identify with their side of a polarized societal issue.
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GL5: There is an obligation is to present their views and activities as being in the public interest.
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GL6: Persuasion and integration within society is based on a self-interested choice from amongst society’s moral principles and positions.

Examples

• War on Drugs (USA)
• Anti-abortion crusade (USA)
• Ultra-orthodox Jewish anti-Zionist crusade (Israel).
• Animal rights movement (UK)

Problems and Criticisms

• Too extremist, too fundamentalist.
• Rallies become riotous, incite illegality, and may escalate to violence.
• Countervailing groups and spontaneous counter-rallies develop.
• Some forceful tactics are contentious and border on illegality.
• Ends are viewed as justifying the means: e.g. animal rightists and anti-abortionists have killed because they oppose killing.

Function

To unite and strengthen an affected class, group or community by articulating right and wrong despite widespread resistance to change within wider society.

Mobilizer & Mobilized

Inspiring leader with a passion to champion the needs of others from a moral perspective and capable of offering a «message of hope» mobilizes sufferers and sympathizers.

Not all sufferers respond, but those who have faith and seek a means to channel their aspirations do. Sympathizers are external supporters who are ready to give time, energy and possibly money.

Typical Feature

Appeals for unity, non-violence, and perseverance.

Requirements for Success

• Tolerance of an unacceptable status quo combined with a belief that persevering in protesting and even suffering is worthwhile for change to come sooner or later.
• Sense of outrage leading to a willingness of uninvolved people to join rallies and provide other tangible support.
• The leader’s home institution provides backing and publicity.

See the Picture

Structure Details

GL5: It is natural to regard prohibiting inhumane or harmful social behaviours as in the public interest.
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GL6: There is an obligation is to identify the relevant moral dimension and explain that it is intrinsic to society’s existing moral institutions.
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GL7: The choice of which communal needs are highlighted is inherently self-interested.

Examples

• Seeking civil rights for people harmfully discriminated against
  e.g. Martin Luther King in the USA.
• Demanding independence for India e.g. Mahatma Gandhi.
• Anti-apartheid movement in Africa e.g. Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu.

Problems and Criticisms

• Claims and views seem utopian and expectations look unrealistic, especially in the early stages.
• Mass rallies may be disruptive and costly in policing.
• Agitators may join crowds and provoke unnecessary and unwanted violence.