[Don]

How do we measure the effects of advocacy and activism?

Does street activism make a difference?
Letters to the editor?
Websites?


I think they all make a difference but it's hard to measure. The percentage of "activists" in any society always seems to be a tiny percentage.

Measures of effectiveness are:

1. Recruitment;
2. Public response (honking horns, thumbs up, etc).
3. Opposition that shows up.
4. Publicity.
5. Opinion polls.


Sometimes it seems truly like there is indeed a "tide in the affairs of men" and that most are indifferent until they're directly threatened in some manner. When that tipping point is reached, activism increases and we now have 50 anti-immigrant rallies on a single weekend all over the country instead of a handful as was formerly the case.

Web sites are important because they're sources of information and organization.

Street activism is important because it energizes people, boosts morale, encourages further activism and is a source of direct contact with the public, if the opposing communists will allow this to occur.

It's like a small number of people have to keep the flame burning so that the tide can turn and burst into a conflagration.

I think the anti-immigration movement fed and fueled the tea party movement, but I don't think the tea party movement would exist if John McCain had won the election. Another example of the "Tide in the affairs of men" effect at work.