Analyzing Analyzing PowerPower

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

Purpose of Power AnalysisPurpose of Power Analysis

Types of Power Analysis: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!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?Q: What Is a Leader?

A: Someone who has A: Someone who has followersfollowers

Environmental & Economic Justice Project Power Analysis Training - Chart 5

4Taken into Account

Can Get Attention

3

6Power to have Major Influence on decision-making

8Active Participant in Decision-making

10Decisive Decision making Power or Influence

2Not on Radar

VERTICAL AXIS:

Amount of Power

Die HardDie Hard Inclined Towards Active SupportActive Support Inclined Towards

HORIZONTAL AXIS: Position or

Perspective on competing Agendas

POWER ANALYSIS MATRIX

Competing Agenda, Positions, Policies

Labor/People’s Agenda

Labor/People’s Agenda

Anti-Union, Unregulated Business Climate

Anti-Union, Unregulated Business Climate

“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. …”

Environmental & Economic Justice Project Power Analysis Training

4Taken into Account

Can Get Attention

3

6Power to have Major Influence decision-making

8Active Participant in Decision-making

10Decisive Decision making Power or Influence

2Not on Radar

Die HardDie Hard Inclined Towards Active SupportActive Support Inclined Towards

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)

STEP 3: Sketch the major centers of Decision-makers over the problem conditions

Board of SupervisorsState Legislature

City Council

STEPS TO DEVELOP A STRATEGIC POWER ANALYSIS

STEP 1: Define the major Problems or Conditions which are negatively impacting primary constituencies

Slide 8

STEP 4: Sketch Major Issue/Policy Battles related to problem conditions which are going on

STEP 5: Sketch major organized Opposition

STEP 4: Sketch Major Issue/Policy Battles related to problem conditions which are going on

Environmental & Economic Justice Project Power Analysis Training

4Taken into Account

Can Get Attention

3

6Power to have Major Influence decision-making

8Active Participant in Decision-making

10Decisive Decision making Power or Influence

2Not on Radar

Die HardDie Hard Inclined Towards Active SupportActive Support Inclined Towards

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)

STEP 3: Sketch the major centers of Decision-makers over the problem conditions

Board of SupervisorsState Legislature

City Council

STEP 8: Analyze the picture, develop strategies for changing the equation

STEP 5: Sketch major organized Opposition

STEP 6: Sketch Organized Progressive Groups

STEP 7: Sketch key unorganized social sectors

STEPS TO DEVELOP A STRATEGIC POWER ANALYSIS

STEP 1: Define the major Problems or Conditions which are negatively impacting primary constituencies

Slide 8

Some Less Well-Some Less Well-Known SourcesKnown 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