Omar Bennett
A political campaign is an organized effort that seeks to influence decision-making within a specific group. Campaigns are generally run by a campaign manager, who coordinates the campaign and ensures that efforts are focused effectively. The campaign team can be as small as one individual or a large group of professionals, and is usually composed of both unpaid volunteers and paid employees. The staff may include political consultants who advise campaigns on all their activities, from research to field strategy, and department directors who coordinate specific aspects of the campaign. The foundation of the campaign structure is interns and volunteers, who may address envelopes, enter data, and canvass voters. Campaigns may not accept contributions from the treasury funds of corporations, labour organizations, or national banks, and must disclose the names of trusts and decedents in their reports.
Characteristics and Values of a Political Campaign Owner
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Campaign staff composition | Paid employees, unpaid volunteers, political consultants, campaign managers, and interns |
| Campaign manager's role | Coordinating the campaign, assuring effective focus, creating and executing marketing campaigns, and providing resources |
| Campaign structure | Varies, but may include operations, field, and fundraising departments with specific coordinators |
| Campaign goals | Communicating a message, recruiting volunteers, and raising money through various techniques |
| Campaign message | Simple and broad to attract more voters, repeated frequently to create a lasting impression |
| Campaign resources | Money, time, and message directed to key groups of potential voters |
| Campaign experience | Valued by employers, even without a deep background in the field |
| Campaign jobs | Networking is crucial, along with online job boards and mentorship opportunities |
| Campaign contributions | Subject to regulations, with limits on corporate treasury funds and specific requirements for trusts and LLCs |
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What You'll Learn
Campaign staff and their roles
Political campaign staff are the group of people who formulate and implement the strategy of a political campaign. Campaign staff are generally composed of both unpaid volunteers and paid employees of either the campaign itself or a related political party. The staff may include political consultants who provide advice and assistance to a campaign. Campaigns are generally run by a campaign manager who coordinates the campaign and assures that efforts are focused effectively.
Campaign managers will often have deputies who oversee various aspects of the campaign at a closer level. Directly below the campaign manager on the organization chart is the deputy campaign manager, and directly below them are department directors who coordinate specific aspects of the campaign. These staff members often have deputies as well. In some campaigns, an executive chairman of the campaign committee is appointed. The responsibility of an executive chairman varies widely by campaign, but they are usually a consultant on internal matters such as campaign staff appointments and major internal policy.
Below the department level, campaigns vary widely in their structure. On larger campaigns, there will be various coordinators for certain functions within each department. For example, within the fundraising department, there might be a staff member who focuses only on direct mail fundraising. The foundation of the campaign structure is interns and volunteers. Their tasks can include addressing envelopes, entering data into databases, and canvassing voters on behalf of the campaign. Larger statewide and national campaigns will have operations departments, which are responsible for the internal functions that power a campaign as an organization.
The operations department will generally take on human resources and people operations responsibilities, including running payroll; IT and cybersecurity operations, which secure the campaign's electronic systems and ensure their availability for use; financial operations, which track the budget against actual spending and raising; and field operations, which handle the logistics of a larger field program. On some campaigns, these functions are sometimes outsourced to outside vendors to keep costs low. The field department focuses on the "on-the-ground" organizing that is required in order to personally contact voters through canvassing, phone calls, and building local events. Voter contact helps construct and clean the campaign's voter file to better target voter persuasion and identify which voters the campaign wants to bring out on election day.
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Campaign funding and donations
Political campaigns are funded through a combination of sources, including donations from individuals, political party committees, and political action committees (PACs). In the case of individuals, donations can range from small contributions of $200 or less to large donations exceeding this amount. These donations are a way for individuals to show their support for a particular candidate or cause.
Political action committees (PACs) are another crucial source of funding. PACs are formed by corporations, labour organizations, and membership groups, which are not allowed to contribute directly to federal campaigns. By creating PACs, these entities can solicit donations from members and associates, allowing them to indirectly influence federal elections. Super PACs, or independent expenditure-only political committees, are a type of PAC that can accept unlimited contributions, even from corporations and labour organizations.
In addition to individual and PAC donations, candidates themselves may contribute funds from their own pockets to support their campaigns. This demonstrates their commitment and belief in their campaign message. Furthermore, in the case of presidential elections, taxpayers can choose to direct $3 to the Presidential Election Campaign Fund when filing their tax returns, providing public funds for eligible candidates who agree to spending and fundraising restrictions.
The laws governing campaign funding and donations, known as campaign finance laws, vary at the state and federal levels. These laws dictate who can contribute, contribution limits, and reporting requirements. For example, the Federal Election Campaign Act sets limits on campaign fundraising and spending and established the FEC as the agency responsible for enforcing federal campaign finance law.
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Campaign advertising and messaging
Political campaigns are organized efforts to influence decision-making processes within specific groups. In modern politics, the most high-profile campaigns are centred on general elections, with candidates vying for head-of-state or head-of-government positions, such as president or prime minister. The campaign message is pivotal, encapsulating the ideas that the candidate wants to convey to voters, with the ultimate goal of garnering support for their political aspirations.
The campaign message itself is carefully crafted to include several talking points that encapsulate the candidate's main ideas and policy positions. These talking points are repeated frequently to create a lasting impression on voters. Most campaigns opt for a broad message to attract a wider range of potential voters, as a narrow message can be detrimental, alienating certain voters or burdening the candidate with excessive explanations. For instance, John McCain's 2008 presidential campaign initially focused on patriotism and political experience, but later shifted to highlight his role as "The Original Maverick". In contrast, Barack Obama's successful campaign employed a consistent, simple message of "change".
The campaign structure typically includes interns, volunteers, and paid employees, with the campaign manager playing a pivotal role in coordinating the campaign's efforts and ensuring its strategic focus. In smaller campaigns, the campaign manager may be the only paid staff member, overseeing all aspects not covered by the candidate or volunteers. Larger campaigns, such as a United States presidential campaign, can have hundreds of staff members, including consultants, strategists, and various coordinators for specific functions, such as fundraising or direct mail. Field staff, the lowest level of field workers, engage in direct voter contact through canvassing, phone banks, and local events, providing valuable insights into community sentiments.
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Campaign structure and strategy
Political campaigns are organized efforts that aim to influence decision-making processes within a specific group. In a modern political campaign, the campaign organization or "machine" has a structured team of personnel, akin to a business of a similar size. The campaign team can range from a single passionate individual to a large group of professionals. The team may consist of both unpaid volunteers and paid employees, including political consultants and a campaign manager who coordinates the campaign.
The campaign manager plays a crucial role in ensuring the marketing campaigns achieve their objectives. They collaborate with the marketing manager to create, execute, and monitor the performance of campaigns, providing the necessary resources to meet sales targets. The campaign manager's deputies oversee various aspects of the campaign more closely, and below them are department directors who coordinate specific areas. These departments include operations, fundraising, and field departments. The operations department handles human resources, IT, cybersecurity, financial operations, and field operations. The fundraising department focuses on securing donations from large and small donors, as well as courting interest groups.
The field department, often the lowest level of field staff, handles "on-the-ground" organizing, including canvassing, phone calls, and local events. They are responsible for direct voter contact and assisting the Deputy Director. The field department is typically organized by geography, with regional field directors overseeing local offices.
When formulating the campaign strategy, the team must consider how to communicate the message effectively, recruit volunteers, and raise funds. The campaign message should be carefully crafted to attract the most potential voters, with key talking points about policy issues that create a lasting impression. The campaign plan encompasses the campaign's goals, message, target audience, and available resources.
Political scientist Joel Bradshaw outlines four key propositions for a successful campaign strategy:
- The electorate can be divided into three groups: the candidate's base, the opponent's base, and the undecided.
- Past election data and research can identify which people fall into each group.
- It is neither possible nor necessary to gain the support of everyone.
- Once the path to victory is identified, campaigns should direct their resources (money, time, and message) towards key groups of potential voters.
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Campaign jobs and employment
Campaign staff are responsible for formulating and implementing the strategy of a political campaign. They are generally composed of both unpaid volunteers and paid employees, who may be hired by the campaign itself or a related political party. The staff may include political consultants, who advise campaigns on all their activities, from research to field strategy, and campaign managers, who coordinate the campaign and ensure efforts are focused effectively. In small local campaigns, the campaign manager may be the only paid staff member, whereas in larger campaigns, such as a US presidential campaign, there may be hundreds of staff members. Campaign managers often have deputies and department directors who oversee various aspects of the campaign, and on larger campaigns, there may be various coordinators for specific functions within each department.
There are many different types of jobs available on a political campaign, and roles can vary widely depending on the campaign structure. Some common roles include:
- Field staff: These are the lowest level of field staff and include paid workers who do direct voter contact full-time, such as canvassing, as well as assisting the Deputy Director.
- GOTV ("Get out the vote") coordinator: These coordinators are generally brought in during the last few months of the campaign and are responsible for planning local GOTV efforts, as well as voter persuasion and identification.
- Operations department: This department handles the internal functions that power a campaign as an organization, including human resources, IT and cybersecurity, financial operations, and field operations.
- Fundraisers: Fundraisers work to secure donations for the campaign through various techniques, including direct mail pleas to small donors and courting interest groups.
- Communications and media staff: These staff members are responsible for creating and executing marketing campaigns to promote the candidate and campaign initiatives, as well as managing social media and digital recruitment.
- Research staff: These employees track political developments, provide strategic guidance, and represent the campaign at political events, forums, and meetings.
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Frequently asked questions
A political campaign is owned by the candidate or a group of individuals or a political party committee. In the US, individuals acting with or without the consent of a campaign or political party committee can support or oppose federal candidates by making independent expenditures.
A campaign manager is a key person in any political campaign. They coordinate the campaign and ensure that efforts are focused effectively. In small local campaigns, the campaign manager may be the only paid staff member. In larger campaigns, there will be deputies, department directors, and possibly an executive chairman.
A campaign team will have a communications department, a field department, a finance department, and a legal department. The communications department deals with press relations and advertising. The field department focuses on "on-the-ground" organizing and contacting voters. The finance department coordinates fundraising, and the legal department ensures compliance with the law.
Political campaigns raise money through donations, fundraising events, and independent expenditures. In the US, Political Action Committees (PACs) and Super PACs allow the very wealthy to spend unlimited amounts of money on campaigns.
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