Political v. Partisan Communications – Know the Difference

We’ll often hear people espousing the idea that organizations need to be political but not partisan and, as we near an upcoming election, understanding the distinction between being partisan and being political becomes all the more important. So, lets break it down.

In the strictest sense, partisanship is defined as a “strong adherence, dedication, or loyalty to a political party – or to an ideology or agenda associated with a political party.” Political, on the other hand, is defined as “of or relating to politics or government.” The clear distinction between the two being the affiliation, or lack thereof, to a political party. The same distinction applies at a municipal level – rather than political party, the affiliation is to a particular candidate.

Academics aside, the simplest way to break this down look like this:

Nonpartisan: free from party or candidate affiliation

Partisan: supporting a specific party or candidate

Political: being involved in government-related activities

Now, lets look at example statements that would fall under each term.

Nonpartisan: The public school system is administered by a select number of candidates, voted for by individual municipalities.

Partisan: You all need to vote for the XYZ Party in the next election. Here’s why.

Political: The proposed legislative change with regards to the XYZ Act would negatively impact our organization. Here’s why.

Recognizing it won’t always be as straight-forward as the examples presented above, essentially, as long as your activities are aimed at educating and informing government and/or the public, are directed at laws/policies/program decisions, and not specifically targeting a political party/candidate, than you’re staying true to being political.

Why is this distinction important? Aside from the legal implications that exist for organizations should they engage in partisan politics, there is also the fact that the organization is an entity that exists regardless of who’s in power. Not to mention the small detail that the fact that the organization exists is in and of itself political. Therefore, it’s necessary for the organization to establish priorities that are reflective of its vision, mission, values, and strategic focus that their representatives can then advocate for, regardless of audience.

The upcoming election was mentioned at the outset of this article. With this in mind, here are some examples of ways that you can, on behalf of your organization, be involved in the election without crossing the partisan line.

·         Ask candidates of all political parties what their position is on a specific topic that is relevant to the organization

·         Educate the public and/or your members (if applicable) about priorities that are important to the organization. Provide tools/messaging for them to use when they are speaking with their candidates

·         Set up meetings with candidates to discuss your organization’s priorities and the actions the government could take to help make these become a reality. Remember – educating and informing.

·         Host a political forum on behalf of your organization and, if possible, other like-minded organizations

No matter how you decide your organization is to get involved in the election, if at all, ensure that you are refraining from endorsing a specific party or candidate. As soon as you cross that line, you’ve jumped from being political to being partisan.

Note: this does not mean that you – as an individual, separate from the organization – are not allowed to share with others who you support and why. As individuals, we’re entitled to our opinions and our preferences, but the position of the organization must remain committed only to engaging with the government, regardless of who’s ultimately elected.  

It’s important to remember that the government doesn’t know what it doesn’t know – they are only aware of what is brought to their attention or what they have personally experienced/witnessed. Parts of the private sector is very much aware of this fact and intentionally allocate time and resources to influence the government decisions that are being made. You are the subject-matter expert for your organization and the people you serve. Who better to speak to the decision makers who are directly responsible for making decisions that impact you and the people you serve?