Collaborative Research: The Role of Information & Influence Campaigns in Structuring Public Responses to U.S. policy, 1988 - 2015

Brown University, Providence RI

Investigators

Abstract

Collaborative Research: The Role of Information & Influence Campaigns in Structuring Public Responses to U.S. Policy, 1988-2015 There is a growing consensus that public debate has been transformed through the increased use of information and influence campaigns (IICs) by a range of organizations to affect political decision-making around a variety of nationally important issues. This research aims to explain the extent and impact of these strategic communications campaigns. To do this, the project: (1) maps which organizations participate in specific national issue debates; (2) conducts an extended analysis of communications tools and tactics used in public contexts for purposes of influence; and (3) examines the viewpoints and motivations guiding the actors who carry out these activities. The project considers the political contests and the coordination of resources among a wide variety of actors, including corporations, trade associations, research institutes, regulatory bodies, advocacy organizations, and governmental and non-governmental organizations over a 27-year period from 1988-2015. This research supports efforts to increase the role of the behavioral sciences in the federal government's policy development and implementation. This research informs policy makers about the complex processes of interaction that are part of the design and development of policy, and thus contribute to policy makers' ability to better engage businesses and the public in the development and implementation of government policy. It also contributes to multiple areas of research in sociology, political science and media studies. The overall objective of this research is to critically inquire into the extent, influence, and impact of professional advocacy campaigns on debates in the public sphere. The research will explain the extent and impact of strategic communications campaigns on political and public responses to specific policy efforts. To achieve this goal, the project maps the organization of one specific public policy area and analyzes the factors that influence its shape over time. The researchers conduct an extended analysis of communications tools and tactics used in public contexts for purposes of influence. The researchers also carry out extended field observations and interviews to develop a situated understanding of the viewpoints, motivations, and schemes guiding the actors who carry out these activities. Combining methods from sociology and communication studies, the researchers will (a) apply a macro-level network analysis to map which organizations have been featured in this issue arena between 1988 and 2015, what functions they serve, and how media and government forums help to establish each organization's level of prominence and legitimacy; (b) gather organizational characteristics to define and analyze the factors that drive the nature, extent, and impact of professional advocacy in this issue area (meso-level analysis); (c) conduct semi-structured interviews and observations at major industry events to assess the motives and rationales of the actors who create information and influence campaigns in this issue arena (micro-level analysis). The research contributes to understanding how social networks and institutional arrangements shape participants' understandings and thinking about policy issues. The research can assist scholars, policy advocates, and policymakers in developing better communications strategies that target particular publics and lead to more efficacious policy development.