1. Analyzing Power

2. 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 Analysis

3. 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

4. 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

5. Q: What Is a Leader? A: Someone who has followers

6. Environmental & Economic Justice Project Power Analysis Training - Chart 5 4 Taken into Account Can Get Attention 3 6 Power to have Major Influence on decision- making 8 Active Participant in Decision- making 10 Decisive Decision making Power or Influence 2 Not on Radar VERTICAL AXIS: Amount of Power Die Hard Inclined TowardsActive Support Inclined Towards HORIZONTAL AXIS: Position or Perspective on competing Agendas POWER ANALYSIS MATRIX Competing Agenda, Positions, Policies Labor/People’s Agenda Anti-Union, Unregulated Business Climate

8. “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. …”

10. Environmental & Economic Justice Project Power Analysis Training 4 Taken into Account Can Get Attention 3 6 Power to have Major Influence decision-making 8 Active Participant in Decision- making 10 Decisive Decision making Power or Influence 2 Not on Radar Die Hard Inclined TowardsActive 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 Supervisors State 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

14. STEP 4: Sketch Major Issue/Policy Battles related to problem conditions which are going on Environmental & Economic Justice Project Power Analysis Training 4 Taken into Account Can Get Attention 3 6 Power to have Major Influence decision-making 8 Active Participant in Decision- making 10 Decisive Decision making Power or Influence 2 Not on Radar Die Hard Inclined TowardsActive 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 Supervisors State 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

15. Some Less Well- Known 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