Movement Action Planning for Single-Payer Activists October 31, 2015

Theme of the Conference How Do Social Movements Win?

Centrally coordinated Multiple organizations & communities - different priorities & strategies Limited timeline, beginning & end Generational timeline, multiple stages Campaigns vs. Social Movements

Effective Movement Building: Tale of Two States Minority support for single payer Limited social justice infrastructure Small activist network Small coalition Hostile Legislature and Governor Strong majority support for single payer High union density, strong community orgs Large activist network Large coalition Strong Support in Legislature and/or From Governor

Movement Action Planning (MAP) Modeling Normal Stages of Successful Social Movements Overcoming Perception of Movement Failure Bill Moyer

8 Stages of Social Movements 1. Normal Times 2. Prove the Failure of Official Institutions 3. Ripening Conditions 4. Take Off 5. (Perception of Failure) 6. Majority Public Opinion 7. Success 8. Continuing the Struggle

8 Stages of Social Movements

The “Take Off” Stage Trigger event(s) leads to an action campaign: rallies, marches, civil disobedience. Successful tactics repeated around the country. Dramatically exposes the problem to the general public, undermines belief that existing policy is in accordance with societal norms.

The “Perception of Failure” Stage Common mistake: seeing movement as only “take off” times, and decline of public, mass actions as failure of the movement. Take off stage transformative for public awareness of the problem and capacity of the movement, but rarely leads to success. Majority support stage brings to the front different leadership roles, organizational forms.

“Majority Public Opinion” Stage Long-term grassroots struggle leads to slow, imperceptible process of social transformation. “The key to Stage Six success is ultimately the ongoing, day-in and day-out basic organizing efforts of local activists, which include constant outreach and involvement of the local citizenry. This can only be done by a wide variety of organizations with relatively few paid staff but a large number of volunteers.”

Stage 6 Crisis Management 1.Powerholders change strategy – movement counters each new strategy. 2.Each new strategy more difficult to sustain, undermining long-term viability. 3.MIDDLE of Stage 6, powerholders co-opt movement’s goals, ideas, rhetoric. 4.Try to co-opt movement groups on the right end of the spectrum.

Stage 6 Majority Support 5.Movement wins majority support for proposed alternative. 6.Movement shifts towards mainstream political and legal structures. 7.Powerholders make dramatic shifts in their positions to avoid defeat.

The “Success” Stage Endgame Process 1.Dramatic Showdown 2.Quiet Showdown 3.Attrition

Black Lives Matter “Black males are more likely to go to prison… is it mostly due to discrimination… or something else”? (Gallup, 2013)

Black Lives Matter Do “blacks have as good a chance as whites… to get any kind of job for which they are qualified”? (Gallup 2013)

Occupy Movement

Tax the Rich

The Single Payer Movement Almost universal recognition of the crisis Majority support for the single-payer alternative across much of the country Active grassroots organizations & coalitions across the country waging “Majority Support” outreach & organizing Several states have launched/are planning “end game” tactics

Additional Resources!