astroturfed
Fake popular support
Astroturfed describes something made to appear as genuine grassroots activity when it's actually orchestrated by hidden interests—typically corporations, political operatives, or PR firms.
The term comes from AstroTurf, the artificial grass: fake turf, fake grassroots.
The supposedly spontaneous protests turned out to be astroturfed by industry lobbyists.
An astroturfed campaign manufactures the appearance of organic public support.
Not the real thing
- manufacturedMade by machinery
- fabricatedInvented, not real
- phonyFraudulent person or thing
- bogusCounterfeit or fraudulent
sham · inauthentic · disingenuous · fraudulent · pretense · masquerade · charade · smokescreen
Common people as political base
- lobbyingAdvocating to decision-makers
- advocacyPleading for a cause
- movementsChanges in position
- initiativesSelf-started new efforts
organizations · groups · fronts · propaganda · disinformation · influence · campaigns · operations
Intentionally concealed
- orchestratedDeliberately arranged complex elements
- engineeredDesigned with technical precision
- coordinatedArranged to work together
- strategicDeliberately planned for advantage
scheming · maneuvering · manipulation · stealth · clandestine · hidden agenda · undercover · scripted
fake
Not the real thing
- manufacturedMade by machinery
- fabricatedInvented, not real
- phonyFraudulent person or thing
bogus · sham · inauthentic · disingenuous · fraudulent · pretense · masquerade · charade · smokescreen · misrepresentation
grassroots
Common people as political base
initiatives · organizations · groups · fronts · propaganda · disinformation · influence · campaigns · operations · efforts
covert
Intentionally concealed
- orchestratedDeliberately arranged complex elements
- engineeredDesigned with technical precision
- coordinatedArranged to work together
strategic · scheming · maneuvering · manipulation · stealth · clandestine · hidden agenda · undercover · scripted · planted
polyethylene
Thermoplastic from ethylene gas
infill · installation · playground · landscape · all-weather
astroturfedgrassroots
Common people as political base
organic · genuine · authentic · spontaneous · bottom-up
astroturfedgrassroots
Common people as political base
decentralized · emergent · self-organizing · independent · crowd-sourced
astroturfedtransparent
Allowing light through
disclosed · above-board · legitimate · honest · acknowledged