In politics, the question of whether a party’s political goals should be delineated by its manifesto or shaped by its campaign team mirrors the classic “chicken or egg” conundrum. When defining an organisation’s political goals – is it a job for the manifesto or the campaign team? We have seen different parties choose one or other option, but those which strive in the long-term were probably good at their balancing act between both sides. This article dives into why this balance is so important for a political party and what could go wrong when the balance tilts to either side.
Manifesto team: the foundation of values and ideas
Political parties are all about their values, ideas, and solutions to current challenges. These are defined and developed by party’s members or invited experts into a political program or manifesto. The manifesto becomes the cornerstone of the organisation. All further actions of the organisation and its representatives at different levels have to represent and adhere to these values and ideas. But—there is a danger to relying solely on your manifesto team to define your political goals.
First, politics is a very dynamic environment, and your manifesto team most cannot react fast and adjust certain positions according to specific situations. Here, we are not talking about undermining one’s values, but rather, operating in an agile way according to available information. Second, the manifesto team tends to shift towards more intellectual or academic takes. This, of course, is a generalisation that has exceptions—but I’ve seen this happen often. And while there is nothing wrong with that per se, people mostly support political causes out of emotions and connection with the goal, not the theory.
Campaign team: connecting with the electorate
Campaign teams are good at marketing their organisation, making others notice and connect with it. The team understands the need of working with emotions and being trendy. Still, this approach poses danger in terms of defining political goals. First, it is easy to fall victim to various trends and disconnect with your own values and supporters. Second, solely working with emotions and people’s aspirations verges on populism. The campaign team is the best for defining the tone of voice of the organisation and its leaders, but what has to be said should not be based solely on a specific campaign’s needs. It has to be rooted in the organisation’s values, program, and long-term vision.
Bridging content with marketing
Defining goals is important. The goal of the manifesto team is to produce best ideas and solutions to current challenges. The goal of the campaign team is to get the party or specific politician elected. It is possible to carry out your best program only after being elected and being elected without a plan or program can not lead to long-term success. Since it seems like our political chicken and egg has inherently different goals, it is essential to unite the both and lead the both from outside these entities.
Leadership plays a pivotal role in harmonising these efforts, overseeing a collaborative strategy that respects both the party’s foundational values and the exigencies of electoral success. It is extremely important to dedicate enough time to ensure that there is no rivalry between two teams and they work together creating synergy for the whole organisation. From my experience, it’s beneficial to include a member of the manifesto team into the campaign team to ensure that campaign is consistent with the values and program. Likewise, it is extremely important to include campaign people in the manifesto group to make sure that from the beginning on the manifesto is not too theoretical and can be relatable to potential supporters and voters.
Ultimately, setting political goals is a leadership mandate, informed by the party’s collective vision and the practical insights of its manifesto and campaign teams. This approach fosters a cohesive strategy that is both principled and pragmatic, ensuring that the party’s message not only captivates but also converts. That does not mean though that leaders should dictate how to run a campaign or how to define specific policies – let us leave this for professionals. Unlike manifesto, campaign or any other teams, party leaders are elected by their members and thus represent them and are accountable to them. Responsibility, accountability and representation are the key elements of a healthy political organisation and democracy as such.
Uniting manifesto and campaign vision
Let’s be clear—content is still the king—but it needs good marketing. For the best possible results, it is important to ensure that manifesto and campaign teams work together in synergy. Defining political goals, however, should be the job of political leadership.
