Geographic Information Systems and Politics
The contemporary era has been referred to as ‘the information age.’ This description acknowledges that one of the defining features of our time is the explosion of information being generated, collected, manipulated, and analyzed by a large number of agents. According to a study by the University of California, Berkeley’s School of Information Management and Systems (How Much Information?) released in 2000, "the world produces between 1 and 2 exabytes of unique information per year, which is roughly 250 megabytes for every man, woman, and child on earth." The cascade of information is concentrated in the developed world. Managing information and turning it into insight has become one of the defining challenges of our time. Fortunately, since the advent of the microprocessor almost thirty years ago, developments in computers and software continue to empower us as we process ever greater volumes of data.
Everything we do – that is every activity or phenomenon including aspects of our political life - takes place at a particular location on the earth. Accordingly, most of the information being generated – some estimate as much as 80% - has a spatial component that ties the observation to a particular geographic location. Developing computerized tools called "Geographic Information Systems (GIS)" that specialize in the storage, retrieval, analysis, and display of spatial data has become a burgeoning industry doing billions of dollars in core business every year. Every day, applications of this technology by different public and private corporations are routing your packages, determining where stores will locate their outlets, distributing electricity, and managing our natural resources, to mention but a few.
Using GIS, spatial information can be organized, mapped, and then visualized, compared, measured, and statistically analyzed. Valuable insight arises from each of these steps. In addition, physical locations and addresses have become important facilitators of data fusion, in which value is added by combining different kinds of observations taken from a variety of sources. While addresses provide the most narrowly defined spatial context for combining information, small scale geographic units also offer opportunities to enrich our understanding by combining data. Political precincts or polling districts, for example, can be used to combine a variety of real estate, economic, linguistic, ethno-demographic, and political data (such as registration, turnout, and campaign fund raising and expenditure).
Done properly and responsibly, spatial data fusion opens up enormous vistas for analysts to transform spatial information into insight. Political analysis has for the most part ignored the spatial dimension of political phenomena. Some researchers deride local knowledge as simple ‘lore,’ unreliable and anecdotal information gained through direct personal experience working the constituency trenches. As a result, most existing political applications of GIS technology have been limited in scope and aspiration, relying on the power of GIS primarily to visualize basic information through maps.
Advanced Geographical Analysis for Campaigning
However, Barometrics Research can go much further in exploiting this technology to generate political insights. Powerful GIS-enabled techniques enable us to understand relationships among phenomena as they occur in, and vary over, geographic space. The result of these more sophisticated applications of GIS is a much more nuanced view of the political world. Using our methods, you not only know where your support is, but you know why it is there and also have an indication of what it might become. Our analysis lays bare the opportunities and constraints that are hidden beneath the surface of electoral competition in your district.
A smart political campaign is one which acknowledges that political life is enormously varied. What appeals in one part of your district may not go over well in another. Rather than ignore this reality, such campaigns take advantage of geographic variations to strategize, target, and maximize support for its cause.
Talk to us about your needs and circumstances.
In designing and implementing a smart political campaign, Barometrics Research can help. We specialize in the geographic analysis of political phenomena, particularly for the purpose of waging smart political campaigns. Be among the pioneers in putting the power of geographic information and analysis to work for you. Contact us to discuss how Barometrics Research, the specialists in geographic information and analysis, can give you a competitive edge in your next campaign.
