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

协作研究：信息和影响活动在构建公众对美国政策反应中的作用，1988-2015人们越来越一致地认为，通过一系列组织更多地使用信息和影响活动(IIC)来影响围绕各种国家重要问题的政治决策，公共辩论已经发生了变化。这项研究旨在解释这些战略传播活动的范围和影响。为此，该项目：(1)绘制哪些组织参加具体国家问题辩论的地图；(2)为施加影响而对公共环境中使用的传播工具和策略进行扩展分析；(3)审查指导开展这些活动的行为者的观点和动机。该项目考虑了从1988年至2015年的27年期间各种行为者之间的政治竞争和资源协调，包括公司、贸易协会、研究机构、监管机构、倡导组织以及政府和非政府组织。这项研究支持增加行为科学在联邦政府政策制定和执行中的作用的努力。这项研究让政策制定者了解复杂的互动过程，这是政策设计和制定的一部分，从而有助于政策制定者更好地让企业和公众参与政府政策的制定和实施。它还有助于社会学、政治学和媒体研究的多个领域的研究。本研究的总体目标是批判性地探讨专业倡导运动对公共领域辩论的程度、影响和影响。这项研究将解释战略宣传运动对具体政策努力的政治和公众反应的程度和影响。为了实现这一目标，该项目绘制了一个特定公共政策领域的组织结构图，并分析了随着时间的推移影响其形成的因素。研究人员对公共场合使用的传播工具和策略进行了扩展分析，以达到影响的目的。研究人员还进行广泛的实地观察和访谈，以形成对指导实施这些活动的行为者的观点、动机和计划的情景理解。结合社会学和传播学的研究方法，研究人员将：(A)应用宏观层面的网络分析，绘制1988年至2015年期间哪些组织出现在这一问题舞台上，它们提供什么职能，以及媒体和政府论坛如何帮助建立每个组织的突出程度和合法性；(B)收集组织特征，以确定和分析推动这一问题领域专业倡导的性质、范围和影响的因素(中观层面分析)；(C)在重大行业活动中进行半结构化访谈和观察，以评估在这一问题领域创造信息和影响运动的行为者的动机和理由(微观分析)。这项研究有助于理解社交网络和制度安排如何塑造参与者对政策问题的理解和思考。这项研究可以帮助学者、政策倡导者和政策制定者制定针对特定公众的更好的沟通战略，并导致更有效的政策制定。

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