Have you ever wondered how data, systems and technologies are implemented all around the world? In politics, institutions, even Licensed Money Lender also use data and technology. In the United States, there are some implementations of what is called Big Data. Big Data is implemented in politics there. Read more to understand what it is:
What is Big Data?
Big data is defined as data with greater diversity, coming in higher volumes and with greater velocity. The three is another name for this.
Simply said, big data refers to larger, more complicated data sets, particularly those derived from new data sources. Because these data sets are so large, typical data processing technologies can’t handle them. However, these vast amounts of data can be leveraged to solve business challenges that you previously couldn’t solve.
Political campaigns in the United States employ data on more than 200 million eligible voters to inform their strategy and tactics.
The two major American political parties strive to use the most precise data to target voters in various ways, an advantage that was credited with helping former President Barack Obama and President Donald Trump win elections.
How Does Big Data Change The Approaching System?
The most major decision made by the victorious political party was to abandon the usual approach to voters, which is to broadcast a single message to the entire country, blanketing everyone regardless of age, gender, location, or any other critical distinguishing factor. Using Big Data, the victorious candidate was able to reach closer to the target audience, increasing engagement and discussing the issues that mattered most to the voters.
A better strategy is to send messages that are relevant to people, rather than dull updates that only describe the campaigns. Political parties can use big data analytics to get to know their voters on a more personal level. Superior technology and advanced tools assist in identifying and comprehending their needs as well as the various options available.
This information can be used by political campaigns to assist them decide who to reach out to, how to reach them, and how they might react to various messages. Furthermore, to understand their needs and the various approaches that can be used to reach out to voters This is a massive deal in the political world.
How To Use Big Data In Politics
National Database
The “voter file” in the United States is not an one national database. The data used by the campaigns is compiled from a variety of public voter files, stacked with hundreds of data points purchased from commercial vendors, and updated on a regular basis by businesses such as TargetSmart for Democrats and Data Trust for Republicans.
These are the steps on how to create a national database :
Create a National Database
Data that collects state and local voters files that are suitable to make as a national database. Basic information such as names, party affiliation and addresses are mandatory
Clean the Data
Some information, such as house locations or contact information, could be old or missing. Vendors will “clean” the data by cross-checking who has moved with the postal service’s database.
Build the Picture
Vendors rely on data ranging from purchase habits to Census data to acquire a better knowledge of potential voters.
Integration
The data is also combined with different software systems, such as NGP VAN’s VoteBuilder on the Democratic side, or messaging apps, allowing campaigns to use it across several platforms.
Refresh the data
The data is updated frequently (the real-time update) with new information during campaigns is still ongoing. The data that has been collected can be used for other campaigns to use in the future.
Layering Data
Data from organizations like Experian or Acxiom is purchased by political data firms, and it can contain real estate property records, anticipated income levels, consumer purchasing behaviour, and demographic data such as likely race and ethnicity.
These types of data are important factors for the predictive models that campaigns use :
Email Address
From surveys and campaign sign-ups
Mobile Number
Normally bought from various Vendors
Online Identifiers
From cookies and IP addresses
Education and Employment
Occupation, job title and educational background, can be scraped from various job-seeking websites.
Predictive Models
Predictive models can help campaigns make better decisions about how to reach out to voters by predicting how likely they are to :
- Support a particular candidate
- Indicate that you have behavioural patterns or meet certain lifestyle profiles, such as going to church, enjoying social media.
- Think about gun control, same-sex marriage, race, the environment, or the Supreme Court in a certain way.
- Change their positions due to various campaign efforts
Conclusion
Big Data isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution to all problems. In order to employ analytics to predict and anticipate trends, a corporation must have access to enormous amounts of data. This can be influenced by human behavior and attitude, which can be affected by the weather or personal relationships.
