Campaigning for
public office requires focus and determination, and it can stress both
financial and emotional resources. After suffering these trials, winning
candidates earn the privilege of holding a demanding and very public profession
in politics.
One political
analyst humorously described this profession, saying, “It is a profession in
which the name is very telling.” He went on to explain, “The word can be taken
in two parts: Poly, meaning many; and tics, meaning blood sucking animals.”
So, why do people
choose to endure these rigors?
Political science
experts define politics as “the struggle or competition for power.” But the
reason many seek public office is in the finer points of that broader
definition. To understand what motivates these unique individuals, we must
begin by understanding what political power is, and how it can be used.
Political power can
be best defined as the ability to influence or control the behaviors of others.
This power can be obtained only by first obtaining the consent of those over
whom power is wielded. The United States’ historical “Declaration of
Independence” notes that governments “derive their just power through the
consent of the governed.” History reminds one that consent and power can be
gained through a variety of methods, including force of arms, inherited
authority and, in a democratic republic such as that in the United States,
through an electoral process.
Understanding what
power consists of and how it is attained is only the beginning, though. More
often than not, candidates are motivated by the specific uses of this power
within a given social structure. For example, a candidate may perceive the
political structure itself as problematic and wish to use the power that
accompanies campaign victory to alter that structure — to change the system
itself.
Candidates for
municipal or county offices may want to improve the level of local police or
fire service, while candidates for state legislative offices may be more
interested in affecting broader social policies such as making changes to state
laws or improving schools. Some federal candidates may want to work to improve
national defense or implement more global social policies such as meeting national
medical needs. And while campaigning, at one time or another, almost all say
they will reduce waste and make government more efficient.
The U.S. political
structure has been designed to accommodate all of these uses of political
power. Its stated faith in the principal of self governance as well as in the
citizen lawmaker opens the door for a diverse group of people to participate in
the process, bringing with them a wide variety of expertise in many subject
areas. Throughout American history, this diversity has often put the right
expertise in a position to respond to some of the world’s most challenging
problem.
Despite the many
reasons candidates choose to seek office and to compete for power, one thing
that most candidates have in common is that they prefer studying government
policy over political campaigning. For this reason, the jobs of candidate and
elected official differ greatly and the tools used by the former must be sound
in order to achieve the later. Regardless of what motivates a candidate, there
are some universal tools that campaigns can use to ensure that any citizen,
with sufficient interest in affecting public policy, can wield the power needed
to affect change within a given social group by becoming an elected official.
General Knowledge:
Candidates entering public service should always
have a general knowledge of public service and of the community they wish to
serve. This knowledge can be most easily
categorized in three areas: District/Local knowledge, Office/Service Knowledge
and Current Events Knowledge.
District/Local
A candidate who wishes to serve in elected
office should have a working knowledge of the district or geographic area they
wish to serve. This knowledge consists
of more than the numeric data that the campaign will use to target voters. It should most effectively consist of a
knowledge of local landmarks, large commercial or business interests and
industries and a familiarity with geo-political and social attitudes. For instance, a candidate whose geographic
area includes multiple airports or an aircraft manufacturing company, and whose
constituents may be largely employed by these entities may benefit from
knowledge of aviation terms or industry concerns. Likewise, a candidate whose constituency
includes large numbers of union members or rural farmers, should have a working
knowledge of the top concerns of these very divergent social groups.
Office/Service
A candidate wishing to serve in any elected
office that sets or contributes to public policy should be well versed in the
office and level of participation in which they will, if successful, be party
to. If, for example, a legislator is to
be responsible for voting on or producing local, state or even federal budget
issues, it is wise for a candidate to become as familiar as possible with the
most recent budget for the particular government entity. Similarly, a candidate who might be asked to
vote upon local zoning changes or business licensing, might study past and
recent decisions about these issues made by the government upon which the
candidate is asking to serve. This
familiarity will help the candidate to avoid dramatic promises they might not
be able to keep from the office they seek.
It will further set a candidate apart from a less informed or knowledgeable
opponent.
Current Events:
While candidates are most often and reasonably
interested in events and activities that are subject to the office they seek,
it is a mistake not to have a basic grasp of current events at other levels of
influence. In fact, national or state
trends often play a vital role in shaping a particular population’s perspective
of local events. For this reason,
candidates should familiarize themselves daily with the happenings that are
most talked about or might affect these perceptions. As is expected of any person seeking public
office, candidates should develop opinions about these issues, but should be
wary of posting, publishing or otherwise promoting these opinions publicly, as
a candidates position on issues that are not affected by the office being
sought, can impact one’s election to that office. Instead, carefully thought out opinions about
current events, which are consistent with the campaign’s message should be
prepared, and only referred to when solicited.
Understanding Campaign Laws
While America’s most visible political campaigns
are often governed by federal laws and guidelines, such as those that limit
contributions to congressional candidates, or define Political Action
Committees and regulate Presidential candidates, most of the laws that govern
elections are made at the state level.
The U.S. Constitution very specifically
delegates the role of officiating elections to each state, and as such laws
that pertain to most elections are made and enforced in the state where an
election is held.
These state laws can govern everything from the
amount of money a campaign may receive, or an individual or company or
political entity may contribute to the exact language that must be present in
political advertising disclaimers.
The chief source of information with regard to
political election laws is often the state’s Department of State, Division of
Elections, Board of Elections or other state election officials. Since each state is different, all candidates
and campaign staffers are encouraged to research the laws specific to a
candidate’s state.
Federal laws responsible for further governing
the election of members of both houses of congress and the executive branch are
best accessed through the Federal Election Commission or FEC as it is commonly
referred.
Campaigns for higher state or federal office
should consider retaining legal counsel with election law experience when
circumstances allow.
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