Political Consultant Essay

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The interactions between businesses and government has become more complex and fall under a wider and wider purview, thus the need for government affairs specialists has increased proportionally. The influence of government is not just on politics, it is on policy and specifically, the policies that impact the cause that you are invested in. Two choices immediately come to mind: consultants and lobbyists (Neher & Sandin, 2007). Professionals in these two areas are sometimes thought of interchangeably, but in fact, there are important differences. How they approach a solution, how they are regulated and the power that they hold are key distinctions. Generally speaking, a consultant is a professional who provides expert advice in a subject area, …show more content…

In a study conducted in 1998 by the Pew Research Center, “political consultants have clear consciences: Most do not think campaign practices that suppress turnout, use scare tactics and take facts out of context are unethical. They are nearly unanimous — 97% — in the belief that negative advertising is not wrong, and few blame themselves for public disillusionment with the political process.” This fact is extremely discouraging to me from an ethical standpoint but consequently makes perfect sense from a business standpoint. Additionally, political consultants are considered subject matter experts on in-depth technical information and analysis, lending themselves perfectly to any candidates support structure. This expertise allows them to live up to their monarch of being a spin-doctor (Neher & Sandin, 2007). A good example of the spin-doctor would have to be George Stephanopoulos. In his on-air role at ABC, Stephanopoulos has been a reliable mouthpiece for the Democratic spin of the day - using his perch as an analyst and correspondent to add an extra boost to liberals, undermine conservatives and push a liberal policy agenda. All of the above examples are in direct conflict with the American Association of Political Consultants (AAPC) code of ethics (American Association of Political Consultants,

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