Permanent campaign
The concept of a "permanent campaign" in American politics refers to the idea that presidents must continuously engage in campaign-like activities to sustain public support and effectively govern. Developed by political pollster Pat Caddell in the 1970s, the theory suggests that modern presidents blend governance with the need to maintain their popularity, thus treating their time in office as an ongoing campaign. This involves frequent fundraising, travel to key states, and ongoing communication with the public, often through media engagement and opinion polling.
The term "permanent campaign" was popularized by journalist Sidney Blumenthal in his 1980 book, highlighting a shift in political power dynamics where consultants and public opinion play significant roles in a president's ability to govern and secure reelection. While not all presidents have embraced this strategy uniformly, notable figures like Bill Clinton and Donald Trump exemplified its use, engaging in political activities that resonate with public sentiment throughout their terms. Critics argue that the blending of campaigning and governance could hinder effective leadership, suggesting a need for a clearer distinction between the two. Overall, the permanent campaign underscores the evolving nature of political strategy in the United States, emphasizing the importance of public perception in presidential success.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Permanent campaign
The permanent campaign is an American political science theory asserting that US presidents must perpetually act as if they are running for office to maintain enough popular support to govern effectively. American political pollster Patrick Caddell conceived the permanent campaign idea in the mid-1970s. Writer and political aide Sidney Blumenthal coined the actual phrase in his 1980 book The Permanent Campaign.
The permanent campaign model suggests that presidents seamlessly blend their actual governance with attempts to maintain or increase their personal and political standing with the American people. This may require endless fund-raising for a reelection campaign and traveling frequently to states that can deliver victories in the next presidential election. Presidents who run permanent campaigns must also cultivate positive images of themselves personally by flattering the media and the American people with empathy and charisma. Frequent opinion polls are also necessary for permanent campaigns, allowing presidents to see how the American people view them at any given time.
Background
Political pollster Patrick Caddell devised the concept of the permanent campaign in a December 1976 memorandum to President-elect Jimmy Carter. The memo was intended to advise Carter on political strategies for his presidency. Caddell encapsulated the main idea of his memo by stating that a president's ability to govern the United States with the approval of the American people required the president to conduct a continuous political campaign. Otherwise, as Caddell went on to say, Americans could retract their support for a president before their administration even had a chance to enact any new legislation.
Caddell suggested that presidents-elect communicate effectively with the country about their plans before being inaugurated. Then, he continued, the inauguration ceremony itself should feature inspirational celebrities to speak on the new president's behalf. Caddell also argued that presidents should hold a series of town hall meetings in the first few months of their administrations to continue engaging with the American public. Caddell asserted that the Democratic Carter had won the 1976 election for three main reasons: Americans liked him personally, supported his political stances, and saw him as the candidate for change after two Republican presidencies. Caddell furthermore outlined some ideas for Carter to win the 1980 election.
Caddell had developed the idea of the permanent campaign in the wake of shifting national politics in the United States. Carter captured the 1976 Democratic Party nomination from a field of better-known candidates. He did this not through particularly robust party loyalty but by winning the popular support of Americans. Given that the American public could withdraw its support for a president just as easily as it had given it, Caddell saw a permanent campaign as the only way for presidents to govern successfully and then be reelected.
American journalist Sidney Blumenthal expanded on Caddell's permanent campaign model in his 1980 book The Permanent Campaign. Blumenthal is generally credited with coining the actual term permanent campaign. In his book, Blumenthal argues that power in US presidential elections has shifted from party leaders, as in past eras, to political consultants, public polls, and the media. This meant that, according to Blumenthal, presidents now depended on political strategy to win popular support for their proposals and later to get reelected. Since the purpose of political strategy is to help candidates win public support and, ultimately, elections, presidential campaigning and governance were now intertwined in permanent campaigns, according to Blumenthal.
Overview
Political scholars in the first decades of the twenty-first century still had not extensively studied the permanent campaign theory. One reason for this was that, at the time, it was still a somewhat new idea. Furthermore, not every US president beginning with Carter utilized the permanent campaign strategy during their terms in office.
However, political scientists in the twenty-first century identified some basic elements of the permanent campaign. Most assessments of the concept claim these elements are frequent public polling, nearly constant fundraising, presidential travel to states that are usually key to electoral victory, and the ingratiation of the president to the American public through flattery and appeals to popular passions. In permanent campaigns, not even election wins solidify a president's power; only the constant support of the American people can do this.
Numerous twenty-first-century sources on permanent campaigns mentioned the presidency of Democrat Bill Clinton as especially reliant on this strategy. Clinton, widely noted as a skillful campaigner and public speaker, won the election of 1992 partly through his powerful speeches, charismatic interactions with individual Americans, and popularity with the media. He did not implement a permanent campaign strategy immediately after taking office, but national polling organizations began surveying the American public just weeks after Clinton's 1992 victory. The polls questioned how Americans believed Clinton was managing his transition from candidate to president-elect.
Republicans gained control of the US Congress in the 1994 midterm elections. In response, Clinton's political advisor Dick Morris suggested that Clinton implement a permanent campaign strategy. Clinton did this by raising money for television commercials that highlighted his plans. Later, Clinton made Morris a member of his White House staff and allowed him to contribute to policy conversations. Political advisors continued to serve US presidents into the twenty-first century.
In early 2017, the American media noted that newly inaugurated President Donald Trump also appeared to be engaged in a permanent campaign. Trump formed a reelection committee soon after becoming president in January 2017. After a year in office, the committee had accumulated more than $22 million in funds. The media also observed that Trump seemed to turn presidential events into political affairs reminiscent of his campaign rallies. At the Boy Scouts of America's National Jamboree in July 2017, Trump discussed his victory in the 2016 election and disparaged political opponents and predecessors. The chief executive officer of the Boy Scouts later apologized for the political nature of Trump's speech at the Boy Scouts event. Despite President Trump’s efforts at a permanent campaign, he would not be reelected for a second term until 2024.
Some critics of the permanent campaign strategy assert that campaigning and governing should be strictly separated, since adept campaigning skills do not necessarily translate to shrewdness in governing or legislating. Nonetheless, presidents continued to court popular opinion even after winning office in the twenty-first century.
Bibliography
Abramson, Alana. "The Head of the Boy Scouts Just Apologized after Trump's National Jamboree Speech." Time, 27 July 2017, time.com/4876705/donald-trump-boy-scout-jamboree-speech. Accessed 3 Feb. 2025.
Azari, Julia R. Delivering the People's Message: The Changing Politics of the Presidential Mandate. Cornell University Press, 2014, pp. 128–30.
Barabak, Mark Z. "Analysis: Again Breaking Ground, Trump Takes the Permanent Campaign to New Heights." Los Angeles Times, 23 Aug. 2017, www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-trump-permanent-campaign-20170823-story.html. Accessed 3 Feb. 2025.
Bowman, Karlyn. "Polling to Campaign and to Govern." The Permanent Campaign and Its Future, edited by Norman J. Ornstein and Thomas E. Mann, American Enterprise Institute, 2000, pp. 62–64.
Errington, Wayne. Media and Politics: An Introduction. Content Technologies, 2014.
Freie, John F. The Making of the Postmodern Presidency: From Ronald Reagan to Barack Obama. Routledge, 2011.
Galston, William A. "The 'Permanent Campaign' = Perpetual Paralysis." Wall Street Journal, 28 Oct. 2014, www.wsj.com/articles/william-galston-the-permanent-campaign-perpetual-paralysis-1414539559. Accessed 3 Feb. 2025.
Levinthal, Dave. “Donald Trump Created a Permanent Presidential Campaign. Here's How.” Center for Public Integrity, 18 Feb. 2019, publicintegrity.org/politics/donald-trump-president-campaign-money-fundraising. Accessed 3 Feb. 2025.
McCormick, John, and Jennifer Jacobs. "Trump's 2020 Re-Election Committee Has $22.1 Million in the Bank." Bloomberg, 31 Jan. 2018, www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-01-31/trump-s-2020-re-election-committee-has-22-1-million-in-bank. Accessed 3 Feb. 2025.
Tenpas, Kathryn Dunn. "Public Presidency, US Elections, and the Permanent Campaign." Oxford Bibliographies, 26 July 2017, www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780199756223/obo-9780199756223-0227.xml. Accessed 3 Feb. 2025.