Best Practices for Selection of Candidates
~A research project by Governance Innovation Labs
To make the political system truly democratic, it is useful to identify the best practices around the globe to Choose, Know, Be and Match the candidate. By examining these practices, the general public can be more involved in selection of candidates which will help make political representation more democratic in nature.
- Choose the Candidate:
1.a. Our Revolution: Encourages to take action at the grassroot levels of politics and encourages community engagement to support progressive candidates
1.b.1. Public Voting via Media: Gallup Polls, Pew Research Center, Quinnipiac University Poll, are some of the media platforms that conduct public polling.
1.b.2. Non-Party Specific Public Voting by Media: Reuters/Ipsos Poll, YouGov, and other Indian Media like Arunachal Times, have discussed this topic.
1.c.1. Public Voting via NGO: The Center for Responsive Politics (OpenSecrets), Movimento Voto Consciente (Conscious Vote Movement), promotes political education and engages the public in voting
1.c.2. Non-Party Specific Public Voting by NGO: PPIC(Public policy institute of California), Mzalendo, conduct these type of public voting
2. Know the Candidate:
2.a. Indian Political Action Committee or I-PAC, maintains a political portfolio of all the leaders in India, and their policies implemented.
2.b. In Taiwan, the Central Election Commission publishes detailed information about each candidate, including their political history and personal background, to help voters make informed decisions
2.c. In Germany, political parties are required to publish their manifestos, outlining their ideologies and policy priorities, which helps voters align with candidates who represent their values.
2.d. In the UK, the BBC is mandated to provide balanced coverage of all political candidates during election periods, ensuring fair representation and public scrutiny.
3. Be the Candidate:
3.a. She should run- aims to increase number of women in public leadership by encouraging diverse candidates
3.b. Run for something- supports young diverse progressives to run for local offices
3.c. Harvard’s Institute of Politics: provides training and resources for candidates, including mock interviews and behavioral assessments
3.d. In Canada, the Liberal Party’s “Open Nominations” initiative aimed to attract candidates from diverse backgrounds, increasing the representation of women and minorities.
3.e. Run for Office: Helps newcomers understand the requirements and steps to get on the ballot, offering a huge platform for prospective candidates.
4. Match the Candidate:
4.a. VoteMatch, NationBuilder are some websites which matches the candidates with voters who share similar values and policy priorities
4.b. In New Zealand, the “On the Fence” app helps voters compare their views with party policies, making it easier to identify candidates who align with their values.
4.c. ISideWith: Helps voters match their policy preferences with candidate positions in India.
REFERENCES
https://liberal.ca/liberal-opennomination-policy-brings-muchneeded-change/
