Politicians
1
Who are Politicians as
Information Users?
• Two roles
• Campaigns
• Decision Making (after elected)
2
What are Their
Information Needs?
• Learning about what voters want
• Learning about issues to make policy
3
Information in Campaigns:
Polling
• Why is polling important?
• What do campaigns achieve from
polling?
– What issues are important
– What groups are for/against the politician
– What issues matter to which groups
– Who should their campaign target?
4
How Polls are Conducted
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5
Sampling
Size
Question Phrasing
Interview
Interpretation
Information in Decision
Making
• Politicians, once in office, must make
decisions on many issues
• Need detailed information on all those
issues
– Time consuming
– Difficult when outside the politician’s area
of expertise
6
Lobbying
• Lobbyists represent special interest
groups and try to influence policy
• Provide information to politicians in
office
• Can present experts, evidence, facts to
support their side
• Politicians rely on this information
7
Lobbying Issues
• Fairness
– Can you pay a politician to vote your way?
– Can you give him or her a gift to vote your
way?
– Can you take them on a trip to a meeting?
– Can you buy them lunch?
• Access
• Transparency
8