What is an influencer?

Influencers
What is an influencer?

An influencer is a person or organization that has the power to change things or peoples' minds, or to make things happen. The impact of an influencer is recognizable and significant, and includes changes in behavior or opinion in others. Notably, these agents have the power to create change without necessarily taking direct action, such is the power of influence. Influence is defined as follows:

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The power to change or affect someone or something. The power to cause changes without directly forcing them to happen. A person or thing that affects someone or something in an important way.

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This power to influence the state of things, and people, can derive from such things as fame, legacy, social presence, charisma, rhetorical skill or even moral status. It is not limited to wealth, or the ability to pay to make things happen.

In politics, these influencers are power players who advocate for candidates, put through policy proposals, cause ideological changes, and affect popular perceptions. They can take on many forms: politicians, lobbyists, advisors, donors, corporations, industry groups, labor unions, single-issue organizations, nonprofits, to name a few. The activity of influencers and their impact can be felt on the national, state or local level, and even in certain policy sectors.

Political influencers are not limited to the traditional political circle and can come from seemingly unrelated industries. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, for example, is co-founded by Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, a well-known computer software company. This foundation, due to the influence of its founder and the organization itself, played a very large role getting Common Core Curriculum Standards adopted at the national, state and local level.

A well known definition of power by Yale Professor Robert Dahl, includes the following point: "A necessary condition for the power relation is that there exists a time lag." In other words, influence cannot solely be measured by direct and immediate action; there is often such a delay, that the influencers' impact is hardly noticed. They do not necessarily leave a fingerprint or paper-trail on a campaign victory or enacted legislation, for example. The connection may be more amorphous or unclear.

Features

In brief, one or more of the following could be said of an influencer:

• Power to influence derived from fame, legacy, social presence, charisma, rhetorical skill or even moral status
• Not limited to wealth or the ability to pay
• Wide reach in and outside of their industry
• Numerous personal connections
• Indirect or direct participation in notable legislation
• Indirect or direct participation in hearings or court cases
• Early adopter of reform, new technologies or ideas

Nominate an influencer

If you are aware of and want to nominate an influencer please email the Editor. In that email please include the following details:

• Influencer name.
• The influencer features the person/group embodies.
• Links or sources that corroborate point number two.
• If available, contact information.

Prior to adding a profile, the submission will be reviewed and researched to determine if it meets Ballotpedia's definition and guidelines for an influencer.

External links

• Time Inc.,"TIME 100"
• Sunlight Foundation,"Influence Explorer"
• Campaigns & Elections,"The Influencers 50," October 23, 2014
• The Hill,"Who rules America?" August 12, 2014
• The Wire,"How to Influence Politics If You're Wealthy: A Five-Step Guide," April 21, 2014
• Forbes,"Who are the top online political influencers (and does Clint Eastwood really matter?)," August 31, 2012