Introduction
Competition exists in every aspect of life, and people contesting for a particular post have to employ all efforts to win. The efforts must be strategic, and an effective structure is the main tool for effective organizing campaigns (Bike 12).
This paper outlines the importance of structure, the best way to create structure, and coalitions as they incorporate Jo Freeman’s principles of democratic structuring.
Essentialness of structure
In the contemporary world, coherent structures are imperative for effective organizing campaigns owing to the high level of competition in elections. Every political campaign should have an organized structure comprising of staff with different levels of authority.
The topmost leaders of the campaign ought to formulate and implement all possible strategies to win an election. The aspect of specialization is widespread in campaigns, and it works towards the success of the contestant (Gravely 11). Structure enables people with specialized skills to undertake roles that they can perform best.
Moreover, the aspect of accountability is evident in any structure, as staffs have specific duties to deliver, failure to which they become answerable to the entire team.
It is worth noting that a structure enables organizers to work with people, whose career is full-time campaigning. Such people have sufficient experience to make a contestant win a competitive election.
Creation of structure
To achieve effective organizing campaigns, organizers should create a coherent structure similar to that of any great business. Every person in the structure becomes a campaign staff by default; however, unlike businesses where staffs aim at making profits, campaign staffs should aim at winning an election.
The first step in creating a structure is identifying a competent manager to foresee the entire campaign process. Campaign managers ought to be smart people, as they have the highest authority. Organizers should consider choosing reliable managers, who would coordinate the main operations of the campaign.
Managers are the core setters and executers of strategy, and they link other staffs to competent political consultants, who analyze campaigns using sophisticated management tools.
The second step in creating structure is obtaining learned fellows to take care of all administrative activities. Financial matters, for example, need people with very high integrity, and that applies to all staffs handling other official matters.
The field department, communication, legal, and technology departments need brilliant people for a successful campaign.
The final people that organizers need in creating structure are the activists. Activists are fourth in the rank after the campaign manager, political consultants, and administrators. Activists are loyal to the group, and they work hand in hand with volunteers.
This group of people comprises of humble individuals, who can do any menial activity towards the success of the candidate. They can go from one door to another canvassing for their candidate, and actively participate in outdoor campaigns (Thurber 22).
They act as office messengers, who undertake all the odd jobs, as long as their candidate wins.
Coalitions and their incorporation with Jo Freeman’s principles
In campaigns, coalitions comprise of temporary formed groups or teams that have a common goal of ensuring that a particular candidate wins in an election. Coalition organizations bring people together, and they obligate them to fight against a common opponent.
In building a coalition, members act as a group of interacting individuals. Coalition organizational structures are unique, as they have no formal structure (Katz and Mair 20). Coalitions are often powerful, and all members have the capacity to act as bosses without any personal interest or external focus.
Coalition organizations play a critical role in increasing personal power, and they take time to form owing to the need to identify the common goal and the best manner to attain the goal. Coalition members are objective, and they work in some set of connections to attain a mutual goal.
Coalition organizing structures incorporate Jo Freeman’s principles of democratic structuring in one way or another. Jo Freeman insists on the ideology of having no formal structure in managing things. Similar to what happens in coalition organizing structures, Jo Freeman encourages consensus decision-making.
The collective intelligence of every person obligates people to perform their duties with commitment (Webb, Farrell and Holliday 16). Members of coalition organizations exercise much responsibility, as it applies in Jo Freeman’s principles.
Moreover, there is nothing like hierarchical management in coalitions, as decentralization facilitates the distribution of authority amongst all members. Labor specialization is evident in coalitions, and there is open flow of information amongst members of the coalition.
With equal powers, members of coalition organizations always have equal access to resources, which is one of the principles of democratic structuring.
Conclusions and recommendations for further actualization
From the discussions, it is evident that coalition organizations meet the common principles of democratic structuring. However, further actualization is important to achieve full democratization. It is important for any organizing structure to have defined responsibilities for every member.
Moreover, it is important to have some form of hierarchical leadership to have things done properly; otherwise, people may become negligent, and lack of accountability may prevail. Lastly, organizers would rather embark on specialization rather than rotation of duties to achieve optimum results.
Overall, Jo Freeman’s work is worth some credit, as her principles of democratic structuring are superior to any other principles.
Works Cited
Bike, William. Winning Political Campaigns: A Comprehensive Guide to Electoral Success. Chicago: Central Park Communications, 2012. Print.
Gravely, Justin. Campaigning On American Soil and the Rules of the American Government. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2014. Print.
Katz, Richard and Peter Mair. “Changing Models of Party Organization and Party Democracy: The Emergence of the Cartel Party.” Party Politics 1.1(2008): 5-28. Print.
Thurber, James. Campaigns and Elections American Style. New York: Westview Press, 2004. Print.
Webb, Paul, David Farrell, and Ian Holliday. Political Parties in Advanced Industrial Democracies. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002. Print.