thin the party, and if intra-party communication is inefficient or unclear, the best positioned political parties can still fail to achieve their main goals (NDI, 6).
Political parties must be forward looking; their message must be call to action not merely in the current election but in every election. A common mistake, especially in developing democracies, is to focus all the party's energy and resources exclusively on the current election. In order to best communicate a political message, however, parties must solidify their political foundations by a building a solid party organization. Party organization must thus be a priority for party leaders before campaign organization or political communication is addressed (NDI, 5-6).
How is a party's organization best constructed? The answer, quite simply, is from the ground up. The most vibrant and strong national political parties are those that have active and enthusiastic members and supporters in the most local communities. One can conceive of a polit
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