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In the aftermath of the US presidential election, Robert Hill wonders if the razzmatazz and exuberance of the poll will ever transfer to the UK The author and playwright, George Bernard Shaw, famously said that England and America were two countries separated by the same language. They could also be described as two democracies divided by the same commitment to the ballot box. Together with many others in this country, I was swept along by the compelling battle between Barrack Obama and Hilary Clinton to win the Democratic presidential nomination. But I was surprised by the vibrancy of American electioneering as I experienced it first hand in the days leading up to polling day. In part, the energy comes from the head-to-head debates between the candidates. Around 60 million people are estimated to have watched the first debate – with around one- third of all TVs in the US tuning in to hear Mr Obama and Mr McCain duel with each other. We surely must introduce such debates – organised and moderated independently – into our elections. Political TV ads may be a less-welcome aspect of US electioneering but they help raise the profile of the campaign. Everywhere, the roadsides were festooned with placards proclaiming people's allegiance to either the Republican or Democrat ticket. And who says politics is boring when there are crowds of up to 100,000 at political rallies? Perhaps the most refreshing thing about US politics is that there is far less cynicism. Any councillor who has been out canvassing will be familiar with people on the doorstep saying things such as, ‘It's not worth voting', or, ‘My vote won't make a difference', or, ‘Politicians are all the same – they are only in it for what they can get out of it', or, ‘My vote is my business'. Americans are much more open about their politics. Everyone has a view. Over coffee in Starbucks or breakfast in the hotel, it only takes 30 seconds of conversation to find out where someone stands – or to start a debate that has others joining in. The land of the free may be chauvinistic about democracy, but at least Americans are passionate about the presidential process. And it's not just the presidential campaign which has stirred passions. On 4 November, Congressional and state seats were at stake, too. And, being America, electors voted for a host of other public officials as well – although even I draw the line at the idea of electing a family court judge. Many ballot papers also contained referendums on local propositions. For example, in Massachusetts there were three questions on the ballot – the first to reduce the rate of state income tax, the second to replace criminal with civil sanctions for using marijuana, and the third to prohibit dog racing. It makes our Government's proposals on petitions look rather tame. But American democracy also has its problems. ‘Robocalls' – unsolicited political messages delivered automatically by phone – are one example. Twelve states have already banned or curtailed their use. In the UK, the information commissioner's swift action after the Liberal Democrats tried this approach, following Nick Clegg's conference speech in September, should mean we avoid this nuisance. Voter registration continues to be a challenge. The onus is on individuals to register, which is not helped by states having different rules and procedures. Arguably, the US could learn from our system, where local authorities have to maintain an accurate and up-to-date electoral register of those eligible to vote. Even the process of voting is still an issue. Many voters in the key battleground state of Ohio had to queue for hours to vote in 2004, and the state was unable to rule out the risk of the same problem recurring. And, despite all the razzmatazz, the US will have done well if it meets or exceeds the 2004 turnout figure of 64%. But the biggest problem is campaign finance. The cost of the campaign to elect a new president and Congress is scheduled to reach a staggering £5.3bn. Spending on the presidential race has ballooned since former president, Bill Clinton, was first elected in 1992. It makes the estimated £40m spent on our general election in 2005 seem very paltry. Most people – including me – would prefer to keep levels of election spending relatively low. But our challenge then becomes all the more difficult – how to generate political excitement on a low budget campaign. Robert Hill is a former political secretary to ex-PM Tony Blair and now works as an independent consultant on public policy

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WHITEHALL

Election fever

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