Issue 1, 2007   

Political Strategy. Anatomy of excessive demands.

Tissy Bruns: Politics and Media are Worlds apart from Reality, FJ NSB 1/2008, pp. 8-10.

In her analysis Tissy Bruns shows that the media draw on different logic than politics, which often does not seem fit for today’s media age. The power of the media often lies in a debasement of politics and the attempt to subject politics to media logic. Politicians and political journalists are the ones that are set back in this new media age.

Joachim Raschke/Ralf Tils: Political Strategy, FJ NSB 1/2008, pp. 11-24.

Joachim Raschke und Ralf Tils reveal the deficits of contemporary strategic theory and practice. They develop a model of political strategy which makes possible in-depth scientific analysis while still being applicable and helpful to political practice. They plead for ‘more strategy’: for a political practice which acts more strategically, for more professional counsel of political actors and a more analytically based examination of strategic processes by political science.

Richard Stöss: Remarks on the Concept of Political Strategy, FJ NSB 1/2008, pp. 25-26.

Richard Stöss closely examines the concept of political strategy suggested by Joachim Raschke und Ralf Tils. The concept fills the empty spot which has existed in political science concerning the evaluation of political strategy. He concludes that while the scientific community will be eager to use the concept, it may be too complex to be used by politicians. Also, in his opinion the tension between democratic and strategic politics has not yet been resolved in the given concept.

Elmar Wiesendahl: Strategic Leadership between Hierarchy, Economy, and Democracy, FJ NSB 1/2008, pp. 27-36.

Military, economic, and political strategies differ eminently in their ways of coming about and their requirements. Democratic demands seem to make political strategy particularly complex, since hierarchical strategy-building is constricted and the number of veto-players is high. The article traces the particularities of the military, economic and political domain and analyzes necessities of political strategy-building.

Matthias Machnig: The Strategy Paradox, FJ NSB 1/2008, pp. 37-42.

Although politics is the area with the highest need for strategy, there are few systematic approaches – in politics as well as in its scientific analysis. One of the causes for this paradox are the many requirements for the strategic abilities of political actors. To be able to act strategically, one has to obey to three different kinds of logic: the administrative logic, the political logic, and the communicative logic. Only if all three kinds of logic put into account, one will be able to successfully implement strategies. Matthias Machnig explains the different requirements and describes the essential resources and needs for successful strategies.

Horst Seehofer: Ten Thoughts on Political Strategy, FJ NSB 1/2008, pp. 48-51.

Horst Seehofer explores the requirements for successful strategies. In his opinion there are always two levels to any strategy: the level of agenda or policy and, on a different scale, the level of power. In strategy-development personal elements must not be underestimated; also, chance always comes into play. Successful strategies need, above all, good and thorough preparation.

Fritz Kuhn: Political Strategy and Political Practice: Bündnis 90/Die Grünen as an Example. In: FJ NSB 1/2008, pp. 52-54.

Fritz Kuhn shows what political parties have to keep in mind to be successful in strategy-development. They have to keep touch with existing value-patterns, refer to an issue which is hegemonial within the party, consider the long-term effects and there should be a strategic centre. Furthermore the strategies should not be wholly communicated. As an example for unsuccessful strategies Kuhn refers to the SPD’s reaction towards DIE LINKE. An successful strategy is in his view the efforts of Bündnis 90/Die Grünen to tap a new constituency.

Renate Künast: The Aspect of Time in Political Strategies, FJ NSB 1/2008, pp. 55-57.

In everyday politics long-term planning, key element in most models of strategy, cannot be considered all the time, since strategy development is done under very complex and accelerated conditions. Long-term thought should be given to higher goals which are pursued for a long time in political terms. As an example for such a high goal Künast refers to the fight for climate protection by Bündnis 90/Die Grünen.

Dirk Niebel: FDP’s answers to questions of strategy. In: FJ NSB 1/2008, pp. 58-60.

First Dirk Niebel explains the changing general framework for strategic action for political parties. Afterwards he shows with which instruments the FDP reacted to these changes, which in his view were successful.

Dietmar Bartsch: Opportunities for Strategy Development, FJ NSB 1/2008, pp. 61-64.

The success for DIE LINKE in the last elections to the German Bundestag in 2005 was accomplished by using a favourable ‘window of opportunity’. This success has led to strengthening DIE LINKE as a strategic actor. The future task for DIE LINKE will be not only to be noticed as a left corrective to the SPD but as an independent political force.

Klaus Hänsch: Necessities of International Strategy Development and the Peculiarities of the EU, FJ NSB 1/2008, pp. 65-68.

In his article Klaus Hänsch shows that strategy development on the national and the international level differ eminently. In the international realm relevant actors are often not easily identified and are bound to different roles and acting patterns. The European Union is an area where the particularities of international and national strategy development are mixed in a unique way.

Michael H. Spreng: Strategy’s Biggest Enemy, FJ NSB 1/2008, pp. 69-70.

Politicians depend – or seem to depend – on polls, the media, their party, which is why long-term strategic planning is lost in day-to-day politics. Only during election campaigns do strategies work in politics – as strategies to gain power or to come to office. Spreng argues that communication must be an integral part of any strategy if it is to be more than just a strategy to gain power – if it is to be political strategy.

Rüdiger Schmitt-Beck: Professionalized Communication. Eight Remarks on the Connection of Political Strategy and the Public, FJ NSB 1/2008, pp. 71-73.

Professionalized strategic communication is becoming more and more important. The growing number of political actors, the loss of distinction between political policies and the fading of political predispositions amplify the need for strategic communication. In communicating political policies two strategies can be identified: a ‘rhetorical’ strategy which directly aims to change political attitudes, and a ‘heresthetic’ strategy which tries to influence awareness and perception of policies.

Richard Meng: Political Communication and Strategy – Thoughts and Questions, FJ NSB 1/08, pp. 74-78.

Richard Meng describes the relation between politics, political communication and the media. Referring to contemporary examples, Meng shows that much of which is thought to be strategy is mere tactics. In connection with large media coverage this often leads to what Meng calls ‘the professionalization of the trivial’. He calls for democracy being once again the center of strategic acting and strategic thinking of both politics and media.

Jörg Schönenborn: Measure Reality against the Possible. A Plea for Big Steps in Politics and Media Coverage, FJ NSB 1/2008, pp. 79-84.

Politics as well as media coverage have become concerned more with details rather than long-term planning or debating on policies. Jörg Schönenborn pleads for a more intense engagement with and discussion about political issues rather than give attention to every small step in politics with big media coverage. Instead, politics should try to take ‘big steps’ again, and the media should cover these.

Patrik Schwarz: How Happy is my Chicken? On the Return of Idealism to Strategic Planning, FJ NSB 1/2008, pp. 85-87.

Patrik Schwarz observes a return of idealism to politics and to strategic planning in particular. With this development, strategies become more than just a power technique; moreover, according to Schwarz this is what voters want. Three examples – Gabriele Pauli’s fight in the CSU, Angela Merkel’s environmental politics, and the Green Party’s ‘Afghanistan’-Convention in fall 2007 – illustrate that the use of idealism can make successful, even immunize against criticism, but can also be dangerous.

Richard Hilmer: Political Strategy Needs Strategic Research! Polling Research’s Perspective on Political Strategy, FJ NSB 1/2008, pp. 88-93.

Polling is one of the mostly used means of help for politics. In times of growing complexity the demands for political strategy are increasing. This is why psephology needs new and more differentiated instruments to fulfil those demands. Besides classical policy research and classical psephology there is a need for strategic political research.

Dieter Roth: The Benefits of Psephology for Political Strategies, FJ NSB 1/2008, pp. 94-96.

Polling and psephology can be of great use for the development and implementation of strategies as well as for strategy control. Especially theory-bound interpretation of the collected data is most important. Yet polling will stay to be only one tool among others when it comes to implementing political strategies: leadership and direction are the most important elements of political strategies, and they can only be derived from the political domain itself.