A political campaign is an organized effort that seeks to influence the decision making progress within a specific group. In democracies, the most high-profile campaigns are those for elections to a head of state or government, often a president or prime minister. In addition, many groups and individuals engage in electoral politics as part of their own political agendas, promoting particular policies or candidates in an effort to gain power, influence or public recognition. Examples include trade unions, political parties, local civic organizations and community Facebook groups, politicians’ friends and family members, and celebrity supporters.
A key step in any political campaign is to establish a target number of votes to win, or “your win number.” This will drive all other decisions, including how much money you raise and how many doors you knock. A winning campaign will also develop a strategy for reaching voters through mailers, phone calls and face-to-face meetings.
Political campaigns can be very complicated and require a large team of professionals working in various areas. This includes a core team of staff and volunteers who help with fundraising, organizing and running events, canvassing and persuading voters to support or vote for the candidate, managing social media, preparing policy papers, and other general administrative tasks.
In addition, the legal team is often a significant piece of the campaign’s workforce. In the United States, this team is typically composed of a senior lawyer employed by the campaign, plus junior associates and sometimes recent law graduates working on a temporary basis.