Grassroots movements are so powerful because they reflect the will of the people. There's no filter, and no ulterior motive: just a natural, independent effort to force change.

In the last few years, politicians and businessmen have recognized this, and have tried to harness that power by any means — even if it's fabricated.

"Astroturfing," first coined by U.S. Senator Lloyd Bentsen of Texas in 1985, is when companies or even individuals mask their motives by putting it under the guise of a grassroots movement.

Whether by using misinformation or literally paying people to buy their hamburgers, astroturfing is used to generate publicity and sway public opinion, all while the people orchestrating the movement act like they had nothing to do with it.