User:Trident13/Politics
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
|
Political Strategy like any form of strategic plan, is an action plan through which to win, in this case a political campaign
Contents |
[edit] Definition
The Steps to Political Strategy. A Short Note.
Goal Definition Political Analysis
a.Own Goals*Policy Analysis*Political Analysis=Range of Targets
(short term/long term; small, medium, large victories)
Define Strategy with an Eye to Realizing Targets Multifunctional Battles (small victories, in pursuit of large ones) Communication, Mobilization (ideological and material) & Coalition Building The Role of Struggle in Building Organizational Efficacy, Identity and Cohesion Identify Multiple Channels (electoral, populist, structural, legal, ideological) Seek to alter some constraints Organize in Function of Strategy Periodically Re-Assess Point 2à4
Redefinition of Point 1 is bound to happen for a variety of reasons, endogenously and exogenously.
Definition: Policy Analysis
Policy Analysis tends to presume most of the variables fixed. It analyzes and evaluates alternative courses of action, given an externally assigned goal. The name suggests objective evaluation of courses of action, either as given in the political/policymaking process. The paradigms of evaluation however can skew heavily the responses obtained.
Definition: Policy Advocacy
Policy Advocacy resembles Policy Analysis but argues in favor of a particular course of action as preferable.
Definition: Political Analysis
Political Analysis starts with analyzing the different actors involved in political conflict, over resources, over policy, over power at large. It seeks to identify their roles, their interests and goals; what kind of allies or competitors they are. It seeks to forecast what they might do in future.
Definition: Political Strategy
Political Strategy in a sense follows from the above: it is the identification of a strategy for success in the struggle for political power. It tends to associate some abstract goals with some specific policies and some policy orientations, and sets out possible courses of action to achieve them.[1]
[edit] Models
[edit] Political consultantcy
- For a fuller explanation and history, see Political consulting
Political consulting is the management consulting business which has grown up around advising and assisting political campaigns, primarily in the United States. As democracy has spread around the world, American political consultants have often developed an international base of clients. Though its most important role is probably in the production of mass media (largely television), political consultants advise campaigns on virtually all of their activities, from research to field strategy. Consultants conduct candidate research, voter research, and opposition research for their clients.
[edit] Origins
The practice of consulting has several early antecedents. President William McKinley's closest political advisor Mark Hanna is sometimes described as the first political consultant. In California in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, Whitaker and Baxter established and grew the first true consulting firm, Campaigns, Inc. However, political consulting blossomed with the increasing use of television advertising for campaign communications in the 1960s. It was in that period that Joseph Napolitan claims to have become the first person to describe himself as a political consultant (Perlmutter, ed. Manship Guide to Political Communication, pg19).
In the subsequent years, political consulting has grown in importance and influence and extended its reach to campaigns at all levels of government in the United States, and beyond. Many consultants work not only for campaigns, but also for other political organizations, including parties and political action committees, sometimes through independent expenditures; some also do public relations and research work for corporations and governments.
[edit] Political strategies
[edit] "Below the radar" campaigning
The ruthless targeting of marginal constituencies with highly localised campaigning, latching on to local issues and personalities
[edit] Wedge politics
The party takes the centre ground, and makes the opposition oppose a policy which will alienate the majority of the public. In example, in the run up to the 2001 Australian election, the Norweigan freighter Tampa carrying asylum seekers, was boarded by Australian forces and turned away. John Howard's role was high-profile, open and hard, gaining him support ahead of an election.[2]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- The Art of War, written in the 6th century BC by Sun Tzu
- The Prince, published in 1532 by Niccolò Machiavelli
- Arthashastra, written in the 4th century BC by Chanakya
- The Book of the Courtier by Baldassare Castiglione
[edit] Notes
- ^ The Steps to Political Strategy. University of Chicago. Retrieved on 2008-05-02.
- ^ Julian Glover (2008-05-02). The Jeeves to Johnson's Bertie Wooster: the man who may have got him elected. The Guardian.
