Since the 70s, election campaigns have undergone major shifts in the world’s oldest democracy, the United States of America. By the mid-90s, modern political campaigns in the US involved expensive and exhausting strategy, planning, and execution. In India, meanwhile, a whopping Rs 55,000-60,000 crore was spent in the general elections of 2019, according to a study by the Centre for Media Studies (CMS), a not-for-profit multi-disciplinary development research think-tank. The study report titled ‘Poll Expenditure: The 2019 Elections’ termed the last polls in India as the ‘most expensive election ever, anywhere.’ The report estimated a near six-fold jump in overall expenditures from Rs 9,000 crore in the Loksabha elections 2019. With high money and power at stake, election campaign management and political consultancies have emerged as key tools for electoral battles. In this episode of Let’s Talk Policy, we look at the history of election campaigns in India and the US, the impact of political consultancies on public policy formulation, and how the narratives will shape up for the big 2024 elections in India.

Let’s Talk Policy is a series of discussions by Kautilya School of Public Policy that brings together speakers and experts from various fields. Here they share insights on national and global issues and build a conversation for the student community.

Up for discussion are major themes around the economy, democracy, politics, and human rights.