ABSTRACT
One cannot read an article or book on recent developments in campaign technology without being told that the Internet and various information and communication technologies (ICTs) have “transformed” or even “revolutionized” political campaigns (see, e.g., Panagopoulos 2009: 1, 2). The evidence that campaigns are fundamentally different than they were just 15 years ago seems overwhelming. Indeed, it would be foolish to try to claim that campaigns have not changed much in recent years. However, the changes that have taken place in campaigns may also be viewed as simply the latest stage of a process that began with the formation of electoral parties in the early nineteenth century. Campaigns are primarily about gaining control over chaotic situations. This is true whether the campaign is a military engagement, a corporate marketing effort, or a bid for elective office. An election campaign seeks to control a candidate’s (or a party’s) message and the voters’ decisions (including whether or not to vote and for whom to vote) in situations where much is out of the campaign’s control (including the economy, natural disasters, and the actions of other campaign actors such as the opposing candidate and the media). In other words, a campaign is a rational approach to decision-making in a complex environment (Rose 1967).2 To say campaigns are rational is to say that they seek control by employing technology to process information and deploy human capital, and by developing and implementing strategy based on that information. This chapter examines the latest developments in campaign management and organization, particularly with respect to the use of ICTs. First, I offer a brief explanation of the history of campaign rationalization beginning in the mid-nineteenth century. Next, I describe the role of ICTs in candidate and non-candidate organizations. Finally, I review the empirical evidence on the extent to which campaigns use ICTs and on the impact of these tools on various campaign goals. Finally, I suggest avenues for future research.
