Overview

A political party may rely on its core voters to support it at every election, but frequently it is the swing voter who calls the shots. The winning candidate is often the one who manages to impress those who make their minds up at the last minute.  It is not policies alone that impress; image and perception play an increasingly prominent role in the relationship between a candidate and the electorate – the Kennedy / Nixon televised debates are testament to that. Kennedy won the election because of how people saw him.

Rationale

Now it is not just television and radio that provide showcases for candidates, there is the widespread use of social media. Yet for the public who do not have ready access to the internet, the traditional ways of getting a message across, such as leaflets and posters, cannot be dismissed. They too need to reflect the professionalism and competence of the candidate, and there are important principles to bear in mind when designing them. New candidates, and maybe not so new candidates, need a good understanding of the processes of policy planning, implementation and evaluation, and our course on Government Policies Planning and Implementation does just that. But first, they have to be elected to put that understanding to work.

For Whom?

Members of the Houses of Representatives at Federal and State levels, Local Authority Chairmen, prospective candidates, political agents.

Key coverage / learning points

• 4 important rules for the hustings
• 6 rules for using the media
• 9 key factors in debating
• Fund raising options
• Powerful Presentation Skills theory and practice
• Secrets of effective campaign management
• Flier design
• Polling and use of focus groups
• Analysis of politicians’ performances from the UK and the US
• Combating electoral fraud

Objective / benefits

• Speak persuasively in public
• Prepare effectively for debates and participate in debates effectively
• Make safe and effective use of the media
• Recognise their constituent segments and tailor their message to each segment
• Plan and manage their election campaign in keeping with the law
• Discuss international electoral best practices