Technical article: Policy consulting and public affairs – understanding the practice. (2026)
Part 2: Where public affairs come from – and why understanding the system is crucial.
This article analyzes the historical origins of public affairs in the US and traces their transfer to Europe, particularly Germany. It shows that public affairs are not a universally transferable instrument, but always arise from the institutional, cultural, and procedural logic of political systems.
The focus is on a comparison between the pluralistic, competitive US system, the more coordinated European structures, and the German association state. The article explains why campaign-oriented, personalized US approaches often fail in Germany and why technical substance, an understanding of administration and processes, and early involvement are crucial here.
At the same time, current developments—such as the increasing personalization of political communication in the US and changes in media logic—are classified and their limited transferability to the German context is highlighted. The article thus makes it clear that effective public affairs require system-oriented thinking and always involve a precise translation between interests and political architecture.
This article is part 2 of a ten-part series entitled “Policy consulting and public affairs – understanding the practice.” The following parts will take an in-depth look at topics such as the analytical core of policy consulting, strategic requirements, success factors, and the limits of professional lobbying.
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