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The tools in this Chapter are intended for use:
“Power concedes nothing without demand. It never did and it never will.”
“El poder no concede nada sin exigencia. Nunca lo ha hecho y nunca lo hará.”
— Frederick Douglass
Advocacy is any action that is taken to improve policies, systems, and outcomes. The concept of “power” is fundamental to understanding how advocacy works. Knowing the types of power, how power is held, how it's exercised, and how it can be shifted, enables advocates to more effectively influence decisions and advance their advocacy efforts.
The Four Types of Power Framework categorizes distinct power dynamics that arise within social and communal contexts. These categories include “Power Over” (a coercive type of power), “Power With” (a collaborative type of power), “Power To” (a creative type of power), and “Power Within” (an immanent type of power). The figure below outlines the Four Types of Power Framework in greater detail.
Figure 1.1 Four Types of Power Framework
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❗Why This Matters for Building Power❗
Conceptualizing the interplay amongst these power types can help advocates strategize actions to shape their influence, shift decision-making, and build long-term community power for policy and systems change.
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Grasstops advocacy is also known as direct advocacy, due to its close proximity to individuals and entities with Power Over decision-making. The focus of grasstops advocacy is to directly influence these decision-makers. Traditionally, decision-makers are public officials, legislators, lobbyists, or those who have direct authority over policy decisions. For example, elected officials vote and pass policies that directly impact the communities they represent. Grasstops advocacy is often best leveraged for specific policy asks of a smaller group and may, therefore, bring about an intended change relatively quickly.
Grassroots (or indirect) advocacy, on the other hand, emphasizes Power With a collective (i.e., “the people”) and works to influence policy by shaping public opinion and building public will, which creates broad pressure for change.
Grassroots advocacy often involves mobilizing groups that are directly impacted by a specific issue through large-scale campaigns. While grassroots advocacy efforts may start as more distant in proximity to power, over time, this work can evolve into broader social movements that shift cultural norms and generate lasting support for a cause.
The table below compares these two different (yet complementary) advocacy styles.
| Grasstops Advocacy (Direct) | Grassroots Advocacy (Indirect) | |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Influencing those with existing positional power or authority to make policy decisions. Emphasizes Power To | Influencing public opinion to create an environment that fosters policy change. Emphasizes Power With |
| Key Activities | Direct outreach to and one-on-one meetings with policymakers: | |
| • Lobbying directly for or against specific bills |
◦ [*Guide: Who Represents Me](<https://provechocollective.notion.site/Guide-Who-Represents-Me-46e233e0fbec43868c58d2330304f4d6>)
◦ [Worksheet: Lobby Meeting Planning](<https://provechocollective.notion.site/Worksheet-Lobby-Meeting-Planning-681d3b043c444b1b84eea7c02bca9b0e>)*
• Testifying at hearings • Filing lawsuits and litigating cases • Presenting policy briefs and recommendations | Educating and organizing directly impacted groups: • Mobilizing community members with shared experiences to take collective action (i.e., building coalitions) • Organizing rallies • Sharing stories and opinions through media campaigns ◦ *Guide: Media Engagement •* Encouraging the public to contact public officials (i.e., indirect lobbying) | | Why it Matters | Increases the legitimacy of community demands; leverages relationships with influential decision-makers to push solutions forward more quickly | Centers those most impacted and strengthens public demand, making direct advocacy efforts more effective; shifts cultural norms and sustains movements long-term |
<aside> ❗Why This Matters for Building Power❗
While different strategies, grasstops and grassroots advocacy can be used together to dramatically shift power and create systemic change.
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The remainder of Chapter 1 focuses on how grasstops advocacy leverages Power To to influence those with Power Over. Moreover, the tools in this chapter build knowledge, capacity, and skills to influence decision makers.