Bernie Sanders Campaign Analysis

Through the Bernie Sanders Campaign, I learned much about the workings and effects of campaigns. Campaigns depend strongly on our social nature as humans and have the ability to shape cultures around them. They also impact the political environment surrounding the elections. As is their purpose campaigns play a large role in the election process.
Campaigns are reliant on human nature. In order to become involved with a campaign, a potential volunteer usually needs to know someone who is already part of the campaign. I found this out because until one of my friends started talking about Badgers for Bernie, I did not know how to get involved with the campaign. Even after that, in order to set up trips to volunteer, we needed to go through the organization’s president because she knew many of the field organizers and volunteers in the states surrounding us. In addition to this, as I was canvassing, I would often meet people who wanted to be volunteers but did not know where a campaign office was, what there was to do, or who ask about volunteering. The social aspect of campaigns does not end with becoming involved, however. Volunteers within campaigns and supporters of candidates often become friends and acquaintances with other volunteers and supporters. A primary topic of discussion within these groups will naturally be the election and the campaign. Those who keep in touch with the friends and acquaintances they meet will then hear about other chances to volunteer, and the cycle continues. If these social ties and the enthusiasm in the work are strong enough, they are able to form subcultures as has been seen in Bernie and Trump supporters. The Bernie subculture is most evident in the existence of Bernie Singles, a dating site for supporters of Bernie Sanders which became a topic of discussion among volunteers while I was campaigning. Campaigns are able to combine social ties and similar goals to form subcultures surrounding them. Campaigns also have a strong influence on the political environment. Campaigns are able to gain supporters by reaching out to or marketing to potential voters. This could be seen in the Bernie campaign with canvassing, phone banking, and the organization of the rally in Rochester. Canvassing and phone banking were both ways to connect to voters in order to sway their votes or help ensure they turn up to the polls. The effects of this were shown when the places that had campaign offices the longest had the strongest and most enthusiastic support. Marketing to potential voters is done by campaigns attempting to appear …show more content…
Due to the interdependent effects of the social aspect of campaigns and their outreach, campaigns are able to increase or decrease voter turnout as well as change what issues are discussed in an election. This is because when a population’s desires for the president shift, candidates must either shift to a position where they will hold the majority of votes or lost the election. The Sanders campaign is a prime example of this. It has emphasized affordable education, healthcare, war, and other issues that are important to the millennial generation which has become the largest population among eligible voters. In response to this, the Clinton campaign has shifted its focus onto these issues in an attempt to gain the millennial vote for the general election. Effective campaigns are able to direct culture in such a way as to increase support of its