ABSTRACT
Despite its sometimes nefarious reputation, political research is essential to any successful campaign. It comes in two related forms: candidate (or incumbent) research and opposition research. Candidate research is both an offensive and defensive weapon: it builds the case that the incumbent has established a solid record of achievement, it spots weaknesses in the incumbent’s record, and it devises strategies to protect that record. Opposition research attacks; it seeks out and exploits the weaknesses of the opponent.
