Becoming a Better Politician

                I hope this book I offer here a little summary, can help the candidates understand better the many issues necessary in order to improve their outcome in their campaign and after if elected their work as a politician. Our country need better prepared candidates and also more candidates, we need a wider public debate, the internet makes possible everyone to participate in the public debate, so let's speak what we need, what country we want, what we wish the candidates makes when in office. Now is the great moment of any democracy. We all should participate. This post is a summary of the book with the title above, published in 2009 at https://nimd.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/How-to-become-a-better-politician-English.pdf

               The politician's trade is something best learnt in practice: that is the prevailing consensus in many political parties. Of course it is true that there is no school like the school of hard knocks, but that is no reason to throw aspiring politicians to the wolves without any preparation whatsoever. Political skills can definitely be learned. The Alfred Mozer Stichting, the international foundation for the support of social democracy, has twenty years experience in the training of political parties and individuals politicians. This book gives parties and politicians one excuse less for performing poorly. We attempt to give as full treatment as possible of the skills every politician should have. Unfortunately it is impossible to be complete. In addition to which, exactly which of the skills mentioned are required depends largely on the political context and traditions in different countries. There is no single blueprint, every situation is unique. Whether you are launching a multimillion dollar campaign or working with the lowest of budgets, the tips in this book will ensure that everyone stands a chance. Lofty aims and ideals are commendable and necessary, but in the end what matters are the results you achieve. Politics is all about preparing and implementing strategies to achieve certain goals. A strategy is the way you try to achieve a given goal. In the end, voters will judge parties and politicians by the concrete results they have achieved, not by the promises they made. Your goal should meet these four criteria: 1) Concreteness - the more concrete the goal, the more enthusiasm it will engender amongst potential supporters.  2) Measurability - if a goal is not measurable, (e.g. reducing the number of poor people by 50% in four years), it will never be possible to determine whether it has been achieved, or whether it ought to be amended.  3) Feasibility - goals can and sometimes should be visionary, but if there is no realistic chance of achieving them within a reasonable term, people will turn their backs on you.  4) Inspirational value - people won't get behind a political programme they are not enthusiastic about. The road to success is often long and strewn with frustrations and disappointments. The only way to keep faith in yourself is if you are inspired and motivated by higher goal. A sound political goal strikes a middle course between inspirational value and feasibility.   The personality of the leader is hugely important in a campaign. Every leader has to display qualities like decisiveness, reliability and consistency. Leaders have to be prepared to go to extremes to achieve their goals, without, however, compromising their personal views or integrity. Skills are trainable, but talent, character and personality are innate qualities, and they make you what you are. Politics is all about getting your message across. A good speech is one of the best ways to do this. First determine which message you want to communicate. Every good speech should convey a clear message. Literary devices can help make parts of your speech quotable, enhancing its chances of finding its way into. Devices like these have resulted in some of the most memorable political quotes, such as Roosevelt's "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself". A thorough preparation is key. Practice a debate in advance, try to act out the opposition's point of view as faithfully as possible. Do not exceed your time limit. Always build on the strength of your own message. Always keep your own ideas at the centre of the debate when you engage in battle. You can dispute the opponent's arguments and ideas, but never do so without simultaneously communicating your own. Do not profile yourself merely as the exact opposite of your opponent, but demonstrate instead that you have a more plausible alternative to offer on their own favorite issues. In a campaign, try to set the agenda. Keep re-emphasizing your central message. The speed of modern communication can cause a local issue to blossom into a national row overnight. Local papers have access to the world media via internet. And every public appearance of a politician is being recorded nowadays with mobile phones.