Political consultants sell a person’s idea as a candidate, and the industry has grown in the US. They are responsible for crafting campaign messages, training candidates, and assessing how every little thing will impact the perception of a candidate. However, they are criticized for putting their own needs before their clients and pushing negative campaigns.
A political consultant is a type of management consultant who focuses on the campaigns of political figures. He or she may be seen as a kind of advertising executive, but instead of selling a tangible product or service, they are selling a person’s idea as a candidate. While these advisors exist all over the world, in the United States in particular, a pretty massive industry has built up around policy advice.
Policy consulting is nothing new in the American political landscape. Early policy advisers, such as President McKinley’s close confidant Mark Hanna, acted much like modern advisers. In the 1930s Whitaker and Baker founded the firm Campaigns, Inc., focusing solely on political campaigns in their marketing work. In the 1960s, with the advent of massive television campaigns, the work of the political consultant grew exponentially, and figures such as Joseph Napolitan began to actively describe themselves with this phrase.
With the continued growth of media in political campaigns and the increasingly important role that message management and spin play in campaign management, political advice is increasingly becoming an integral part of campaigns. Nearly all political campaigns, from the most basic city council campaign to presidential campaigns, employ at least one political consultant, and the largest campaigns can employ dozens. While it’s undeniable that the consultant is a necessary part of a modern campaign, many people criticize the role especially as it becomes more visible to the public.
Traditionally, the political consultant was primarily responsible for the simple marketing aspects of a campaign, such as buying ads and creating the ads. In recent years, however, as campaigns have become more targeted, he is likely to be actively involved in crafting the campaign message. Speeches will be given by him or her and the candidate will likely be trained on talking points to answer any questions that may arise in non-prescribed events. Pads, dressing sets and even gowns can all be handled by the consultant, who can assess how every little thing will impact the perception of a candidate in the public eye.
One of the biggest criticisms leveled at political consulting is that more and more consultants see themselves as personal celebrities and often put their clients’ needs in the background to their own. This became especially true as 24-hour news networks grew and found themselves in need of political pundits. A political consultant is the obvious choice to fill the role of commentator, so many consultants end up in the business of commenting on politics, which many accuse of hampering their ability to fully serve their candidates. This can also be seen in the proliferation of book deals for political advisers, where candidates’ secrets can be revealed to help bolster book sales.
Another major criticism is that political advisers have a vested interest in a certain type of partisan politics, where they thrive. This encourages them to push campaigns in a negative style, with few set agendas. People argue that the dynamic discourages public participation, and critics label the system one of political insiders dictating policy for an entire party.
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