Politicians

1
Politicians
2
Who are Politicians as Information Users?

• Two roles
• Campaigns
• Decision Making (after elected)

3
What are Their Information Needs?

• Learning about what voters want
• Learning about issues to make policy

4
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?

5
How Polls are Conducted

• Sampling
• Size
• Question Phrasing
• Interview
• Interpretation

6
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 politicians area of
  expertise

7
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

8
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