New parties that are built from the bottom up almost always have internal forums to discuss political issues and even vote on some. While this kind of inner democracy can be useful at the start, by making every member feel like they own a part of the party, after a point it can become an obstacle to growth. So, start moderating your internal political forums. Here are some tips for how and why to moderate.
The critical need for early forum moderation
Start sooner rather than later. The longer you wait to start regulating internal forums and enforcing clear rules, the harder the task will be. Long-time members will get use to the way things were and newer members will be socialised through these internal forums, making change difficult. After your party is established on the political scene, and becomes more than a start-up, start managing right away.
Internal forums can misguide party leadership. Just as it is not really advisable to base your policies on comments under news articles, internal forum discussions can also mislead party leaders, even subconsciously. A few dozen overzealous or negative activists can make leaders feel like the party is on the wrong track, which can lead to unnecessary risk-taking. Also, less talented but ambitious members who want to be heard within the party may think the comment section is their only option.
Badly managed internal forums can mix operative work with internal politics. Low-level employees or even directors are not free from factional politics. Letting anyone post anything, like an open-call brainstorming session or allowing heavy criticism of a recent political move to be aired is not a good idea. It will impact party operatives and may force them to respond, making the whole party less effective.
Establishing rules for constructive dialogue
Rules and penalties are essential. A single destructive and overzealous member can ruin the mood for hundreds of other participants, which is why a rules and penalties need to be clear and strict. Muting commenters after two comments, or banning them for an extended time should be on the table – primarily to send a message to other would-be destructive members.
Strategic communication: beyond the internal forum
No strategic-level discussions in internal forums! If a party discusses its strategy in internal political forums, it will eventually be leaked by someone from the ever growing membership. Make it clear that strategy discussions are for the president and the board, not for an online forum.
Introduce new rules after a leadership election. Members don’t like more moderation and less freedom to comment, so party leaders or officials who introduce strict moderation will not be popular. Doing so after a leadership election, at the beginning of a board’s two-year term, is least likely to cause a backlash.
If free internal debate is simply too rooted in your party’s DNA, an alternative option is to create a new, less moderated, non-official free-for-all forum. That way members who want to keep discussing politics in comment sections have a place to do so. In order to minimise the potential damage in case of a leak, make sure that no elected officials comment in such a forum.