The Political Handbook  

for

Student Government Operations

15th Edition (2011)

This web page is managed by the publisher and you can buy this book directly from the publisher (F.I.C.O.A.)

 The Guide to Candidacy, Campaigning, Leadership, and Management of all types of student-controlled organizations; with a Special Section on Faculty Advisory Functions.

Note: The 15th   Edition contains 663  pages of text  (exactly), including 23  pages of index (275,000+  words). 

To view a complete listing, in abstract form, of the content of each chapter and appendix of The Political Handbook for Student Government Operations, click here on PHB/SGO Abstracts

Price and ordering information. How to Order  

• Return to Home (Index) Page

• Contact Us 

In the movie Atlantic City, the trouble-tossed heroine asks an aging, ex-small-time mobster to, "Teach me!"

He replies, "What do you want, 'Knowledge or Wisdom'?"

She says, "Both!"

And, the book cited on this web page attempts to provide just that, "Both".

[Note: This review was of the 1st edition, (1997) when the PHB/SGO contained 136 pages. The latest edition contains 613 pages.]

 Review:  "THE MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW:      The Education Shelf:           Now in a newly updated, reorganized and expanded ninth edition [in 2010, in the 14th edition], "The Political Handbook For Student Government Operations" by Henry Landa (formerly with the Wisconsin Technical College System and currently adjunct faculty member , University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee) is a definitive, comprehensive, and thoroughly "user-friendly" instructional reference on every aspect [of] student government and activities from candidate selection, to leadership styles, to organizational configuration, to the role of faculty advisors. "The Political Handbook For Student Government Operations" will show aspiring and practicing student government members on "what-to-do", "how-to-do-it", and "why-you-do-it" issues and insights that range from "Candidacy & Campaigning" (of special note is the role of the campaign manager and the necessity of winning office), to "Leadership" (dealing with authority and the art of delegation), to "Management" (organizational generalities, techniques, and [the] education institution bureaucracy); "Offices and Officers" (descriptions and definitions, operational guidelines and tricks-of-the-trade, [46 offices/officers are covered]); "Advisors" (students making use of advisors and guidelines for advisors).  "The Political Handbook For Student Government Operations" is enhanced with the further inclusion of a Readers and Reference chapter, a Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations, and an Appendix of six-five [as of 2010; 14th edition, there are 81 articles] articles offering techniques, detail, and "obscure topics" of factors and issues that can make or break a student government officer. "The Political Handbook For Student Government Operations" is virtually unique in the field and should be considered a critically important core reference for all college and university library Student Government reference and resource collections."

practical methods, techniques, and tools of the political trade as applied to obtaining leadership and successful management of student-controlled organizations;

the proven principles of political, organizational, and behavioral science; and

the philosophy of effective democratic governance.

It is organized as a handbook (with an extensive index) for quick consultation  or may be read from cover-to-cover (if one has the leisure time) to provide a comprehensive education in the politics, organization, leadership, and management of student activities and government.  [See Cataloging Data, below.]

Rationale: The primary function of student government is the education of the next generation of leaders ... industrial, commercial, governmental, academic, etc. organizations!

"When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much he had learned in 7 years."  -  Mark Twain

Opportunities to enter into and learn from student government and activities are limited by chance, naiveté and mainly by ignorance. This acclaimed work, now in its fourteenth  (14th) edition, attempts to correct the last limitation (ignorance) and reduce the first (chance). 

This is the first book, long overdue, to address the political, leadership, and managerial aspects of the student extra-curricular activity. It has become the classic of student organization governance and operations.

Each of the chapters listed below is abstracted on another web page.  Click here on PHB/SGO Abstracts

Table of Contents:  

Introduction (I 1-5):     

Justification (for the book and topic);       

The Game (of student politics and government);      

  What is Student Government? (archived on Student Government Operations Archive  web page;      

The Credible Candidate

Transfer of Learning

Candidacy and Campaigning (C 1-11):  

Campaign Organization;      

Campaign Manager;      

Ethics;      

Campaigning;      

Communications;      

Media;      

Image;     

 Intelligence,  Espionage, and Dirty Tricks;     

Lobbying;     

 The Press

The Campaign Speech (recent addition)

Leadership (L 1-3):     

Authority;      

Leadership Styles;     

Delegation

Management (M 1-12):     

Types of Organizations;     

Management vs. Leadership   

Conduct of Meetings;      

Principles of Management;      

Management Effectiveness;      

Bureaucracy;      

Budgets (revised & expanded)     

Auditing;     

Committees;     

 Public Relations

Presentation: the Art, Science, and Technique of Getting Your Idea Across (new addition)

Training, Training Programs, and Trainers: the Theory, Organization, & Techniques

O 1: Offices and Officers  ( O 1 - 47 ) [Chapters listed are detailed descriptions of duties, qualifications, guidelines, and tricks-of-the-trade for each office. Each chapter is a comprehensive treatment of the office; useful in preparing to be a candidate for that office, assuming the office, and being successful in that office. Forty-six (46) offices (positions) have been identified (O 2 through O 47).  (This section is a new addition.)

O 2: President or Chairperson

O 3: Vice President or Vice Chairperson

O 4: Treasurer

O 5: Recording Secretary

O 6: Corresponding Secretary

O 7: Executive secretary

O 8: Financial Secretary

O 9: Parliamentarian

O 10: Sergeant-at-Arms

O 11: Librarian

O 12: Historian

O 13: Archivist

O 14: Curator

O 15: Chaplain

O 16: Doorkeeper

O 17: Administration Manager

O 18: Activities Committee Chairperson

O 19: Athletic Committee Chairperson

O 20: Business Manager

Campaign Manager  [See chapter C 2, Campaign Manager. While the other offices listed here are parts of the typical student (and other) organizations, The Campaign Manager is part of the Candidacy & Campaigning topic area. As such, it requires the special and extensive treatment found in Section C.]

O 21: Facilities Committee Chairperson

O 22: Finance Committee Chairperson

O 23: Marketing Manager

O 25: Operations Manager

O 26: Personnel Manager

O 27: Program Chairperson

O 28: Public Relations Director

O 29: Publicity Manager

O 30: Scholastic Chairperson

O 31: Accountant

O 32: Captains: District, Precinct, Class, Club, Society, Dormitory

O 33: Public Information Officer / Information Director

O 34: Intelligence Chief / Officer

O 35: Security Chief / Officer

O 36: Social Affairs Secretary

O 37: Spokesperson

O 38: Transition Team Leader

O 39: Webmaster

O 40: Auditors, ex officio and designated

O 41: The Representative

O 42: The Legislator

O 43: Election Commissioner & Election Observer (Poll Watcher)

O 44: Floor Chairperson; Wing Chairperson

O 45: Comptroller

O 46: Canvass Manager / Sweep Manager

O 47 Inspector General - an important officer to ensure honesty and transparency within the increasingly powerful and well-financed student governments

Advisor:      

Making Use of Advisors;     

Guidelines for Advisors

Appendix (A 1 thru A 80):      

Selecting the Right Group for You (to Join);

Six Questions (of Governance) [excerpted on Student Government Operations web page];

Student Participation (in Student Government);

Printing and Copying;

Mailer Form;

Mailer Example;

Negative Campaigning; 

Enlightened Self-Interest; 

Charismatic Leaders;

Organizational Incentives (Why People Join, Stay In, and Leave);

Span of Management;

Letter of Welcome (to new members);

Ballot Design;

 Logo (Logotype: trademark design);

News Release Example;

Cliques;

Leadership Characteristics  [excerpted on Student Government Operations web page];

Operating Manual (guide to managing an activity);

 The Annual Report; 

Personal Habits and Care- Working on the Total Image;

Problem Solving Procedure;

Lobbying - the Influencing of Votes;

Transition - Coming In & Going Out

Charter - the Authorization to Exist and Function; 

Rules of Organization;

Constitution - the Fundamental Law;

By-Laws;

Rules of Order;

Standing Rules;

Systemic Rules;

The Executive Order - an expedient needing careful control;

Statistics;

Bargaining, Negotiating and Compromise;

Succession - the problem of Replacing Officers;

Commissions;

Office and/or Position Incentives - Why People Seek Office, Remain and Serve, and Exit;

Partying - a Variety of Viewpoints;

E-Communication: E-Mail, the Internet, & Websites;

Facilities and Equipment;

The Political Base;

The Library: Personal, Corporate, and Public Organizational;

Webmastering the Details of an S.G.A./S.G.O. Website;

Webmastering the Details of a Campaign Website;

Recruitment, Orientation, Integration, Utilization & Retention;

Self-Promotion or the Gentle Art [& sometimes brash act] of Hyping Oneself;

Slogans;

Networks and Networking;

Splintered Authority and Split Executive;

Revenue;

Cost Analysis of a Campaign;

Meeting Procedures for Executive Councils, Cabinets, & House Councils;

Mathematical Modeling a Campaign: an Exercise in Political Science and in Estimating the Probability (Chance) of Success;

Fusion Ticket: an Advanced Concept in Forming a Winning Full Slate and Requiring Intelligence, Planning, and Bargaining;

The Open Meeting: Concept, Use, & Opportunity;

Joiner, On Being a;

Campaign Theme and the Message;

Staffs and Staff Development;

Mission Statement: the Development of and Purpose

Organization Models, Examples, and Applications

Proxy & Proxy Votes: theory & Application

Academic Strategy - a course-by-course approach to Maximizing Learning as well as earning a High Grade

Operations Logbook: a useful tool from the engineering profession applicable to all operations

Brainstorming

Setting the Agenda

Legacy - Institutional Knowledge Committee

the newsletter: the Association House Organ; Gettin' thru to the members

The Directory - finding People, finding Services, finding Activities

Preemption; the Preemptive Strike; "Gettin' thar Fust!"

Caucuses

The Budget Manual

Titles: "What's in a Name?" (And, there are a lot of 'em.)

The Tie Vote: Handling an Awkward Situation

A Close Vote: Managing the Recount

Term Limits, Arguments on

How to Win a Grade School, Middle School, Junior High School, or High School Election;

  A Thumbnail Sketch

The Political Campaign Triage; Putting Resources Where They Do the Most Good

The Journey from Naiveté & Ignorance to Knowledge (and, Hopefully) Wisdom)

  - the Editor's Tale

Benchmarks and Benchmarking

Quotable & Quotations

Readings and References:     

Readings of Interest and Value;     

Glossary (definitions with commentary) 10,655 words, 19 pp.

Index

To view a complete listing, in abstract form, of the content of each chapter and appendix of The Political Handbook for Student Government Operations, click here on PHB/SGO Abstracts

June  2011