Political strategy

Political strategy comes in many forms. Overwhelmingly, these forms of political strategy do not meet my definition for ethical.

At election time, political parties try to maximize turnout from their voters. They are not trying to maximize overall votes. Instead, they try to make sure that voters that will support them are more likely to vote than voters who are more likely to vote against them. Political strategy in this case is about reducing the odds that votes reflect the voting population.

Similarly, ahead of elections, both parties try to get new voters to register. These parties don't try to maximize the number of registered voters. Instead, they target potential voters based on who they are more likely to support.

When it comes to voting, voters should be as representative of the population as possible and well informed. They should not be skewed towards the party that is more effective with registration and turnout. Political strategy regarding voting is intended to avoid neutral elections. The only reason elections can seem competitive with this approach is because both parties are engaged in these tactics.

Once politicians are elected, strategy turns to finding the best way to push an agenda. They might vote for something they might not normally support in order to gain votes for bills that they want passed. They might look for loopholes to get a bill through that should be rejected. Perhaps the most obvious strategy is to push over-the-top partisanship. Many laws are passed because politicians vote however their party tells them.

Bills should be considered on their own merits. Politicians should vote based on what they believe is best for the people they are supposed to represent. Voting for bad ideas just for votes should never happen. Allowing their parties to dictate their views also should never happen.

A lot of politics follows party lines. To an extent, this should be expected. There are reasons people side with one party over another. Unfortunately, this has become far too reliable. Politicians are not nearly as open to voting against their own parties as they should be.

Every item I see that has been associated with political strategy involves sacrificing ethics in favor of political victory. I have yet to see a single form of political strategy that I support. Every time I see or hear anything from a political strategist, I encounter strategies that are downright unethical. Is it even possible to promote ethical political strategy?