The decline of parties in the electorate has not only drastically increased the competition in open electoral markets but also thrown into question the central role of political parties as campaign organizations. Instead of relying on the capacity of the party organization to communicate with voters, party elites may be looking for other means of electoral mobilization like television broadcasts, targeted direct mail operations, phone banks, and media-centered campaign activities planned, designed, and produced by professional political consultants and public relations experts. The campaign professional's view of party organizations for successful campaign operations is the central topic of this comparative study, based on data from a worldwide survey of political consultants and leading party managers from forty-three electoral democracies. Between 1998 and 2000, a sample of 592 campaign professionals were interviewed about their professional experience and role definitions. This article deals with the relevance of political parties in the minds of campaign professionals from a global perspective.
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