Strategy in Politics: Plotting Victory in a Democracy

Political managers are united by a common language, skills, and strategic mindset, but they are divided by vision and purpose. Strategy in Politics by F. Christopher Arterton seeks to clarify the meaning of strategy through four perspectives: dynamics of strategic planning, conduct of warfare, theories of persuasive political communications, and the logic of interpersonal competition. Arterton advocates certain guardrails for political managers to live by in their strategic maneuvers and their employment of power, and shows how to be adroit in their strategic thinking to better prepare for the conflict of ideas in democratic politics.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 272 pages
Publication date: 26 March 2023
Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc

Political managers, encompassing a diverse range of public office holders, legislative staff, campaign managers, policy advocates, and partisan communicators, share a common language, a set of shared skills, a strategic mindset, and, ideally, an appreciation for their professional responsibilities to the institutions of democracy. While political managers may differ in their vision and purpose, the most exceptional among them possess a remarkable blend of visionary and manipulative qualities, delicately balancing these values as they develop and implement strategic plans. Campaigns, often more akin to war and sports than the realm of commercial business, necessitate meticulous strategic planning to secure victory. In Strategy in Politics, F. Christopher Arterton aims to clarify the concept of strategy through four perspectives: the dynamics of strategic planning, the conduct of warfare, the theories of persuasive political communications, and the logic of interpersonal competition. Drawing upon classic texts of statesmanship and warfare by renowned figures such as Sun Tzu, Machiavelli, and Clausewitz, Arterton complements these with contemporary insights into strategic planning, communications, game theory, and military tactics. By outlining a defensible method for pursuing victory in politics, Arterton seeks to provide political managers with a framework for navigating the complexities of democratic politics. Recognizing the potential for corruption that arises from an unbridled pursuit of power, Arterton advocates certain guiding principles that political managers should adhere to in their strategic maneuvers and their employment of power. In turn, Arterton offers valuable guidance to those engaged with the institutions of democratic politics, empowering them to develop astute strategic thinking skills to better equip themselves for the intellectual conflict that defines this realm. Strategy in Politics serves as a valuable resource for readers seeking to understand the dilemmas inherent in democratic politics, balancing the pursuit of power with the pursuit of purity and integrity.

Weight: 310g
Dimension: 140 x 210 x 18 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780197644843