📋 Written Ability Test (WAT)/Essay Analysis Guide

🌐 Public Funding for Political Campaigns

🔍 Understanding the Topic’s Importance

The debate over public funding for political campaigns highlights critical intersections of governance, ethics, and economic considerations. It aligns with B-school themes of leadership, transparency, and ethical decision-making.

📅 Effective Planning and Writing

• 🕒 Time Allocation:
  • Planning: 5 minutes
  • Writing: 20 minutes
  • Review: 5 minutes
• 📖 Preparation Tips:
  • Gather statistics on campaign financing.
  • Identify key stakeholders and challenges.

💡 Introduction Techniques for Essays

• ⚖️ Contrast Approach: “While corporate donations drive 80% of political funding in India, public funding systems in countries like Germany have set benchmarks for transparency and fairness.”
• 🔧 Solution-Based Approach: “Public campaign funding, a proven model in Nordic countries, presents a viable solution to the corporate influence problem plaguing global politics.”
• 📜 Timeline Approach: “The evolution of campaign financing, from private dominance to public funding models, underscores the changing dynamics of political accountability.”

🛠️ Structuring the Essay Body

• 🏆 Achievements:
  • ✔️ Improved governance and transparency (e.g., Canada’s reimbursement model).
  • ⚖️ Fair competition through expense caps (Germany).
• ⚠️ Challenges:
  • ❌ Resistance to change (India).
  • ⚡ Corruption and misuse (Brazil’s ongoing issues).
• 🔮 Future Outlook:
  • 📈 Recommendations for phased implementation.
  • 🔒 Use of technology for transparency (e.g., blockchain for fund tracking).

📝 Concluding Effectively

• ⚖️ Balanced Perspective: “Public funding is not a panacea but a step toward ethical governance when paired with robust enforcement mechanisms.”
• 🌍 Global Comparison: “India can draw lessons from Germany and Canada to design a system suited to its socio-political context.”

🔍 Analyzing Successes and Shortcomings

• 🌟 Achievements: Transparency, reduced corporate influence, voter trust.
• ⚠️ Ongoing Challenges: Implementation, funding adequacy, corruption risks.
• 🌎 Global Context: Sweden’s robust system vs. Brazil’s corruption issues.

🔍 Recommendations for Sustainable Progress

• 🔒 Establish transparent fund allocation mechanisms.
• 📊 Leverage technology to track and audit expenditures.
• 📚 Educate stakeholders to gain buy-in.

🖋️ Sample Short Essays

✨ Balanced Perspective:

“Public funding for political campaigns can level the playing field and reduce corporate influence, provided it is backed by rigorous accountability measures.”

💡 Solution-Oriented:

“Implementing public campaign funding with technology-driven transparency can safeguard democracy while addressing current inefficiencies.”

🌍 Global Comparison:

“India’s opaque campaign finance system can benefit from studying Germany’s public funding model, focusing on equity and accountability.”