Tibor Dessewffy
A book review of "Fixing Our Democracies and Winning Elections in the Age of Junk Politics," Tectonica, 2024, by Ned Howey.
Few intellectual endeavors are as bold as stepping out of our routines and rethinking what we have long taken for granted based on our life experiences and accumulated wisdom. Ned Howey’s new book witnesses precisely such a feat. “Fixing Our Democracies and Winning Elections in the Age of Junk Politics,” sponsored by Tectonica and Ecanvasser, can be downloaded for free in PDF and ePub formats.
Howey, a true political animal and co-founder and CEO of Tectonica Digital Campaign Solutions, has led the social impact company through more than 500 projects in 40 countries. From this background, and with the book’s subtitle “A Guide to Transformational Campaigning,” one might expect a mere campaign manual—but it’s much more than that. While the book does provide recommendations on steps to take as campaign managers, digital organizers, political tech developers, and activists, it fundamentally grapples with a question that everyone involved in politics today should ask themselves—if they have the time, capacity, and courage: What is the point of all this? Why are we doing it?
Howey’s answer is passionate and clear. But before delving into it, it’s worth noting that the author’s starting point and problem recognition are precise. He describes the cultural context surrounding politics as "Cringe Culture," dominated by the "Revolt of Distrust." This analysis, though differing in emphasis, bears many similarities to Gurri’s notable book “The Revolt of the Public”:
“The negative ground shift in politics that has occurred in these past decades is not merely one of ideology - left versus right. Nor is it only a problem that impacts only radical or moderate candidates. It is a challenge biased against all good candidates who represent the values of their communities. It is one where populism, authoritarianism, and ethnic nationalism thrive. Where the spectacle of reality-show drama, clown-like politicians, and overall messiness has taken advantage of people’s desire for authenticity. Today’s transactional politics compound this void of authenticity. The resulting response is a politics where meanness, mockery, cruelty, and disrespect win praise and, more concerning, votes.” p.21
This diagnosis is significant not only because Howey formulates his response to this starting point but also because, although many might accuse him of idealism or naivety, it’s clear from this foundation that such dismissals would be mistaken, as his approach is grounded in reality.
Howey commendably doesn’t shy away from the problem; he doesn’t just criticize the cultural and economic context and uses a recurring metaphor throughout the book to critique his own industry. He argues that political campaigns increasingly resemble fast food: quick, easy to consume, but ultimately leaving us unfulfilled and more frustrated as they erode the ethos of democratic societies.
The book illustrates numerous examples of how political campaign strategies have become superficial, abandoning deeper, community-based engagement. This leads to the book’s central dichotomy: transactional vs. transformative politics.
Transactional politics is a utilitarian, somewhat cynical approach that seeks to maximize votes at the moment of election, caring about the electorate only as much as necessary for future voter mobilization. Importantly, Howey, as a campaign technology guru, does not reject the idea and practice of winning. However, in advocating for transformative politics, he calls for a return to a more classical conception of democracy, aiming to change both the voters and the practice of politics, building political communities that appeal to our better selves.
“The politics we want to create is a politics that aims to be rooted, in theory, and operational practice, in the best aspects of our humanity—the innate desire to connect, belong, find meaning, and have compassion for others, both as individuals and as a species.” (p. 134)
There will be those who deem this naive, believing that political victory requires a hard-nosed, pragmatic approach and that transformative politics is too idealistic to work in the real world. However, Howey argues that rebuilding political communities and genuinely engaging voters are essential for long-term success and strengthening democracy.
“The resulting loss of faith and trust in our politics (read: democracy) can only be repaired by our own hands. While the forces pushing us into this current political culture are powerful, I believe such a system is generally fragile when faced with the power of the human heart and will. Nothing looks so good as a home-cooked meal made with love after a long trip of eating too much junk food.” (p. 129)
Howey emphasizes that the crisis in our current political culture can only be resolved by returning to genuine participatory democracy, where voters are not merely passive recipients but active participants. Howey believes that transactional "junk food" campaigns, which aim for immediate impact, alienate voters and ultimately harm democracy.
This approach to transforming political practices not only aims to regain voter trust but also to strengthen community cohesion. Transformative politics seeks to make voters active participants who can bring about real change in the political system. This type of participatory democracy can restore faith in politics and reinforce democratic processes.
It is crucial to emphasize that this approach is not naive in the sense of chasing unattainable fairy tales. On the contrary, this movement-like shared identity-based, participatory movement or party is everyone’s dream. However, reality presents three major provocations that challenge the reader even within the framework of the book's reasoning.
First, what happens when there is no time and the situation does not allow for such long-term building? Given the chaotic nature of politics, quick responses are often necessary. Since politics never unfolds on a table designed and envisioned by one side, we cannot afford to neglect or ignore situations with no opportunity for long-term building and transformation. What should we do when transformative forces are not ready, but evil is knocking at our door?
In such situations, it is vital—and this is the real progressive challenge—to find and apply short-term tactics and strategies that can yield immediate results. However, we must not lose sight of our long-term goals and values while responding to these immediate challenges. Admittedly, this balancing act is where political practitioners often fail. (Without delving into broader discussions, it’s enough to reference the populist hit theme of the migration threat.) The political struggle is about winning the current battles and envisioning and building the future. We must combine transactional and transformative approaches to be effective on both levels. Only by doing so can we successfully navigate rapidly changing political situations while moving towards a better, more just society.
Similarly, when considering the political implications of human motivations, while it is fortunate if we can, like Howey, maintain our faith in the nobler traits of humanity, such as social nature, capacity for collective action, and empathy, the reality often shows that primal fears and the "reptile brain" dominate the majority of people. Utilizing the most primitive aspects of human psychology, such as fear and aggression, is more effective in mobilizing people than humanitarian considerations. Therefore, it is unsurprising that social media algorithms and short soundbite-based technologies reward these instincts to increase attention and commercial engagement.
Finally, a third aspect of this issue could be the contemporary application of political technologies. These criticisms would hardly be new to the CEO of Tectonica, one of Europe’s leading companies in this field. It is undeniable that technological elements in modern campaigns—from database building to nano-targeting, sophisticated CRM solutions to personalized fundraising—have grown in importance. It does not take much foresight to perceive that we are at a turning point. The spread and implementation of AI in campaign processes will further enhance this technological exposure. Howey is undoubtedly correct that these competencies increase the desire and likelihood for transactional political solutions. The answer is certainly not to discard these solutions and "Go Luddite," but rather to find ways to apply them where and as necessary for building transformative elements.
The unfortunate yet obvious example of the successful integration of transactional and transformative elements can be found in contemporary populist movements. Often overlooked, from Orbán to Trump, Bolsonaro to Erdoğan, these leaders have movements like parties, which incorporate elements of belief, shared values, common identity, rewritten and repurposed history, and mobilizing enemy images alongside transactional promises like tax cuts or middle-class-focused social policies. (For more on this, see: Dessewffy, T., & Nagy, Z. [2021] “Dreaming homogenous–power switches of history in public discourse in Hungary. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies”, 47[18], 4189-4208.) The progressive side would do well to learn this lesson as soon as possible.
“Fixing Our Democracies and Winning Elections in the Age of Junk Politics” is an important and challenging book for anyone involved in making politics. Even if we do not agree with it, and do not want to use it as a catechism, it raises questions that are important for all of us and often swept under the rug. It holds up a mirror that may not be pleasant to look into—but it helps us glimpse our true selves.
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