[Repost] Influence in Europeia (Feb 28, 2018)

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Prim

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(Header image courtesy of Ervald at the Europeian Design Institute)


(Reposted from EBC article, for archival purposes)
(May update this with a part two, with more recent players at some point)




Influence in Europeia
Written by Comrade Prim









(Europeia, February 28, 2018)

Definitions of Influence

The concept of influence can be a tricky thing to define. Harder still is attempting to analyze its importance in a socio-political simulation such as Europeia. Many people hold widely varying views on what constitutes influence, and who exactly they consider influential. Many different types of people have risen to the highest positions in Europeia, some have departed, some remain, and some have been removed by the community at large for various reasons. When influence ebbs and flows and various people define influence differently, it can be difficult to measure its impact upon our region. This subject recently arose during an EBC Radio broadcast regarding the "Power Players Draft". The hosts, Sopo, Calvin, and HEM, attempted to weed through the mire of views on influence and spent a significant amount of the time debating the various definitions of influence that each held. To help guide the region in that discussion, we shall be providing an overview of the various definitions of influence that are held in the region, as well as an analysis of the influential people in Europeia and why some hold them in that regard.

The definition of influence is a highly subjective one. As influence rests upon the relations between people within a group dynamic (i.e. Europeia), each personal measure of influence is an effective definition for that person. How then should we untangle the myriad personal definitions and arrive at some group consensus on a definition? Is a consensus needed to define a subjective term? While it may not be necessary to cement a public definition of influence, it can be wise to help elucidate the views of influence so we can more effectively communicate within the group. Knowing how Europeia thinks and sees can be useful in developing a wider sense of the social dynamic. It can help prepare those without influence to develop their skills to improve their ability to effect change. In the course of this analysis, we interviewed Europeians in positions of power and those who are active within its social community to help categorize the views of influence that are held by Europeians.


Categories of Influence

Influence from Ability to Effect Change
"Influence is the ability to lead and shape public policy and public opinion in the region, through formal and informal methods."

Reaching to the root of the word influence, we find the core, "fluo", meaning to flow. Influence is, therefore, etymologically defined as the ability to effect change on something. Much of the underlying definitions within Europeia deal with someone's ability to change ideas, change structures, or change opinions. Many Europeians feel that influence is gained by how effective one is at convincing others to change their minds about an issue. However, even those who endeavor to change nothing about Europeia can still have influence by attempting to defend the current institutions and, thus, change the minds of those who desire institutional change. Several government positions have an innate power to effect change, such as the presidency, tying this form of influence closely with influence from position.

Influence from Authority
"I'd define influence as the ability to speak on an issue and have people listen, then really consider your case, consistently."

Authority is the objective deference given to someone simply because they have a depth of experience and are sought as a reference. Their ideas or words gain heft by virtue of being held in high esteem by others. This authoritative voice can be gained over time through achieving positions of power, through gaining expertise in a subject or simply through popularity among the citizens. However, it reaches an abstract that sets it apart from these constituent parts. This authoritative voice might be held as influential, even if the person is not in a position of power, an expert on the given topic, or giving a popular opinion. Their authority has been established and can reach across other forms of influence. Much of the gravitas behind influence from authority also stems from how long the citizen has been in Europeia, even if they may not currently be an active participant.

Influence from Position
"We are centered around our Government. The most influential are those currently in power..."

Positional Influence is simply the influence one has from the power inherent in the positions they hold. Ministers hold influence over the responsibilities of their ministry. Senators hold influence over legislative matters, and their voices are given priority. Justices have influence over the legal framework of the region, where their voices are given the power to interpret the law. These positions are given certain influential powers when citizens vote to give them this ability to influence after an election. However, this also means that this category of influence can be situational and compartmentalized. The Minister of Radio would not be considered influential regarding legislative matters, nor the Minister of Culture on legal questions before the courts. Once the term ends, the influence gained by this position is removed. If the person was effective in their position, they may derive other forms of influence that last further than their elected term, such as Authority, Expertise, or Popularity.

Influence from Expertise
"Their expertise can hold a lot of weight when commending or condemning actions made in their 'zone'."

Influence from Expertise tends to be cited frequently by Europeians, as many find that knowledge in a given subject area is very influential for providing a solid opinion on an issue. Some Europeians, such as those who work in the Ministry of Communications or as a Justice, bring expertise with them to Europeia and have inherent influence from their Real Life experience. Others have cultivated their expertise by working in ministries or in the Senate over several terms. These citizens are looked to for their informed opinions. However, this form of influence can, like influence from position, be limited in scope, as those who are experts in legislation may be out of their depth when discussing the details of ministry work. This measure of influence can be a very lasting form of influence, however, as once someone gains experience and expertise in a certain field, citizens usually refer back to them consistently, regardless of their activity levels.

Influence from Activity
"It is very hard to be influential if you are inactive."

This form of influence tends to be one of the more subtle forms of influence. It tends to be cited as an all-or-nothing proposition. Those who are active are seen as cultivating various forms of influence, whether influence through their position or influence through conversing with others in a social manner. Several Europeians noted that they do not consider inactive citizens to be influential. However, as discussed in some of the previous categories, some forms of earned, innate influence are difficult to write off. Some citizens are still considered experts or authorities on certain topics, even if they rarely participate in other aspects of the region. One of the first tests of newcomers tends to be how active they become, how much initiative they show in being active. This form of influence can be one of the first, and easiest, for citizens to gain. However, this deference given to newcomers can dissipate over time, as citizens then begin to expect more from these members, showing that they must develop their influence in other categories to remain relevant in the region.

Influence from Persuasion Ability
"You can hold position after position and be as friendly as with as many people as you want, but it's all meaningless in influencing anything if you can't make a decent argument."

This form of influence is one of the more frequently cited by Europeians. Regardless of position, authority, or expertise, those who are gifted with a golden tongue tend to be seen as movers and shakers in the region. Whether arguing for certain pieces of legislation or campaigning for an elected position, the ability to effectively persuade others is a key component to the effective wielding of influence. This form of influence could be seen as a more active form of influence from authority. Citizens give weight to words from those with authority and, in a similar fashion, they give weight to words from those who eloquently or incisively state their opinion. The way in which they state their case gives their arguments an extra persuasion factor that others, even those who argue the same position, may not have. This persuasion ability, if handled deftly over time, will likely lead to additional influence from authority, tying the two forms together.

Influence from Social Skill or Popularity
"Because we are a democracy that means, at least in part, influence stems from popularity."

This form of influence is likely one of the easier forms to achieve. It does not rely on hard work, experience, length of time in Europeia, or position in government. This form ties in well with influence from activity, as it relies on creating strong social ties with a wide range of Europeians. Even someone who spends the majority of their time in the discord server can be seen as having some measure of influence, simply because they interact with the majority of active citizens on a regular basis and have formed friendly relations with nearly everyone. Because of this, when it comes to an election or a vote on a piece of legislation, they are able to entice others to vote for them, or their way, even if that person was not intending to vote at all. This measure of influence may be denigrated by some Europeians. Some Europeians note, however, that the rise of discord and inactive forum members can lead to a host of "discord voters" who are compelled to vote simply because of the popularity of a given candidate, instead of expertise or authority. It has become a form of influence that cannot be ignored or dismissed.


Hard versus Soft Influence

One of the broadest measures of influence that was delineated by Europeians was the dichotomy between hard and soft influence. These forms of influence rest upon the basis of the Ability to Effect Change. As was described by several Europeians, hard influence consists of the ability to effect change within the institutional framework. Contending with the structural power of the region can be very difficult. Those who have developed their skills to contend with these issues have developed a form of hard influence, as they are seen by others as experts on the subject matter, where they are not. This delineation of hard influence mixes various categories of influence, such as Authority, Expertise, and Position. Soft influence, on the other hand, was described as an ability to shape the hearts and minds of the populace, disregarding governmental or institutional power. Those who are considered to have soft influence are usually adept at communicating their ideas, connecting disparate groups of people toward a singular goal, or developing their social status among the citizens. Soft influence can be described as involving several categories of influence: Activity, Persuasion Ability, and Social Skill. Several of the most influential Europeians are described as having skill in both forms of influence and are usually seen as the most effective.


Short-Term versus Long-Term

Another dichotomy that was described by several Europeians, as well as in the radio broadcast, was the idea of short-term and long-term influence. Short-term influence was described as a kind of snapshot of the current atmosphere in Europeia. Those who have a surge in activity, those who achieve a certain position, or those who have just begun a political party with a motivated membership can be seen as having short-term influence, which can still translate to effective change if it is wielded adeptly. Thus, Short-term influence includes several categories of influence, such as Position and Activity. This short-term influence can be fleeting if the person does not develop skills in other areas to convert their current influence to long-term effect. Long-term influence mixes a measure of the duration of citizenship with Expertise and Authority. These categories tend to be more irreversible. Once attained, it is difficult to cease being considered influential in these categories. These forms of influence are not fixed and some citizens can be seen as moving from one form to another or falling out of influence entirely. It was noted by one Europeian that "We've had short-term influencers sustain that influence over time and we've had long-term influencers lose that influence and not regain it."


Influential Europeians

Several Europeians provided informative responses for their definitions of influence. From these definitions, we found that the above categories provided a good rubric for delineating the various factors behind influence. Each of these respondents also gave a short list of the Europeians that they felt were influential within Europeia.

Among those who held a definition that incorporated Ability to Effect Change as a factor, these Europeians were more highly selected as influential:
Writinglegend, HEM, Aexnidaral Seymour, Calvin Coolidge

Among those who held a definition that incorporated Authority as a factor, these Europeians were more highly selected as influential:
Aexnidaral Seymour, HEM, Lethen, Drecq, Darcness, Malashaan

Among those who held a definition that incorporated Position as a factor, these Europeians were more highly selected as influential:
Malashaan, Writinglegend, Aexnidaral Seymour, Calvin Coolidge, Lethen, HEM

Among those who held a definition that incorporated Expertise as a factor, these Europeians were more highly selected as influential:
Drecq, Onder, r3n, NES

Among those who held a definition that incorporated Activity as a factor, these Europeians were more highly selected as influential:
Sopo, Airbus, Writinglegend

Among those who held a definition that incorporated Persuasion Ability as a factor, these Europeians were more highly selected as influential:
Deepest House, Rach, Malashaan

Among those who held a definition that incorporated Social Skill as a factor, these Europeians were more highly selected as influential:
Cat, Sopo, Rach
 
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