Simple Definition of Permanent Campaign

The disproportionate amount of time presidents have spent visiting major electoral states (and relatively little time they have spent visiting states that have little electoral significance to them) has been cited as evidence of ulterior motives for electoral reasons that influence presidential governance, demonstrating the blurred lines between the campaign and White House governance. [1],[2] Before his unexpected victory in 2016, Trump`s only clear success in life was his reality TV show. He had never held political office. He had never served in the army. His companies have gone bankrupt several times. When he took office, the main resources of experience he had to exercise his power and function were his time on the reality show and his campaign tactics. Few pundits and professionals believed Trump would win in 2016 because he said so many outrageous things so many times — each of which would have sunk the campaigns of other candidates. Trump has pushed the techniques of the election campaign into Orwellian dimensions. He lied regularly; He often repeated lies and projected his vices onto his opponents. These tactics – repetition, dissemination and projection – worked so well in the election campaign that they became his model of governance. In the fall of 2016, the Ontario Liberals signaled that they were preparing for the 2018 provincial election. Pat Sorbara, a key strategist in Premier Kathleen Wynne`s office, has been transferred to party headquarters as CEO and Liberal campaign manager.

That was 20 months before the actual election date, which was set for June 7, 2018. During Stephen Harper`s second term, the government announced funding for small-town infrastructure with large novelty cheques that clearly displayed the Conservative Party logo. The current Liberal government bought cardboard scraps from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for use at Canadian missions and government events in the U.S. when the real Trudeau was not available. What is going on? The drive to compete and win in this current and interactive digital age means that the ongoing campaign has extended to our democratic institutions. This means that traditional processes of Parliament are easily exploited when they give a party a partisan advantage. The ongoing campaign is promoting more omnibus legislation so that election promises can be fulfilled in large quantities. Time management measures lead to the speeding up of legislation favoured by the ruling party, which limits parliamentary debate. It encourages requests for prorogation when the government`s privileged narrative is threatened and, as a result, limits the ability of opposition parties to carry out their most important oversight and accountability functions. The partisan exploitation of government resources and procedural processes in Parliament poses a threat to the way Canadians are governed.

In other words, to varying degrees, the very role of Parliament is being sacrificed in the battle for the hearts and minds of certain constituencies. Explaining the genesis of the permanent campaign is neither easy nor simple. As with most political phenomena, there is no single cause or simple explanation, but a complex series of events that ultimately paved the way for the permanent campaign. The following fellowship documented these critical developments in American politics. Understanding the origins of the permanent campaign facilitates recognition and understanding of its prevalence in modern presidential politics. Canadian partisan politics is deeply involved in the phenomenon of the “permanent election campaign,” as explored in a new volume I co-edited with Alex Marland and Thierry Giasson. A permanent campaign means campaigning between elections when no official campaign is underway. The concept captures the essence of using strategies and tactics typically used in the campaign environment. Political parties engage in a permanent election campaign for two reasons: to advance their current program and to position themselves well for the next election campaign. Individuals can send an unlimited number of emails on any political issue without identifying who they are or if their messages have been authorized by a party or campaign committee.

There are certainly arguments in favour of a permanent election campaign. Parties are now paying more attention to the wishes and needs of voters. They are encouraged to keep their election promises. A senior Prime Minister who is more open-minded and available puts Canada back on the map. But overall, the emergence of permanent campaigns is troubling for Canadian political scientists. While it has been a feature of the American political landscape for decades, it has now prevailed here with vengeance, particularly with the introduction of fixed election dates that encourage parties to “prepare” for an election campaign well in advance of the official dissolution of Parliament. Such strategies have been actively developed and deployed since Lyndon Johnson, with short-term tactical gains taking precedence over long-term vision. The hectic and eye-catching atmosphere of presidential campaigns is transferred to the office itself, creating a permanent campaign that limits politicians` ability to deviate from the perceived will of the people (hence intense polling).