Dear John, 

Is it possible to build simulations of the social world that help advocates seeking societal change? That’s the big question we tackle in our new AdvocacyLabs report with a number of surprising and illuminating results. 

In this report, we explore how social scientists are creating artificial worlds where they can test out nearly unlimited scenarios and conditions to gain insight into the most effective ways to achieve your goals. 

Each of the seven chapters tackles a specific challenge advocates face, such as: 

• How do you forge consensus in support of bold actions? Simulations show the best strategy is to start with a goal slightly beyond a group’s comfort level, and then promote increasingly bold goals over time.
   
• How can you spark a mass movement for change? Simulations show that early actions by a few individuals can create social cascades that bring many others into a cause, but only if these early actors are visible to the people they hope to influence.
   
• What new opportunities are created through widespread social media use? Simulations show how greater levels of connectivity can reduce the need for strong leadership to spark mobilization and decrease the time needed to reach a critical mass.