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'''Astroturf''' refers to apparently grassroots-based citizen groups or coalitions that are primarily conceived, created and/or funded by corporations, industry trade associations, political interests or [[public relations firms]].
Unlike genuine grassroots activism which tends to be money-poor but people-rich, astroturf campaigns are typically people-poor but cash-rich. Funded heavily by corporate largesse, they use sophisticated computer databases, telephone banks and hired organizers to rope less-informed activists into sending letters to their elected officials or engaging in other actions that create the appearance of grassroots support for their client's cause.
William Greider's 1992 book, ''Who Will Tell the People'', described an astroturf campaign run by [[Bonner & Associates]] as a "boiler room" operation with "300 phone lines and a sophisticated computer system, resembling the phone banks employed in election campaigns. Articulate young people sit in little booths every day, dialing around America on a variety of public issues, searching for 'white hat' citizens who can be persuaded to endorse the political objectives of [[Mobil Oil]], [[Dow Chemical]], [[Citicorp]], [[Ohio Bell]], [[Miller Brewing]], [[US United States TobaccoCompany]], the [[Chemical Manufacturers Association]], the [[Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association]] and dozens of other clients. This kind of political recruiting is expensive but not difficult. ... Imagine Bonner's technique multiplied and elaborated in different ways across hundreds of public issues and you may begin to envision the girth of this industry. ... This is democracy and it costs a fortune."
Astroturf techniques have been used to:
*[http://www.brennancenter.org/presscenter/releases_2006/pressrelease_2006_0908.html Press Release: "Rash of Negative Ads in Court Races. Bring 'New Politics of Judicial Elections' to Washington State,"] [[Brennan Center for Justice]], September 8, 2006.
*Joel Connelly, [http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/connelly/284607_joel11.html "Attack ads on judges paid for by fake PACs,"] ''Seattle Post-Intelligencer'', September 11, 2006.
<tdo>search_term=astroturf</tdo>
[[Category:Public relations/Astroturf]]
[[Category:Propaganda techniques]]
[[Category:Ethics]]
[[Category:Tobacco industry strategy]]
[[Category:Corporate strategy]]
