Editing Political consulting

{{Short description|Industry for advising and assisting political campaigns}}
'''Political consulting''' is a form of [[consulting]] that consists primarily of advising and assisting [[political campaigns]]. Although the most important role of political consultants is arguably the development and production of [[mass media]] (largely [[television]], [[Advertising mail|direct mail]], and [[digital advertising]]), consultants advise campaigns on many other activities, ranging from [[opposition research]] and [[Polling place|voter polling]], to field [[strategy]] and [[get out the vote]] efforts.
{{Political campaigning}}

==Origins==
President [[William McKinley]]'s closest political adviser [[Mark Hanna]] is sometimes described as the first political [[consultant]]. [[Whitaker and Baxter]] established the first true political [[consulting firm]], '''Campaigns, Inc.''',<ref>{{Cite magazine|title = How Politics Became a Business|url = http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2012/09/24/the-lie-factory|magazine = The New Yorker| date=17 September 2012 |access-date = 2015-12-18}}</ref> which focused exclusively on [[political campaign]]s in [[California]] in the 1930s–1950s.<ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.communicationencyclopedia.com/public/tocnode?id=g9781405131995_yr2011_chunk_g978140513199521_ss54-1|title=Political Consultant|publisher=International Encyclopedia of Communication|access-date=2012-11-07}}</ref> However, political consulting blossomed with the increasing use of [[television advertising]] for '''campaign communications'''<ref>{{Cite book|title = A Virtuous Circle: Political Communications in Post-Industrial Societies|last = Norris|first = Pipa Norris|pages = 1, 2, 3}}</ref> in the 1960s.<ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.communicationencyclopedia.com/public/tocnode?id=g9781405131995_yr2011_chunk_g978140513199521_ss54-1|title=Political Consultant|publisher=International Encyclopedia of Communication|access-date=2012-11-07}}</ref>

[[Joseph Napolitan]] was the first person to describe himself as a political [[consultant]];<ref>{{Cite book|title = Manship Guide to Political Communication|last = Perlmutter|first = David|pages = 19}}</ref> [[The New York Times]] described him in a 1968 profile as ''"that newest American phenomenon, the professional campaign manager"'' and ''a "pioneering campaign [[consultant]]"''.<ref>{{Cite news|title = Joseph Napolitan, Pioneering Campaign Consultant, Dies at 84|url = https://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/10/us/joseph-napolitan-pioneering-campaign-consultant-dies-at-84.html|newspaper = The New York Times|date = 2013-12-09|access-date = 2015-12-18|issn = 0362-4331|first = Paul|last = Vitello}}</ref> In recent years, political consulting has become more commonplace throughout the world and has extended its reach to campaigns at all levels of government. Many consultants work not only for campaigns, but also for [[political party|parties]] and [[political action committee]]s, while some focus on [[public relations]] and research work. Many consultants also take up official positions inside governments while working for an officeholder of the ruling party.

==Nature of the work==
Political consultants sometimes act as political strategists,<ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.collegefortn.org/Career_Planning/Career_Profile/Career_Profile.aspx?id=brKDga9mCotJfFOGYghoowXAP3DPAXXAP3DPAX| title= Political Strategist| publisher= Tennessee.Gov| access-date= 2012-11-07| archive-date= 2010-12-28| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20101228174401/http://www.collegefortn.org/Career_Planning/Career_Profile/Career_Profile.aspx?id=brKDga9mCotJfFOGYghoowXAP3DPAXXAP3DPAX| url-status= dead}}</ref> a senior political consultant who promote the [[election]] of certain [[candidate]]s or the interests of certain groups. This is achieved by planning campaign [[Strategy|strategies]], coordinating campaign staffers, and arranging events to publicize candidates or causes.

Political consultants act as [[public relations]] specialists, salespeople and managers. By using many forms of [[marketing]]-suitable media, including [[advertising]] and [[press release]]s, the general goal of political [[consultant]]s is to make voters aware of their candidates' [[party platform]].

As political consulting has expanded worldwide, [[journalist]]s have noted the influence of political consulting on candidates, voters, presidents and governments of different nations.<ref>{{Cite news|title = A Brazilian Campaign Strategist Expands His Winning Streak|url = https://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/06/world/americas/a-brazilian-campaign-strategist-expands-his-winning-streak.html|newspaper = The New York Times|date = 2013-04-05|access-date = 2015-12-18|issn = 0362-4331|first = Simon|last = Romero}}</ref> Well-known [[American Association of Political Consultants|American political consultants]] such as [[James Carville]], [[Frank Luntz]], [[Joseph Napolitan]] and David H. Sayers,<ref>{{Cite news|title = David H. Sawyer Dies at 59; Innovator in Political Strategy|url = https://www.nytimes.com/1995/07/04/obituaries/david-h-sawyer-dies-at-59-innovator-in-political-strategy.html|newspaper = The New York Times|date = 1995-07-04|access-date = 2015-12-18|issn = 0362-4331|first = David|last = Binder}}</ref> have traveled to other [[continent]]s, acting as consultants on several political campaigns and advising heads of state. For example, [[Joseph Napolitan|Napolitan]] acted as a consultant of French President [[Valéry Giscard d'Estaing]], several [[List of Presidents of Venezuela|Venezuelan presidents]], and [[Costa Rica]]'s [[Óscar Arias Sánchez]],<ref>{{Cite web|title = Joseph Napolitan {{!}} American political consultant|url = http://www.britannica.com/biography/Joseph-Napolitan|website = Encyclopædia Britannica|access-date = 2015-12-18}}</ref> and [[Dick Morris]] ''"has consulted for candidates in other countries of the western hemisphere, including the campaigns of [[Fernando de la Rúa|Fernando de la Rua]] for President of Argentina, [[Jorge Batlle Ibáñez|Jorge Batlle]] for President of Uruguay, [[Vicente Fox]] for President of Mexico, and [[Raphael Trotman]] for President of Guyana."''<ref>{{Cite news|url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-aug-27-mn-4173-story.html|title = Mexico Imports American-Style Campaigning|last = SCHRADER|first = ESTHER|date = August 27, 1999}}</ref>

Many [[Latin Americans|Latin American]] political consultants have also led [[political campaign]]s outside of their native countries.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Ex-McCain aide outfoxes Latin America's campaign gurus in Panama race {{!}} Fox News|url = https://www.foxnews.com/world/ex-mccain-aide-outfoxes-latin-americas-campaign-gurus-in-panama-race/|website = Fox News|date = 2014-05-15|access-date = 2015-12-18|language = en-US}}</ref> One such example is Brazilian political consultant [[:pt:João Santana|João Santana]], who simultaneously led three winning presidential campaigns in [[Latin America]]: [[Danilo Medina]], in the [[Dominican Republic]]; [[Hugo Chávez]], in [[Venezuela]]; and [[José Eduardo dos Santos]], in [[Angola]], in the [[Africa|African continent.]]<ref>{{Cite news|title = A Brazilian Campaign Strategist Expands His Winning Streak|url = https://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/06/world/americas/a-brazilian-campaign-strategist-expands-his-winning-streak.html|newspaper = The New York Times|date = 2013-04-05|access-date = 2015-12-18|issn = 0362-4331|first = Simon|last = Romero}}</ref> Venezuelan political strategist [[JJ Rendón|JJ Rendon]] (who lives in [[United States]]),<ref>{{Cite web|title = Venezuelan spin doctor JJ Rendon lectures the world on Neo-Totalitarianism|url = http://latincorrespondent.com/2014/10/venezuelan-spin-doctor-lectures-world-neo-totalitarianism/|website = latincorrespondent.com|access-date = 2015-12-18|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304130428/http://latincorrespondent.com/2014/10/venezuelan-spin-doctor-lectures-world-neo-totalitarianism/|archive-date = 2016-03-04|url-status = dead}}</ref> has also been recognized internationally, having been ranked as one of the top five most prominent Latin American consultants by the U.S.-based publication ''[[Campaigns and Elections|Campaigns & Elections]]''<ref>{{Cite news|url = http://www.campaignsandelections.com/campaign-insider/1131/revista-politics-en-espanol|title = Revista Politics en español|last = Lieberman|first = Jordan|date = 2009}}</ref> (Latin American edition)<ref>{{Cite news|url = http://www.noticias24.com/venezuela/noticia/120706/j-j-rendon-en-el-salon-de-la-fama-de-la-consultoria-politica/|title = El estratega político J.J. Rendón ingresa al Salón de la Fama de la Revista Campaigns & Elections en Español|date = August 11, 2012|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151208040544/http://www.noticias24.com/venezuela/noticia/120706/j-j-rendon-en-el-salon-de-la-fama-de-la-consultoria-politica/|archive-date = December 8, 2015|url-status = dead}}</ref> and who was the 2014 winner of [http://victoryawards.us/ The Victory Awards]<ref>{{Cite news|url = http://victoryawards.us/esta-es-la-lista-de-los-finalistas-de-los-victory-awards-2014-vac14/|title = Esta es la lista de los finalistas de los Victory Awards 2014 (List of the Victory Awards Finalists 2014)|date = 2014|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151208015550/http://victoryawards.us/esta-es-la-lista-de-los-finalistas-de-los-victory-awards-2014-vac14/|archive-date = 2015-12-08|url-status = dead}}</ref> for his work as the lead strategist of successful presidential campaigns of [[Juan Manuel Santos]] in [[Colombia]]  (including his reelection campaign in 2014),<ref>{{Cite news|title = Colombia vote: Santos re-elected as president - BBC News| work=BBC News | date=16 June 2014 |url = https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-27862555|access-date = 2015-12-18|language = en-GB}}</ref> [[Porfirio Lobo Sosa|Porfirio Lobo]] and [[Juan Orlando Hernández]] in [[Honduras]]<ref>{{Cite news|url = http://www.noticiassin.com/2013/12/victoria-de-hernandez-en-honduras-reafirma-logros-de-estratega-jj-rendon/|title = Victoria de Hernandez en Honduras reafirma logros de estratega JJ Rendon (Hernandez´s victory reaffirm achievements of the political strategist JJ Rendon)|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131210173223/http://www.noticiassin.com/2013/12/victoria-de-hernandez-en-honduras-reafirma-logros-de-estratega-jj-rendon/|archive-date = 2013-12-10|url-status = dead}}</ref> and [[Enrique Peña Nieto]] in [[Mexico]], among others. [[:pt:João Santana|João Santana]] has been described by the news magazine {{Lang|pt|[[Veja (magazine)|Veja]]}} as ''"capable of mapping out the weaknesses of adversaries with an acupuncturist's precision."'' [[JJ Rendón|Rendon]] has been described by [[Miami New Times]] as the ''"Latin America's [[Karl Rove]]"''.<ref>{{Cite web|title = J.J. Rendon is Latin America's Karl Rove|url = http://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/jj-rendon-is-latin-americas-karl-rove-6380975|website = Miami New Times|access-date = 2015-12-18}}</ref>

Notable political consultants are: [[David Plouffe]], [[Steve Bannon]], [[Kellyanne Conway]], [[Lynton Crosby]], [[Joel Benenson]], [[Brad Parscale]], Michael Spreng ([[Angela Merkel]]), [[Dominic Cummings]], Anne Méaux, [[Michel von Tell]], [[Alastair Campbell]], [[Paul Manafort]], [[Iván Redondo|Ivan Redondo]], [[Michel Barnier]], Philipp Maderthaner, [[Prashant Kishor]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=2021-07-25 |title=Prashant Kishor: How to win elections and influence people |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-57897686 |access-date=2024-05-17 |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=K |first=Sruthijith K. |date=2013-10-07 |title=Prashant Kishor: Meet the most trusted strategist in the Narendra Modi organisation |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/prashant-kishor-meet-the-most-trusted-strategist-in-the-narendra-modi-organisation/articleshow/23614928.cms?intenttarget=no |access-date=2024-05-17 |work=The Economic Times |issn=0013-0389}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-10-16 |title=Prashant Kishor, the man who created Modi wave, is Nitish's deputy |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/prashant-kishor-the-man-who-created-modi-wave-is-nitish-s-deputy-1369031-2018-10-16 |access-date=2024-05-17 |website=India Today |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2016-01-22 |title=Prashant Kishor becomes Advisor to Bihar CM |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/Prashant-Kishor-becomes-Advisor-to-Bihar-CM/article14013937.ece |access-date=2024-05-17 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=B |first=Nitin |date=2019-03-24 |title=Inside I-PAC's war room for Jagan Mohan Reddy's Chief Ministerial campaign |url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/andhra-pradesh/inside-i-pacs-war-room-jagan-mohan-reddys-chief-ministerial-campaign-98878 |access-date=2024-05-17 |website=The News Minute |language=en}}</ref>

== Criticisms ==
===Notoriety===
As political consulting has become more prevalent, consultants have become subject to increasing scrutiny and involvement in scandals as journalists have devoted considerable attention to their activities.{{citation needed|date=January 2024}}  Some successful political consultants, such as [[James Carville]] and [[Newt Gingrich]], capitalize on their consulting fame to become professional [[pundit (politics)|pundits]]. Such political consultants routinely appear on television [[news program]]s, write books and are treated as social media [[celebrity|celebrities.]]<ref>{{Cite news|title = Political Consultants and Strategists - Presidential Election of 2008 - John McCain - Terry Nelson|url = https://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/15/weekinreview/15nagourney.html|newspaper = The New York Times|date = 2007-07-15|access-date = 2015-12-18|issn = 0362-4331|first = Adam|last = Nagourney}}</ref>

===Conflicts of interest===
Some detractors accuse political consultants of putting their own interests and images ahead of their clients. Some consultants allege that too many consultants put their own financial interests ahead of the campaigns they are hired to serve, take on too many clients, or focus too much energy on building their own reputations.<ref>{{Cite web|title = South Carolina's dirty political reputation outlives reality - CNNPolitics.com|url = http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/11/politics/sc-dirty-politics/index.html|website = CNN| date=12 January 2012 |access-date = 2015-12-18}}</ref>

In 2007, the [[The Washington Post|''Washington Post'']] noted that Democratic presidential candidate [[John Edwards]] employed Harrison Hickman, a principal at [[Global Strategy Group]], as his [[John Edwards 2008 presidential campaign|campaign]] pollster. The article described this hire as evidence of the "pitfalls of hiring consultants who conduct work for corporate clients and campaigns at the same time", noting that:<blockquote>"...Edwards's own pollster, Harrison Hickman, is a principal at Global Strategy Group, which represents a range of corporate clients -- including oil and pharmaceutical companies -- that don't always mesh with the candidate's message."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Mosk |first=Matthew |date=October 5, 2007 |title=Edwards Points to a Link |newspaper=[[Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/05/AR2007100502475.html }}</ref></blockquote>

===Other criticism===
Critics of the political consulting industry blame consultants for what they see as problems in the American election system.<ref>{{Cite book|title = Poison Politics: Are Negative Campaigns Destroying Democracy?|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=ORIXBQAAQBAJ|publisher = Basic Books|date = 2003-02-22|isbn = 0738208728|first = Victor|last = Kamber}}</ref>

* Consultant salaries have risen, which has increased the cost of political campaigns.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Profits Of Politics 2012: Consultants Rake In $466 Million And Counting|url = http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/05/political-consultants-2012-campaign-big-money_n_1570157.html|website = The Huffington Post| date=5 June 2012 |access-date = 2015-12-18}}</ref>
* Critics of consulting's influence on politics say that changes to the campaign landscape have further entrenched certain consultants, regardless of their track records".<ref>{{Cite web|title = In The Age Of Super PACs, Political Consultants Can't Fail|url = http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/06/political-consultants-super-pacs_n_1572619.html|website = The Huffington Post| date=6 June 2012 |access-date = 2015-12-18}}</ref>
* Political consultants may be opposed to low-budget campaigns of grassroots candidates.{{citation needed|date=April 2021}}
* [[Activism|Activist groups]] charge that political consultants are a major obstacle to [[participatory democracy]] and election reform.{{Citation needed span|text=|date=October 2018|reason=}}

==Social media in modern campaigns==
[[Social media]] has dramatically changed the way in which modern [[political campaign]]s are run.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Political Campaigns and Social Media — Tweeting Their Way Into Office|url = http://source.southuniversity.edu/political-campaigns-and-social-media-tweeting-their-way-into-office-106986.aspx|website = source.southuniversity.edu|access-date = 2015-12-18}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title = Rand Paul Ready To Run As His Own Meme|url = http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/07/rand-paul-campaign_n_7013804.html|website = The Huffington Post| date=7 April 2015 |access-date = 2015-12-18}}</ref> With younger and more tech-savvy citizens entering into the voting population, social media are the platforms on which the [[politician]]s need to establish themselves and engage with the public. In years to come, social media is anticipated to overtake traditional media in terms of importance to political campaigns.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Social Media is Changing the Nature of Political Campaigns|url = http://www.adweek.com/socialtimes/social-media-is-changing-the-nature-of-political-campaigns/619572|website = www.adweek.com|access-date = 2015-12-18}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title = 5 Ways New Media Are Changing Politics|url = https://www.usnews.com/opinion/slideshows/5-ways-new-media-are-changing-politics|website = U.S. News & World Report|date = 2010-02-03|access-date = 2015-12-18}}</ref>

For example, in [[Australia]] 86% of Australians access the [[Internet]], and with a 17,048,864 voting age population (according to IDEA),<ref>{{Cite web|title = Voter turnout data for Australia (Parliamentary) {{!}} Voter Turnout {{!}} International IDEA|url = http://www.idea.int/vt/countryview.cfm?CountryCode=AU|website = www.idea.int|access-date = 2015-12-18|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160306175234/http://www.idea.int/vt/countryview.cfm?countrycode=au|archive-date = 2016-03-06|url-status = dead}}</ref> around 14,662,023 voting population has access to Internet, and 65% of them use [[social media]], which means 9,530,314 Australian voters use social media (The 2013 Yellow™ Social Media Report found that among internet users 65% of Australians use social media, up from 62% last year).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.politicalmktg.net/#!political-campaign-and-social/cjsl|title=Political Campaign and Social Media|publisher=Political Marketing|access-date=2014-01-16|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140116131040/http://www.politicalmktg.net/#!political-campaign-and-social/cjsl|archive-date=2014-01-16}}</ref>

The implication of this for political consulting is that social media are the channels through which an increasingly larger portion of the population receives political messages. As a consequence, unless a political consultant addresses the part of the electorate which can preferentially be reached through social media, the portion of the electorate which will be reached through traditional communication technologies will increasingly shrink in the future. For instance, social media is already the main source of information for 26% of young voters in Spain.<ref>[http://www.injuve.es/sites/default/files/2018/27/publicaciones/sondeo_2017-1_informe.pdf Informe]injuve.es {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211227102423/http://www.injuve.es/sites/default/files/2018/27/publicaciones/sondeo_2017-1_informe.pdf |date=2021-12-27 }}</ref>

== Trade organizations ==
The [[American Association of Political Consultants]] is the major trade association for political consultants in the [[United States]], with thousands of members. Like other professional organizations,<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-04-04|title=Big Effort Aims To Elect Candidates With Science Backgrounds|url=https://www.wbez.org/stories/big-effort-aims-to-elect-candidates-with-science-backgrounds/93c7fcc8-4a74-4f00-b452-a46362a2eff2|access-date=2021-04-05|website=WBEZ Chicago|language=en}}</ref> it propagates a code of ethics and gives out [[award]]s. Similar organizations for political consultants exist for many other countries and regions.

== See also ==
* [[Campaign manager]]
* ''[[Campaigns & Elections]]'', a trade magazine covering political consulting
* ''[[Just How Stupid Are We?]]''
* [[Political campaign staff]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* Sabato, Larry J. ''The Rise of Political Consultants''. New York: Basic Books, 1981. xvi, 376 p. {{ISBN|0-465-07039-6}}
* Wesslau, Fredrik. [https://fba.se/contentassets/93df04725706423eab79bb5e2bb2040e/fba_handbook_webb.pdf ''The Political Adviser's Handbook''] 2013, {{ISBN|978-91-979688-7-4}}

== External links ==
{{commons category|Political consultants}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Political consulting|*]]