Beyond the Votes: A European Perspective on the Use of Public Relations to Legitimize Authority in Obama’s Campaign

Abstract

In political campaigns in Western society, there are many examples of public relations being behind opinion leaders in getting grassroots committed to a candidate; Obama’s campaign was one example. Grassroots communication has been a major public relations activity that has harnessed local community involvement (from nongovernmental organizations, social and cultural communities, companies, and individuals) in the United States as well as in Europe. Since the 2008 U.S. presidential campaign, third-party engagement is now considered a valid way to legitimize the authority of politicians all over the world. In this research, the authors point out that public opinion support, even outside the United States, can result in greater authority and greater acceptance of U.S. government policies.