Transcript Document

Analyzing
Power
Purpose of Power Analysis
1. Understand how & by whom power is exercised to cause and maintain problems &
conditions we seek to change
2. Develop effective strategies for:
Winning campaigns, building our organizations, furthering social justice
Permanently altering power relationships in favor of the working class
Creating more strategic organizing plans
Creating more strategic campaign plans
Connecting short term strategies to LONG TERM goals
Types of Power Analysis:
Strategic Power Analysis: Analysis of the landscape of a
defined region including key problems-conditions, decision-makers, major
battles, primary opposition forces, organized progressive forces
(actual/potential), and important unorganized social groups.
Campaign Power Analysis: Analysis of decision-making targets,
key battles, organized opposition, organized support, unorganized social
groups for specific issue campaigns.
Corporate Power Analysis: Analysis of entire specific
corporation, stock holders, finances, lawsuits, political donations, etc
Keep It Simple!
• Look at their own websites
• Read the newspaper every day
• Talk to people who know things
• Less well-known but public sources
Q: What Is a Leader?
A: Someone who has
followers
POWER ANALYSIS MATRIX
Labor/People’s
Agenda
Anti-Union,
Unregulated Business
Climate
Competing Agenda,
Positions, Policies
10
Decisive
Decision making
Power or
Influence
8
Active
Participant in
Decisionmaking
VERTICAL
AXIS:
Amount of
Power
6
Power to have
Major Influence
on decisionmaking
4
Taken
into
Account
HORIZONTAL AXIS:
Position or
Perspective on
competing Agendas
3
Can Get
Attention
2
Not on
Radar
Die Hard
Active Support
Inclined Towards
Inclined Towards
Environmental & Economic Justice Project Power Analysis Training - Chart 5
Active Support
Die Hard
“Increase Retirement Age: The Social Security retirement age should be raised from age 67 to age 70.
The unique needs of individuals in physically demanding occupations should be accommodated and the
Social Security Disability Insurance Program should be modernized….
“Update Method for Calculating Cost of Living Adjustments (COLAs): Future Social Security benefit
COLAs should be based on the more accurate Chained Consumer Price Index (CCPI-U), which takes
into account the changes that people make in the composition of purchases in response to price changes
and is seen as a more accurate cost-of-living indicator. …”
STEPS TO DEVELOP A STRATEGIC POWER ANALYSIS
Slide 8
STEP 2: Sketch the Competing Agendas. The
agenda of those who are causing or perpetuating the
problems, and your agenda (the conditions you want
to bring about)
10
Decisive
Decision making
Power or
Influence
8
STEP 1: Define the major Problems
or Conditions which are negatively
impacting primary constituencies
STEP 3: Sketch the major
centers of Decision-makers
over the problem conditions
Board of Supervisors
State Legislature
City Council
Active
Participant in
Decisionmaking
STEP 4: Sketch Major Issue/Policy
Battles related to problem conditions
which are going on
6
Power to have
Major Influence
decision-making
4
Taken
into
Account
STEP 5:
Sketch major
organized
Opposition
3
Can Get
Attention
2
Not on
Radar
Die Hard
Active Support
Inclined Towards
Inclined Towards
Environmental & Economic Justice Project Power Analysis Training
Active Support
Die Hard
STEPS TO DEVELOP A STRATEGIC POWER ANALYSIS
Slide 8
STEP 2: Sketch the Competing Agendas. The
agenda of those who are causing or perpetuating the
problems, and your agenda (the conditions you want
to bring about)
10
Decisive
Decision making
Power or
Influence
8
STEP 1: Define the major Problems
or Conditions which are negatively
impacting primary constituencies
Board of Supervisors
State Legislature
City Council
Active
Participant in
Decisionmaking
6
STEP 8: Analyze the
picture, develop
strategies for
changing the equation
Power to have
Major Influence
decision-making
4
Taken
into
Account
STEP 3: Sketch the major
centers of Decision-makers
over the problem conditions
STEP 4: Sketch Major Issue/Policy
Battles related to problem conditions
which are going on
STEP 5:
Sketch major
organized
Opposition
3
Can Get
Attention
2
Not on
Radar
STEP 6: Sketch
Organized Progressive
Groups
Die Hard
Active Support
STEP 7: Sketch key
unorganized social sectors
Inclined Towards
Inclined Towards
Environmental & Economic Justice Project Power Analysis Training
Active Support
Die Hard
Some Less WellKnown Sources
•
Legal notices (newspapers, plus mypublicnotices.com)
•
SEC forms for publicly-traded companies:
www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml
•
IRS Forms 990 for nonprofits: www.guidestar.org
•
Official bond statements and continuing disclosure
(including financial statements) for most large
nonprofits: emma.msrb.org