Grassroots
For other meanings, see Grass roots (disambiguation).A
grassroots political movement is one driven from below by the fundamental
constituents of a community. The term implies that the genesis of the described political movement is natural, even spontaneous, and imposes a dichotomy between this and a movement orchestrated from above by traditional power structures.
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.
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 [the 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. Astroturfing - as the name suggests - is named after a popular
artificial lawn,
astroturf. 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.
[ ]*
Grassroots democracy*
Public Relations*
GlobalGiving*
Astroturfing*
List of grassroots organizations*
The Citizen's Handbook (guides to grassroots/community organizing)
