Policymaking
First and foremost, policymaking comprises a set of initiatives and programs that a politician implements to disseminate his values and ideas. For example, it was important for Barack Obama to engage in health care reform because he placed health care at the center of his policies (Kirk et al., 2010). He used the health care agenda, mandatory basic insurance, and the introduction of preventive screenings in his political campaign.
The campaign’s success was not only due to statements of reform but also to actual support for these initiatives. In addition to focusing on implementing national and societal reforms, appealing to the interests of vulnerable populations can become a vital part of the campaign (Kirk et al., 2010). This is because politicians aim to reach as many constituencies as possible in situations of inequality, offering their services to all.
By introducing data-driven campaigns, often collected and new sources of information, and social media, a politician can successfully showcase their initiatives (Dommett, 2019). This will allow for an understanding of the actual relationship with support and the statistical performance of the campaign as a whole.
Lobbying
Secondly, lobbying can be a tool of political activism that politicians conduct to sway potentially interested parties to their position. Politicians use lobbying to bring about changes at the state level that will positively affect their campaigns (Yackee et al., 2020). Lobbying issues often involve monetary costs, as politicians resort to partnerships based on contracts with tied tangible services.
In addition, it is also a matter of bribes and deliberate pressure on civilians to stir up unpleasant precedents against the government. In such a case, the politician’s position will seem more favorable to voters, who will be inclined to change sides. Lobbying may positively impact a political campaign, but one must control its scope and choose the leverage carefully.
References
Dommett, K. (2019). Data-driven political campaigns in practice: understanding and regulating diverse data-driven campaigns. Internet Policy Review, 8(4). Web.
Kirk, M., Gilmore, J., & Wiser, M. (2010). Obama’s deal [Video]. Frontline. Web.
Yackee, S. W. (2020). Hidden politics? Assessing lobbying success during US agency guidance development. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 30(4), 548–562. Web.