Big data is transforming politics, creating new opportunities to contact individual voters with messages specifically designed to motivate them in particular. How did we get here? How does data-driven voter targeting work? What are the implications for democracy?

1. Big Data in Politics: How Did We
Get Here & Where Are We Going?
Colin Delany, Epolitics.com
March 6, 2014

2. Colin Delany

Former political staffer (Texas)

Founder/editor Epolitics.com


Online communications
consultant
Political advocate

3. Colin Delany
Ebook author: “How to Use
the Internet to Win in 2014”
Columnist for Campaigns &
Elections Magazine
Contributing Editor, Digital
Politics Radio

4. Political Data: History
[We've been using data w/o knowing it]

1970's/80's – direct mail, phones

2002/2004: Republican microtargeting

2006: Catalist founded (Dems)

2008 Obama: grassroots & online

2008-2012: cookie targeting & other new tech

2012 Obama:data integration, TV targeting

2013: Dems take down-ballot

2014: Parabellum Labs, Dem national rollout

5. Political Data: Essentials
Essential political data tools:

Voter file

Data manipulation software

Voter models

Ways to put data into action
NOTE: commercial marketers are way ahead of
political marketers

6. Political Data: Essentials
What you can do with data

Overall: target communications

Online advertising

Field organizing/canvassing

Direct mail/TV
In theory, data lets you hit the right person with
the right message at the right time.


7. Political Data: Essentials
Key concept: data = listening

8. Political Data: Essentials
Data sources:

Voter file

Commercial data

Field data (canvassing, phone bank responses)
Behavioral data (history of interactions with the
campaign)


Online behavior

9. Political Data: Limits
Limits on political data:

Legal framework

Data quality

Infrequency of voting = small data set

Match rates

Diminishing marginal returns

Need for niche content

10. Political Data & Democracy
Is political data good or bad for democracy?

Does it have a corrosive effect?

Is it manipulative?

Or, could it lead to a more-engaged electorate?

11. Thank You
Colin Delany
Epolitics.com
cpd@epolitics.com
@epolitics
+1 202 422 4682

12. Big Data: la nueva tendencia para
conocer al elector
Bruce Willsie, Labels & Lists
Chris Wegrzyn, Blue Labs, @wegbert
Matt McMillan, Buzzmaker, @wearebuzzmaker
Colin Delany, Epolitics.com, @epolitics (moderator)
Hashtag: #VAC14