Astroturf campaigns in politics - Research Paper Example

Task: Astroturf campaign In the 2000 US Presidential election, a group called the Brooks Brothers riot stormed a Florida voting center, making the appearance of a true-willed support. The group was protesting over a recount of votes, which was taking place at the voting station. An investigation later found out that this was a group of paid Republican supporters. Indeed, the investigation realized that most of these people later gained jobs in the Bush administration. The group earned the trust of the public and moved the counting process to a tiny room that was restricted to media access. An Astroturf campaign looks like a real political campaign, but few-placed interest units orchestrate such events for given selfish reasons. In this case, gaining grassroots support is a legitimizing force that ensures a given campaign seems like a real campaign.
There are several consequences of such campaigns. To begin with, Astroturf campaigns increase the likelihood of passing the wrong policies. A country operates through policies that define how government entities make decisions. In every sector, there are policies that guide the operations and management of resources. Wrong policies, therefore, may direct a country towards a crisis, especially, for sensitive sectors such as health (Duhé 108).
In addition, these campaigns may lead to the exploitation of the public. This occurs in case of election of incompetent officials. Selfish political interests may influence the organization of such campaigns. This occurs because such interests may vouch for a politician who forms policies that favor given ends (Perrucci and Wysong 66). In turn, the rest of the population bears the catastrophe of wrong policies. This is usually evident in the case of competition laws that may disfavor small and upcoming firms. Astroturf campaigns destroy the morality of politics, as voters do not attain the chance of voicing their objective opinions. Such campaigns may be so sensational and delusional such that decided voters sway towards fads. It is essential for politics to create an environment whereby each opinion reflects in the ballot.
Works cited
Duhé, Sandra C. New media and public relations. New York, NY: Lang, 2007. Print.
Perrucci, Robert, and Earl Wysong. The New Class Society: Goodbye American Dream? Lanham, MA: Rowman & Littlefield, 2007. Print.
Tolkin, Alex. Astroturf Campaigning. 2013. Web. April 16th, 2014. Read More