Campaign Messages Research Articles

The effect of political songs on choice of candidate, political ideology, and party loyalty among young Nigerians

ABSTRACT Using political songs as a campaign strategy during the election period in Nigeria has exceeded other campaign activities like posters, jingles, and debates. However, there is a need for more information about how listening to political songs affects youths’ behaviour during elections. Like the past elections, political songs played a role during Nigeria's March 2023 general elections. Politicians seek the help of musicians to distribute campaign messages through songs or to compress long speeches and political manifestos into songs so that the message could reach a wider audience. The study employed a grounded theory approach to analyse interviews with young Nigerians aged 18–29 on the influence of listening to political songs on their choice of candidates, political ideology, and party loyalty. The findings indicate that listening to political songs influences the choice of candidates, political ideology, and party loyalty, especially among those with weak political affiliations.

Using Theory and Practice to Develop Lottery Ticket Warning Messages as a Means of Promoting More Responsible Gambling

Background Playing the lottery is considered a public health concern in many countries due to financial losses associated with it, but also due to other harmful health and social problems. Focus of the article Informed by both theory and practice, this article focuses on developing lottery ticket warning messages targeting players harmed by excessive spending to promote sustainable behavior change. Research Question What should be communicated in lottery ticket warning messages targeting people at risk to facilitate behavior change and maintain it? Approach We bridge the gap between theory and practice and illustrate how theoretical models and current communications can shape messages. Specifically, we identify and examine lottery ticket warning messages and analyze their relative congruence to prevailing theories to assess the potential effectiveness of the messages and to recommend warning labels for lottery tickets. In addition, we incorporate knowledge used by cognitive psychologists in counselling to create warnings more likely to motivate and sustain behavior change. Importance to the Social Marketing Field Merging academic theory with existent communications ensures better knowledge translation and potentially better outcomes. Introducing verified techniques from Cognitive Behavior Therapy into social marketing initiatives could be a step forward into triggering behavior change. Methods A literature review was conducted to identify and select theoretical models appropriate to guide communications for lottery tickets harmful consumption. Searches were conducted to identify initiatives aiming at persuading and helping at-risk individuals to change their behavior in a healthy manner. Social marketing campaign messages were then compared with theoretical paradigms to identify ways in which campaign messages could be improved. Results Results show campaign messages were relatively consistent with some aspects of the theoretical models. Warning messages provide information that is relevant to the target audience and describe the severity and vulnerability of irresponsible consumption. They also attempt to decrease perceived costs and increase perceived self-efficacy in a variety of ways. Some also attempt to modify cognitive distortions the audience has in respect to chances of winning. However, initiatives should also increase consumers’ perceptions of the response-efficacy by emphasizing their agency, and further enhance individuals’ perception of self-efficacy by incorporating strategies from the Cognitive Model. Recommendations for Research and Practice Academics and practitioners can build on each other’s knowledge on an ongoing basis. By making it default to always consider both theory and practice, initiatives are likely to become more effective. Managers responsible for developing warning messages and implementing social marketing campaigns can experiment with the various theoretical approaches to determine which are comparatively more effective for their situations. Limitations Future research is needed to test the comparative effectiveness of these theories as a basis of creating persuasive warning messages.

Deciphering the neural responses to a naturalistic persuasive message

Effective health promotion may benefit from understanding how persuasion emerges. While earlier research has identified brain regions implicated in persuasion, these studies often relied on event-related analyses and frequently simplified persuasive communications. The present study investigates the neural basis of valuation change induced by a persuasive healthy eating call, employing naturalistic stimuli. Fifty healthy participants performed two blocks of a bidding task, in which they had to bid on sugar-containing, sugar-free, and nonedible products during functional MRI. In between the two blocks, they listened to a persuasive healthy eating call that influenced their bidding behavior. Intriguingly, participants who resisted persuasion exhibited increased synchronization of brain activity during listening in several regions, including default mode network structures. Additionally, intersubject functional connectivity among these brain regions was found to be weaker in persuaded individuals. These results emphasize the individualized nature of processing persuasive messages, challenging conventional interpretations of synchronized neural activity. Our findings support the emerging practice of tailoring persuasive messages in health promotion campaigns.

Calling All Disaffected Republicans: Anti-Trump Campaign Messaging During the 2020 Election

The emergence of groups of rogue Republican strategists, such as the Lincoln Project, openly campaigning against the party candidate, Donald Trump, was a unique feature of the 2020 U.S. presidential election. This study content analyzes Twitter campaign messaging (N = 2,317) by two prominent super PACs, the Lincoln Project and Republican Accountability Project (RAP), as they sought to mobilize disaffected republicans and conservative voters against Donald Trump, during the 2020 presidential election. Findings highlight patterns of messaging that support existing research on campaign communication, as well as departures from findings seen in prior work. Further, results showcase patterns of campaign messaging on social media platforms that may be particularly effective at eliciting audience engagement.

Blood Donation during Times of Crises: The Mediating Role of Meaning in Life for Undergraduate Medical Students

Blood donation is a prosocial act driven by mechanisms related to altruism. While altruism plays a significant role, the processes behind blood donation behavior are complex, with altruism being just one factor. This research aimed to investigate the influence of altruism and meaning in life on the willingness to donate blood among Romanian undergraduate medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic. The sample consisted of 319 Romanian undergraduate medical students. Structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used for statistical analysis. Our findings reveal that altruism did not significantly impact the willingness to donate blood directly; however, this relationship was mediated by meaning in life. In practice, blood donation could be increased through a more substantial connection between altruism and a sense of meaning in life, especially during health crises. Utilizing social marketing campaign messages that actively encourage altruism and connect it to a sense of meaning in life may increase blood donor recruitment and retention among undergraduate medical students.

Evaluation of the 'A walk can work wonders' mass media campaign in South Australia.

Few population-wide efforts have targeted physical activity in Australia. Mass media campaigns are used to promote physical activity and walking, and World Health Organisation recommends their linkage to broader cross-government initiatives. This project evaluates a South Australian (SA) walking mass media campaign linked to the overall SA Walking Strategy. Between January and June 2022, Wellbeing SA (a SA government agency) conducted two waves of a mass media campaign, 'A walk can work wonders', to promote walking. The campaign was part of the SA Walking Strategy, targeting the goal to change the 'community culture towards recognising walking' as convenient, affordable and health-promoting. Evaluation was formative (pre-campaign), process (campaign implementation and delivery) and impact. Formative evaluation comprised concept and tagline testing with adult SAs to develop the campaign messages and theme. Process evaluation was comprised of media monitoring of social media, mainstream media and other media monitoring metrics. The process evaluation was dominated by social media marketing in Wave 1, with substantially more paid TV media and radio in Wave 2. The impact evaluation comprised two independent sample surveys of adult SAs (n = 800 each) following each wave of the campaign. Measures included generic and prompted campaign recall and attitudes to physical activity. An independent South Australian Population Health Survey (SAPHS) tracked walking and physical activity behaviours from 2021 to the end of 2022. Process evaluation showed intensive social media usage in Wave 1, and through increased paid television and radio in Wave 2. Generic recall of any walking message (23.9%) and prompted recall of the specific campaign message (27.8%) reached most socio-demographic groups, especially those with chronic health problems. Increases in intention to increase activity and increased self-reported activity were seen between the campaign Wave 1 and Wave 2 notable as the Wave 2 increase followed substantial television advertising. The SAPHS data showed increased population walking following the campaign waves, compared to the same period in 2021. Detailed and structured evaluation of a comprehensive mass media campaign showed good reach, and population changes in intentions and walking behaviour amongst SAs. SO WHAT?: It is likely that comprehensive approaches are needed to support mass media campaigns and amplify their effects. Serial, sustained campaigns are needed to monitor ongoing effects.

Accepting Exclusion: Examining the (Un)Intended Consequences of Data-Driven Campaigns

Using citizens’ data not only enables precise targeting of campaign messages online, but also the deliberate exclusion of certain groups of citizens. This study asks (a) to what extent have citizens been excluded from political (online) ads during the Dutch 2021 and 2023 election campaigns and (b) how acceptable citizens find the practice of exclusion. To answer these questions, we use data from the Meta Ad Targeting dataset to investigate any employed exclusion criteria by parties and rely on survey data collected during the 2023 Dutch general election to learn about citizens’ opinions. Our study reveals that political parties across the spectrum allocated less budget to targeting and excluding citizens in 2023 compared to 2021. Predominantly, exclusion is based on age, gender, and place of residence, with criteria such as political views, migration background, and religious beliefs being relatively uncommon. Despite citizens considering all forms of exclusion unacceptable, they view exclusion based on political views as the most tolerable. Moreover, individuals leaning towards the political right exhibit greater acceptance of exclusion, particularly based on migration background. In scrutinizing the extent of citizen exclusion from political campaign messaging and citizens’ perceptions, we contribute to the discourse on the unintended consequences of data-driven campaigning.

When low social trust undermines social marketing campaigns: The impact of social trust on the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccination campaigns

Background Although COVID-19 social marketing vaccination campaigns have been developed and vigorously promoted to encourage citizens to vaccinate against COVID-19, many people have not responded to vaccination campaigns. Very little is known about the extent to which vaccination campaigns are effective at overcoming people’s resistance to getting the vaccine. Focus of the Article Integrating social trust into the elaboration likelihood model, the current study proposes a model to analyse the effectiveness of COVID-19 social marketing vaccination campaigns and to examine the extent to which social trust plays a role in influencing people’s perceptions of the effectiveness of COVID-19 social media vaccination campaigns. Research Hypotheses The study proposes hypotheses regarding the influence of argument quality and source credibility in COVID-19 vaccination campaigns on individuals’ perceptions of campaign usefulness. In addition, it suggests that source credibility and perceived usefulness of these campaigns play a role in shaping individuals’ attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination. Furthermore, the study posits that both attitude and perceived usefulness contribute to individuals’ intentions to take the COVID-19 vaccine. Lastly, the study hypothesises that perceived social trust moderates the impact of perceived usefulness on vaccination intentions. Importance to the Social Marketing Field The study holds significant importance in the field of social marketing for several reasons. Firstly, it contributes to a deeper understanding of the dynamics influencing individuals’ perceptions, attitudes, and intentions related to COVID-19 vaccination campaigns. Secondly, by examining the impact of argument quality, source credibility, and social trust, the study provides valuable insights into the factors that can enhance or hinder the success of vaccination campaigns. The inclusion of perceived social trust as a moderating factor in the study further enhances its importance in the field of social marketing. Understanding the role of social trust in influencing the relationship between perceived usefulness and vaccination intentions is crucial for designing context-specific strategies that account for the broader societal dynamics. Methods Online survey data were obtained from 413 adult South Africans. The partial least squares structural equation modelling technique was used to examine the model and test the hypotheses. Results The study found that the quality of arguments in vaccination campaigns and the credibility of the message sources affected how people viewed the usefulness of the messages and their overall attitudes. Surprisingly, although attitudes influenced individuals’ intentions to get the COVID-19 vaccine, the perceived usefulness of the campaign had no direct impact on vaccination intentions. Notably, the results revealed that low social trust played a role in making the perceived usefulness of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign message insignificant in predicting vaccination intentions. Recommendations for Research/Practice Social marketers aiming to improve vaccination attitudes and intentions should focus on two key strategies: emphasising the usefulness of vaccination by highlighting its benefits and leveraging credible sources like healthcare professionals and community leaders to enhance message trust. In addition, this study emphasises the crucial role of social trust in shaping individual responses to vaccination campaigns. Building trust in governing institutions, healthcare systems, and science can significantly impact vaccination acceptance and promotion. Limitations The limitations include potential social desirability bias influencing responses, the need for longitudinal data to establish causality, and the possibility of other influential factors beyond the study’s scope, such as culture and health literacy.

Inter-Candidate Agenda Setting Effect of the 2018 Mexican Presidential Election: Political Party Candidates Vs. an Inde-pendent Candidate

The 2018 Mexican presidential election marked the initiation of a new political communication dynamic in which traditional electoral communication strategies of political parties were challenged by an independent candidate. This study evaluated this innovative electoral setting by examining Telemundo’s electoral coverage of party-affiliated candidates —Anaya Cortés, Meade Kuribreña, and López Obrador— and the independent candidate —Rodríguez Calderón— through agenda setting theory. The data was collected from Telemundo’s national newscast “Noticias Telemundo” with José Díaz Balart during INE’s official 90-day electoral campaign period. The inter-candidate agenda setting effect regarding the horse race topics was strong among the contenders suggesting that Telemundo’s journalists were disseminating the same information regarding party candidates, but the journalists’ reporting differed when covering the independent candidate. Outcomes indicate that there were two dominant political discussions in Telemundo regarding horse race topics, one emerging from all party candidates and the other one from the independent candidate. The inter-candidate agenda setting effect of issues presented strong correlations among all contenders, suggesting that their policy issues news agendas in Telemundo were nearly identical, which could have made it difficult for voters to distinguish among the candidates’ campaign messages. Overall, Rodríguez Calderón challenged parties’ political communication strategies in terms of horse race topics for his ability to disseminate a distinct campaign message in Telemundo despite having acquired the most negative coverage from journalists. But the independent candidate did not represent an opposition for parties regarding issues because his political rhetoric was not dissimilar from the other contenders.

Tiktok, Instagram and Presidential Election: A Study to Understand How Politainment in Indonesian Political Campaigns 2024

The development of technology has brought about various transformations in the lines of people's lives, one of which is in political contestation. A political contestation in Indonesia has just passed namely the 2024 General Election. The Indonesian people elected 4 Legislative Members and 1 Pair of Presidential and Vice Presidential Candidates in that election. There were three candidate pairs in the 2024 presidential election. Candidate Pair Prabowo-Gibran, Candidate Pair Anies-Muhaimin and Candidate Pair Ganjar-Mahfud. In the campaign process, something was interesting, namely that the discourse battle had shifted to a non-discourse battle. One is politainment, which the candidate pairs presents to the public on social media. Politainment itself refers to the equivalent of the words politics and entertainment. This is interesting because political contestation is very close to the battle of ideas and discourse in the campaign process. However, in the 2024 presidential election, this has shifted. Therefore, this is interesting to examine further. This study uses a qualitative approach to dig deeper into politainment in the 2024 Presidential Election political campaign. The data will be selected using purposive sampling techniques, and then the data that has been obtained will be analyzed using qualitative thematic analysis techniques. This study found that politainment is used by presidential and vice presidential candidate pairs to wrap messages in political campaigns

Assessing Theoretical Mediators of Campaign-Induced Communication in the Context of Social Norms Campaign

ABSTRACT The present paper examines the role of campaign-induced communication on the effects of a social norms campaign by focusing on cognitive elaboration, perceived injunctive norms, and message recall as mediating variables. Participants (n = 252; m age = 20.26) read an injunctive norms campaign message about choosing not to drink at parties or when socializing and were randomly assigned to one of three conditions (control: received no prompts, prompt only; received prompts to engage in interpersonal communication about the campaign message with close others during the following week; prompt & plan: received prompts to engage in interpersonal communication with close others during the following week and to write a plan for the communication). The results revealed that the prompt (either alone or with the plan) significantly motivated participants to engage in positive conversations about the campaign message during the next week. Similar to past findings, higher frequency of positive conversations about the campaign message indirectly predicted better behavioral outcomes via higher cognitive elaboration. The findings suggest that social norms campaign developers should be encouraged to design social norms messages with a brief prompt to motivate the target audience to engage in interpersonal communication and need to account for such interpersonal communication and its indirect effects in evaluating campaign messages.

Efficacy-focused and autonomy-supportive messaging in social media vaccine campaigns: insights from a Facebook split test

ABSTRACT Background In the context of social media vaccine campaigns, understanding the impact of message framing on audience engagement is crucial. This study examines the efficacy of messages centered on efficacy versus autonomy, informed by theoretical frameworks: the Extended Parallel Process Model (EPPM) and Self Determination Theory (SDT). Methods Utilizing the Facebook A/B Split Test (FBST) feature, an online experiment was conducted to compare the response to two different messages: one emphasizing vaccine efficacy (EPPM-informed) and the other focusing on individual autonomy in making vaccine decisions (SDT-informed). The primary measure of interest was the number of clicks on a link directing to a pro-vaccine website. Results The findings indicated that the autonomy-centered (SDT-informed) message resulted in a significantly higher click-through rate to the pro-vaccine website, particularly among users aged 65 and above. Furthermore, analysis of comments from Facebook users identified factors potentially contributing to vaccine hesitancy, with mistrust being the most dominant. Conclusions The study underscores the importance of tailoring social media vaccine campaigns to address the autonomy needs of the target audience while considering trust-related issues to mitigate vaccine hesitancy. Emphasizing individual autonomy in vaccine decision-making processes can enhance engagement with pro-vaccine content, especially in older demographics.

Sentiment Analysis of Twitter Posts Related to a COVID-19 Test & Trace Program in NYC.

As part of a program evaluation of the New York City Test & Trace program (T2)-one of the largest such programs in the USA-we conducted a study to assess how implementing organizations (NYC Health+ Hospitals, government agencies, CBOs) communicated information about the T2 program on Twitter. Study aims were as follows: (1) quantify user engagement of posts ("tweets") about T2 by NYC organizations on Twitter and (2) examine the emotional tone of social media users' T2-related tweets in our sample of 1987 T2-related tweets. Celebrities and CBOs generated more user engagement (0.26% and 0.07%, respectively) compared to government agencies (e.g., Mayor's Office, 0.0019%), reinforcing the value of collaborating with celebrities and CBOs in social media public health campaigns. Sentiment analysis revealed that positive tweets (46.5%) had higher user engagement than negative tweets (number of likes: R2 = .095, p < .01), underscoring the importance of positively framing messages for effective public health campaigns.

The aim and impact of communication in dental health promotion campaigns

(1) Background: This study delved into a current topic in dental medical practice to analyse the role and impact in communication of messages within health promotion campaigns. (2) Methods: This study analyses the patients' opinions about the role and importance of using an effective communication style in health promotion campaigns. The main aspects aims to analyse based on patients' opinions, the consistency of messages in health promotion campaigns, the repetitive nature of these messages, the adaptation of communication methods according to the target group's background and the importance of collaboration between state bodies and those organizing health promotion campaigns. (3) Results: The results of this study once again emphasize the close connection between the efficiency of health promotion campaigns, the way campaigns are coordinate and the messages for the target population. Most patients are aware about an effective communication in health promotion campaigns, believing that may influence the recipients' decision to adopt a healthy lifestyle concerning oral health. Regarding the effectiveness of health promotion campaigns for oral health, the study’s results reveal a significant lower positive impact among rural patients compared to urban ones. This indicates the need of change in how information is communicated to the population and to increase the level of health education. (4) Conclusions: In conclusion, the data obtained provides valuable and profound insights into how patients perceive the importance and role of communication in health promotion campaigns. The understanding of their perceptions and requirements forms the basis for developing and implementing efficient health communication and strategies, ultimately leading to improved community health and well-being. By personalizing and adapting the messages and communication methods, health promotion campaigns can become much more effective with a greater impact on health-related behaviours and attitudes.

“It’s Your Body and Your Life:” Formative Audience Research to Develop a Sexual Health Campaign with Youth of Color

Young people account for over half of new STI cases and youth of color face increased sexual health disparities. In partnership with Fact Forward, researchers conducted qualitative formative audience research to develop a culture-centered health communication campaign to increase access to and use of sexual health services among youth of color in South Carolina. Grounded in a reproductive justice theoretical framework, this study employed innovative strategies, including training youth ambassadors to moderate peer-to-peer focus groups. A total of 134 participants were recruited for the study with 51 individuals participating in 9 focus groups and 83 respondents completing a web-based survey (ages 15-24). Qualitative data analyses used Nvivo 1.5.1. Statistical analyses used R Studio®. Findings revealed barriers including lack of education about risks. Participants identified dimensions of inequity and the importance of intersectional messaging to address intimacy, sexuality, and trust. They emphasized normalizing conversations about sexual health and the need for important others “in your corner” to provide support. Participants suggested an empowering storytelling approach to reduce shame surrounding sexual health services. Social media emerged as an optimal communication channel. UNC Perceived Message Effectiveness (PME) Scale scores ranged from 4.42 to 4.57 (out of 5) indicating that messages were well received by participants. Sex-positive campaign messaging focused on self-love, empowerment, and taking control of sexual health. This study offers practical suggestions to develop effective communication strategies to reach youth of color to increase use of sexual health services, including contraceptive counseling, STI prevention, screening, and treatment.

Innovation in Political Communication Strategy: A Qualitative Approach in Examining the Influence of Campaign Messages

This research investigates innovations in political communication strategies through a qualitative approach, focusing on the influence of campaign messages in the context of general elections in Indonesia. Through content analysis of campaign messages, this research identifies the main themes, framing strategies, and rhetoric used to influence voter perceptions. The findings of this research have practical implications for designing more effective campaign strategies, increasing more informed voter participation, and contributing new thinking to political literature and political marketing in Indonesia.

Gender, Politics, and the Glass Ceiling: Comparative Analysis of Male and Female Politicians’ Agenda-Building Efforts in the U.S. Primaries

ABSTRACT This study focuses on investigating whether male and female politicians have an equal opportunity to influence the media agenda through their strategic communication efforts during the 2020 U.S. primary elections. Exploratory in nature, this study is grounded in agenda-building theory. This research employs mixed-method content analysis to compare the campaign press releases and subsequent news coverage of three male and three female candidates from the U.S. primaries. The findings revealed that, while both female and male politicians’ messages significantly correlated with the news agenda across three levels of agenda-building, there was no significant difference by gender. However, issues framed as “masculine” were more strongly linked with the media agenda compared to “feminine” issues. This study contributes to communication research by exploring the current state of gender stereotypes in political media coverage, offering insights into the persistence of a ‘glass ceiling’ in strategic news coverage. Additionally, it contributes to agenda-building research by incorporating gender and the context of primary elections in the U.S. which are underrepresented in the literature, into the complex relationship between political campaign messages and news agendas.

Exploring the Polarization of American Elites Based on the Analyses of Candidates’ Statements During the 2020 Presidential Election

ABSTRACT The article consists of three parts. The first contains a theoretical analysis of the phenomenon of US political polarization and discusses the main approaches to its explanation, primarily through the prism of the influence of political elites. The authors note a logical contradiction in the existing concepts, which postulate the existence of an “asymmetry” in the influence of elites on polarization in the United States, arguing that the contribution of the Republicans is more destructive than the contribution of representatives of the Democratic Party. The authors find the growth of political polarization, regardless of party preferences (while noting the importance of elite behavior as one of the central factors of political polarization). The second part examines the phenomenon of affective (or emotional polarization), based on the socio-psychological rejection of representatives of an alien political camp. Based on the results of a network analysis of a two-modal network consisting of pre-election messages and topics selected by the authors themselves, the author notes that all candidates, without exception, are prone to emotional affect as part of their election campaign. The third part is devoted to the study of positional (or ideological) polarization, in which the author, on the basis of Latent Dirichlet Allocation analysis, divides the corpus of campaign messages of candidates into separate topics and, through a comparative analysis, finds a significant distance from “bipartisan” topics (i.e. from the political center) among all candidates.

Public health measures related to the transmissibility of suicide.

Transmission is an important concept in suicide prevention. It can occur when exposure to another person's death by suicide (or to suicide-related information more generally) draws attention to suicide or highlights specific suicide methods. In this paper, the fourth in a Series on a public health approach to suicide prevention, we contend that the transmissibility of suicide must be considered when determining optimal ways to address it. We draw on five examples of how transmission might occur and be prevented. The first two examples relate to transmission initiated by representations of suicide in traditional and new media. The third concerns transmission that leads to suicide clusters, and the fourth considers a specific setting in which transmission occurs, namely secondary schools. Finally, we discuss how suicide risk might be countered by the transmission of suicide prevention messages in media campaigns.

Digital Democracy in India: How Social Media Shapes Political Narratives?

Social media has significantly impacted the landscape of Indian electoral politics, transforming the dynamics of political campaigning and voter engagement. The adoption of platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, and Instagram in Indian political campaigns represents a fundamental shift in how political messages are crafted and disseminated. The 2014, 2019, and 2024 general elections highlight the strategic role of these platforms in shaping electoral outcomes. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has employed social media not only as a tool for broadcasting campaign messages but also for creating interactive, data-driven strategies that personalize voter engagement. This paper examines the multifaceted impact of social media on Indian politics, including its influence on voter behaviour, campaign strategies, and public opinion. It explores both the empowering aspects of digital engagement and the challenges, such as misinformation, echo chambers, and algorithmic biases. The aim is to provide a comprehensive understanding of how social media has redefined political communication and its implications for democratic processes in India.