How to get into politics?

Once I get out of school I would really like to go into politics because I really do think I can make a difference in the way this country works and at the very least it would be another voice up against the corporations and their allies in congress.The congressmen that really inspired me are Bernie Sanders,Alan Grayson(God it sucks that he got money-bombed, and Anthony Wiener because damn if his rant against the GOP for not supporting health care for 911 responders wasn't the most awesome thing ever. I guess my question is to anyone who has knowledge/experience in this field where should I start? I mean aside from the whole make sure you have a lot of money which may totally fuck up my oh so brilliant plan. If this thread doesn't belong here then feel free to move/delete whichever is appropriate.

Then they find tricking or whatever doesn't pay enough to keep up with their drug habit - so they spiral down into politics.

Prostitution? Oh god the mental images of Bachman. Their goes my sanity.

Not huge, but big. Since you're young (I'm assuming) even a history, law or philosophy degree will help- a lot! And of course a polisci degree won't hurt :-) You have to start at the local level. Get involved with your city, county democratic caucus. Also, with the above degrees you may be able to get into a clerking program at your state capitol. My cousin is doing that right now- it's kicking her butt however she loves it. Get experience at the lowest level- it will go along way. At least here in TX! Oh, and volunteer volunteer volunteer!
Good luck, my friend!

- After getting he BA, he went to work for Rep Chuck Shumer's staff. Schumer encouraged him to get involved in local politics

- He then ran and got elected to the New York City Council and served there for 7 years

- then he ran for congressman.

====

I would think City Council would be a good start.

I worked in local/state politics which is where all the real action is. It doesn't sound glam as DC, but this is where things begin and in truth all politics are local. Do not expect to be paid for anything you do. In fact you'll be asked to contribute all the time. I volunteered for everything because I didn't have pots of cash.

In my county, I found there were over 100 boards that were not filled. The ones everyone noticed, ie, the Fair Board, etc is always full, but little ones, the "boring ones", the nuts and bolts of the county functions were not given any citizen attention. I guess you would find that sort of thing out at the county offices. Maybe the NPR station would have tips on the right place to go to find out who has the list.

I also found that our county democratic central committee did not have delegates in every precinct. Mine was totally devoid of representation. So I began with the Central Committee. You have to go through a process to become a delegate. I also was a delegate to the state convention. My first convention was as a proxy. Then I tried on an off election year, because not as many people care (you have to be elected for both these positions) None of it pays, you're required to pay your own way to the convention. If you get involved, you can join caucuses within the party structure. Find committees that aren't popular (everyone wants to be on the rules committee, but not so many care about health issues, so that would be a better fit for you)

Go to the website for your local party. Find out when the meetings are and drop by; express interest and you will be welcomed (at least that was my experience) Find a mentor, it really helps to learn the ropes in a bigger hurry.
Good luck.

edited to add: Don't wait until you are out of school. Now is the moment to begin and you will have a better opportunity to get real meaningful work after you are out of school. But you have a learning curve and internship, etc before you can get in politics in a real way.

Very sage advice.

You should consider making it an OP. I'd give it a rec :D

should I post it in?

I was thinking right here in GD when I made my previous post but upon further reflection it would probably sink like a rock and be gone shortly. Perhaps in here would be better:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=108

It would not get as many hits but would be better focused and probably better appreciated.

sink like a stone there. But your suggestion is excellent. I'll put that together and post, I'll take you up on that kick and rec :hi:

Youngest mayor ever in Rice Lake, WI (he's a UW student):

http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/5572077-youngest-mayor-ever-in-rice-lake

Typical route is studying political science and going to law school.

You'll get the experience of being a whore, and get a quick lesson in GOP policies during pillow talk sessions.

with a minor in either philosophy or Political Science. I'm also planning on going to Law School. Thanks for the advice of joining my local party, I'm just wary since I'm in TN and the local Democrats haven't given me much faith in them. Oh well maybe I can change a few minds.

Once I get out of school I would really like to go into politics because I really do think I can make a difference in the way this country works and at the very least it would be another voice up against the corporations and their allies in congress.The congressmen that really inspired me are Bernie Sanders,Alan Grayson(God it sucks that he got money-bombed, and Anthony Wiener because damn if his rant against the GOP for not supporting health care for 911 responders wasn't the most awesome thing ever. I guess my question is to anyone who has knowledge/experience in this field where should I start? If this thread doesn't belong here then feel free to move/delete whichever is appropriate.

they may be able to aim you in a direction.

If your main interests is working against corporations and their allies in congress, then your best bet would be to try and get a job with a labor PAC or a non-profit watchdog or environmental group. I don't know a whole lot about how to get into these fields specifically, other than that there are listservs: Tom Manatos, JobsThatareLeft, and Brad Traverse (which costs $5 a month), that list jobs in the DC area and some of them fall into this category. Keep in mind, though, that 1800 Democrats in the DC area just lost their jobs when the House went over to the Republicans and it was already hard enough to get a political job. Most of these jobs will have dozens of people applying for them and so you might be sending out lots of resumes and may never her from anybody.

Now, if you're interested in working on Democratic campaigns, that's something I do know a bit more about. First of all, if you work on Democratic campaigns you pretty much have to go where you can get a job at first and that means you might end up working for a blue dog or DLC type, which doesn't sound like it's ideal for you. However, once you have more experience and more connections, you have a lot more freedom to choose who you work for. You can also transition from campaigns into non-profit work.

Unfortunately that old phrase, "it's more about who you know than what you know" is very true and if you know people who work in politics it's easier to break into it. That said, there are definitely plenty of people who don't have connected friends or parents who got into politics on their own.

If you think you might be interested in working on Democratic campaigns I could give you some more specific advice. What year are you in school?

at UT.

profile of those boards. Schedule public forums for your boards during your free weekend time to get input from citizens and educate them on how the board impacts their lives. You are at a perfect age to get started.

Keep a clean reputation. Don't take money that can be viewed as a bribe. Delay marriage unless you are 100% dedicated to your lover, better to delay marriage than get mixed up in a marital scandal.And BTW, NEVER become a republican.

I wouldn't become a Republican or even a Blue Dog Democrat for all the money in the world, which ironically they seem to have.

and then put your soul for sale on eBay. It also helps to be tall and pretty.

positive societal values.

Have you ever volunteered on a campaign before? I worked as a field organizer for one this fall and had the time of my life.

Your best bet is to start by volunteering for your local Democratic party. Get to know key contacts and join various liberal groups. By the time I trained with the DNC, I had almost a dozen campaigns and organizations that I volunteered with.

I don't want to go into that many details on a public forum but feel free to send me a PM if you want more info. I'm currently sending out cover letters for the next campaign that I will work on, wherever that takes me.

on joining the Progressive Student Alliance at school and hopefully that will get me to know some more people. My main concern is that even the Dems in my state are very conservative so I'm afraid they won't be able to help me make connections but I could be wrong. Also I want to see thanks for everyone who offered advice in this thread.

I'll give you a lot more details. If you work in politics you also have to be prepared to temporarily relocate at a moment's notice (I had 36 hours notice to move 700 miles) and could work for anyone with a D next to their name.

The national party is not going to put much money or resources into "safe" seats and districts. Instead they target "swing' districts that could make or break a majority. For example this last election cycle, Chuck Schumer was up and I don't think he had much help from the national party, but he did not need it.

As for making the Dems in your state more progressive, I would suggest you get involved with them and make your voice heard.

Aim to stay local for 2-3 years before running for a state representative position. Spend four years polishing your resume at the rep level before running for a state Senate position. Build your resume at the senate level for a half decade before running for Lt.Governor or Governor, or US Representative. Use the US Rep slot to prepare for a US Senate run. If you are in your twenties, getting to the Governor or US Senate level should take you through your mid forties.

One concern that I have is that your idols are firebrands. You should maintain your values, but use more moderate language and imagery.

He is maybe the most clear and precise speaker in politics today. This is why he is popular across the country. A firebrand? Bernie?

Sanders is very clear and articulate. He has passionately held views, but by no means is a firebrand. Weiner is also clear and passionate in his views, again, not a firebrand. Grayson is a firebrand and IMO, damages his causes by poorly considered speech and images.

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