How do parties manage election campaigns, and how far do campaigns actually decide results?
Political campaign management: the strategies parties use to win elections, including the air war and ground war, the role of the media and social media, targeting and the use of data, spin and the permanent campaign, and how far campaigns influence the result.
An SQA Higher Politics answer on political campaign management, covering the strategies parties use to win elections, the air war and ground war, the role of the media and social media, targeting and data, spin and the permanent campaign, and how far campaigns decide the result.
Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed
Have a quick question? Jump to the Q&A page
Jump to a section
What this dot point is asking
The SQA wants you to explain how parties run election campaigns, set out the main campaign strategies, and assess how far campaigns actually decide results. Campaign management is a key area of the Political Parties and Elections section, studied alongside theoretical analyses of voting. Questions ask you to analyse a technique such as social media, or evaluate the importance of campaigning compared with other factors, so you need accurate detail and a balanced judgement.
The answer
What campaign management is
The air war and the ground war
Targeting, data and social media
Spin and the permanent campaign
How far campaigns decide results
Examples in context
A party concentrating its volunteers and advertising on a handful of marginal seats shows the ground war and targeting in action, aiming to win the seats that decide the overall result. A strong or weak performance in a televised leaders' debate illustrates how the air war can shift momentum during a close campaign. Parties using social media to micro-target different messages to different voters, and to mobilise younger supporters cheaply, shows the modern data-driven campaign, alongside concerns about misinformation. These examples let a Higher answer evaluate how far campaign management decides results compared with deeper factors rather than just listing techniques.
Try this
Q1. Explain the difference between the air war and the ground war. [4 marks]
- Cue. The air war is the national media campaign (broadcasts, debates, a controlled message); the ground war is local canvassing, leafleting and get-out-the-vote work in marginal seats.
Q2. Describe two ways parties use social media in campaigns. [6 marks]
- Cue. To target messages cheaply at persuadable and younger voters, and to mobilise supporters and raise funds directly, though it risks misinformation.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of SQA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
SQA Higher 201920 marksEvaluate the importance of campaign management in deciding the outcome of elections.Show worked answer →
A -mark essay: up to marks for knowledge and understanding and up to for analysis, evaluation and a sustained conclusion.
KU should set out the main strategies: the air war (national media, party broadcasts, leaders' debates), the ground war (canvassing, targeting marginal seats), social media and data targeting, and spin. Naming real techniques strengthens KU.
Evaluation marks come from weighing the influence of campaigns against longer-term factors such as party loyalty, the economy and social class, and judging how far campaigns actually swing results. A sustained conclusion lifts the answer.
SQA Higher specimen12 marksAnalyse the use of social media in election campaigns.Show worked answer →
A -mark analysis question, roughly half KU and half analysis. Markers reward developed explanation tied to campaigning.
KU should explain how parties use social media to target messages, mobilise supporters, raise funds and reach younger voters cheaply and directly.
Analysis marks come from explaining the advantages (precise targeting, low cost, direct reach) and the risks (misinformation, echo chambers, regulation), and judging its overall impact. A clear judgement lifts the answer.
Related dot points
- The role and functions of political parties, the ideology and key policies of the main parties (Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrat and SNP), and how internal party factions and the centre ground shape what parties stand for.
An SQA Higher Politics answer on political parties, covering their role and functions, the ideologies and key policies of the main UK and Scottish parties (Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrat and SNP), and how factions and the centre ground shape party policy.
- Theories of voting behaviour: long-term factors such as social class, partisanship, age, region and identity, short-term factors such as the economy, issues, leaders and the media, and the debate between sociological and rational-choice explanations.
An SQA Higher Politics answer on voting behaviour, covering the long-term factors that shape how people vote (class, partisanship, age, region, identity), the short-term factors (the economy, issues, leaders, the media), and the debate between sociological and rational-choice theories.
- The UK political system: the uncodified constitution and parliamentary sovereignty, the executive (Prime Minister and Cabinet), the legislature (Commons and Lords), the FPTP electoral system, and how Parliament scrutinises the government.
An SQA Higher Politics answer on the UK political system, covering the uncodified constitution and parliamentary sovereignty, the executive of Prime Minister and Cabinet, the Commons and Lords, the First Past the Post electoral system, and how Parliament holds the government to account.
- The Scottish political system: devolution and the division of reserved and devolved powers, the Scottish Government and First Minister, the Scottish Parliament, the Additional Member System, and how Holyrood scrutinises the government.
An SQA Higher Politics answer on the Scottish political system, covering devolution and reserved versus devolved powers, the Scottish Government and First Minister, the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood, the Additional Member System, and how committees scrutinise the government.
Sources & how we know this
- SQA Higher Politics Course Specification — SQA (2020)