Ethical Standards For Consultants: do they exist?

1
Ethical Standards For Consultants do they exist?
2
American Association of Political Consultants

• Association membership consists of political
  consultants, media consultants, pollsters,
  campaign managers, corporate public affairs
  officers, professors, fund-raisers, lobbyists,
  congressional staffers and vendors and is open to
  everyone associated with politics from the local
  level to the White House.
• http//www.theaapc.org/content/aboutus/overview.a
  sp

3
Mission Statement

• The American Association of Political Consultants
  is the professional organization for people
  working in the field of politics in the United
  States. We have joined together to promote the
  following goals
• To raise the standards of practice in political
  consultation, thereby enhancing the political
  process and improving public confidence in the
  American political system.
• To provide professional guidance, assistance, and
  education to members as they develop the skills,
  techniques, and business procedures required for
  successful political consultation.
• To establish and maintain a high standard of
  ethical conduct through membership education and
  the establishment and promotion of a workable
  Code of Professional Ethics for members.
• To help inform the news media, educational
  institutions, political organizations, and the
  general public about the value of political
  consultation and its contribution to the
  political process.
• To place particular emphasis in our work on
  reaching out to involve and educate young people
  in the art of political consultation and in the
  benefits it brings to the practice of democracy.
• http//www.theaapc.org/content/aboutus/missionsta
  tement.asp

4
AAPC Code of Professional EthicsAs a member of
the American Association of Political
Consultants, I believe there are certain
standards of practice that I must maintain. I,
therefore, pledge to adhere to the following Code
of Ethics

• 1. I will not indulge in any activity that would
  corrupt or degrade the practice of political
  campaigning.
• 2. I will treat my colleagues and clients with
  respect and never intentionally injure their
• professional or personal reputations.
• 3. I will respect the confidence of my clients
  and not reveal confidential or privileged
• information obtained during our professional
  relationship.
• 4. I will use no appeal to voters that is based
  on racism, sexism, religious intolerance, or any
  form of unlawful discrimination and will condemn
  those who use such practices. In turn, I will
  work for equal voting rights and privileges for
  all citizens.
• 5. I will refrain from false or misleading
  attacks on an opponent or a member of his or her
  family and will do everything in my power to
  prevent others from using such tactics.
• 6. I will document accurately and fully any
  criticism of an opponent or his or her record.
• 7. I will be honest in my relationship with the
  news media and candidly answer questions when I
  have the authority to do so.
• 8. I will use any funds I receive from my
  clients, or on behalf of my clients, only for
  those purposes invoiced in writing.
• 9. I will not support any individual or
  organization that resorts to practices forbidden
  by this code.
• http//www.theaapc.org/content/aboutus/codeofethi
  cs.asp

5
The Fair Campaign Practices Act.

• The Fair Campaign Practices Act sets out basic
  rules of decency, honesty, and fair play to be
  followed by candidates and political committees
  during a campaign. A candidate or political
  committee may choose to subscribe to the
  voluntary code by signing a copy of the code and
  filing it with the authority with whom the
  candidate or committee is required to file its
  campaign treasurer appointment. A person
  subscribing to the code may indicate that fact on
  political advertising by including the following
  or a substantially similar statement
• (Name of the candidate or political committee, as
  appropriate) subscribes to the Code of Fair
  Campaign Practices.
• http//www.ethics.state.tx.us/pamphlet/G03polad.p
  df

6
Incentives/Results

• Consultants are being pushed to more ruthless
  campaigning because they get blamed if candidate
  loses
• not taking on negativity can make the candidate
  do worse (Bush/Dukakis)
• A defense of the use of negative campaigns by
  consultants is that they are providing voters
  with different perspectives of what is actually
  going on in the political world
• Increases cynicism and apathy

7
A timeless universal set of standards

• Edward Rogge suggested that a universal set of
  standards not be in place, and instead each
  situation be considered
• Consider multiple sets of guidelines and
  standards to be used as tools for different
  situations
• Conceivability?
• The Ethics of Political Marketing Practices, the
  Rhetorical Perspective, Banker, Steve

8
Sources

• The Ethics of Political Marketing Practices, the
  Rhetorical Perspective Banker, Steve
• POLITICAL ADVERTISING What You Need To Know
  Texas Ethics Commission
• Ethical Tools, Not An Ethical Standard Lev
  Michael
• http//www.theaapc.org/
• Advertising Agency- client Attitudes Toward
  Ethical Issues In Political Advertising David S.
  Waller
• A Qualitative Exploration into Voters Ethical
  Perceptions of Political Advertising Discourse,
  Disinformation, and Moral Boundaries Steven
  Kates