Campaigning and Community Development: The Self-Education of a Political Candidate

Abstract

This study examines the self-education of a political candidate regarding community values and priorities as they relate to community development. Political campaigns are described as events that allow citizens to assess candidates' knowledge and plans with respect to community problems. As a participant-observer in the political process, the author provides a unique perspective from which to identify problems facing a community and the preferences that citizens express about problem solutions. The essentially adversarial nature of the self-education of a political candidate is documented. The relationship of the intellectual content in the political process to community development is also explored.