Win With Integrity: Earning Citizen Trust in Political Parties

Political parties should play key roles in democratic governance by representing citizens and aggregating their concerns into policy, and by vetting, selecting and influencing political leaders. However, corruption, state capture, populism and opaque party organizations undermine public confidence in parties around the world, fueling political instability. Citizens increasingly perceive parties as: elite-driven and unrepresentative of the broader public; unwilling to include and empower women and other historically underrepresented communities; uncommitted to transparency and accountability; and generally untrustworthy. To improve a party’s ability to earn citizen trust, it must be a source of vision, deliver results and establish meaningful linkages among diverse communities.

Win With Integrity: Earning Citizen Trust in Political Parties is intended for integrity reform-minded political parties and their members. Through this self-assessment, party members can evaluate their internal party procedures and practices around issues of integrity (e.g., transparency, accountability, inclusive decision-making), and identify, prioritize and plan for internal party integrity reform.

Win With Integrity includes the following sections:

• The Win With Integrity Assessment;

• Guidance on How to Implement Integrity Assessment Findings;

• Guidance on How to Track Progress Toward Integrity Reforms;

• Worksheets to help parties with the practical application of advancing integrity reform; and

• Guidance for Civil Society and the Media, which are critical partners for broader political integrity

Each section of the guide includes examples of how different parties have embraced integrity reforms, practical advice, suggestions and worksheets that will help to strengthen the way parties operate, with the ultimate goal of earning back citizen trust. Party activists can read Win With Integrity from beginning to end, or focus on the assessment sections of most interest. If you have any questions and/or would like any more information, please contact Birgitta Ohlsson and Sef Ashiagbor.