Political Process:

Political education, political science 101, is the foundation for political involvement. Before you can be an effective political or campaign volunteer you need to understand the way the United States government, and your state and local governments work. Then you can identify where you would like to get involved and be a political volunteer.

The Declaration of Independence

Adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence expresses the belief in freedom held by the citizens of the United States. The signers of the declaration agreed that all people have natural rights and freedoms, including individual liberty, which no person or government can take away. In fact, governments can only gain power when individuals consent to be governed.

      We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. (from the Declaration of Independence)

The Constitution of the United States of America

By enacting the Constitution of the United States, the citizens consented to the formation of a representative democracy and a federal system of limited central government. The people of the United States share responsibility for good government. The words of the Constitution's Preamble explain it's purpose:
      
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Grassroots Women Example
Penny Butler, Houston, Texas
      Good government is less government - letting people find their own way and decide for themselves. People need to go back to their most local community, neighborhood and home-owners associations, and learn what it takes to live with all of their neighbors. Then they should go to the next steps, municipal government, then county government and state government, and, finally, the federal government. Most people don't even realize that the state government can affect them more than the federal government.

Grassroots Women Example
Ann Lee, Houston, Texas
      You're drawn both to a party and to candidates that seem to reflect your personal philosophy.

Primaries
      Although laws vary in each state, political parties select their candidates for the general election in the primaries. Primaries may be closed, open, or blanket. Most states use a closed primary system in which voters must establish and claim party affiliation before the election. In an open primary, voters may choose to participate in another party's primary, regardless of their party affiliation. A blanket primary allows voters to vote for candidates from any party, so long as they do not vote for two candidates running for the same office.

Organization
      Political parties have a pyramidlike organizational structure. The access point to the organization is in the precinct on the date of the primary. Election law varies from state to state, but generally each county or parish is divided into voting precincts. Citizens who vote in a party's primary also elect precinct and county chairs. These elected officers serve as the party's county executive committee until the next primary. Voters are also eligible to participate in precinct conventions, which elect delegates to the county convention. County convention delegates then elect delegates to the state convention. State convention delegates elect a chair, vice chair, and district representatives who serve on the state executive committee. Every four years the state convention delegates elect delegates to the national convention and a man and a woman to represent the state on the party's national committee.

Grassroots Women example
Dolly Madison McKenna, Houston, Texas
      What I have seen from my last ten years in politics is that you really have both parties pulling very much farther to the right and to the left in terms of the activists within the organizations. The people who are working in primaries, who are volunteering, and who are choosing the candidates are the ones that are coming from some issue-oriented group. Now, in the Democratic Party, it may be unions or environmental groups. In the Republican Party, it may be the gun people or the anti-abortion people. Those are the ones that have gone out and taught their people how to participate in the political process - they have had training sessions on going to precincts, taking over meetings, organizing ways to get issues on platforms, and that kind of thing. Meanwhile, the average person doesn't even know that this process exists. If you ask someone down the street where do those delegates to the Republican National Committee come from, they have absolutely no clue. Basically you go to a precinct meeting the night of primary and if you voted in the Republican primary you have the right to go to that meeting.

Campaigns

      A political campaign is the effort a candidate makes to win a national, state, or local election. Candidates present themselves to the voters through personal appearances, written appeals, and advertisements hoping to convince the majority of voters that they will best represent the electorate. Campaigns:

The cost of running for office and the technology used in campaigns varies depending upon the office the candidate is seeking.

Grassroots Women example
State Representative Anna Mowery, Fort Worth
      Campaign management was mostly people skills--making people enjoy what they are doing and feel part of the process. What motivates people to really enjoy it is the feeling that they are part of something bigger than they are and that they are going to make a difference. You have to make it fun to come and work for twelve hours.

Candidates

      A candidate for election is a man or woman who meets the national, state,
or local requirements for the office sought and files for candidacy by the
deadlines set by statues.

Grassroots Women example
Polly Sowell, McAllen and Austin, Texas
      Of course, you'd look for people qualified for the office. You wanted them to be able to raise money. That was the most difficult thing. You wanted them to be hardworking. You wanted them to be right on the issues, too. You'd take advantage of people's ego. You'd plant a little seed saying, "John, you know you'd be a great state rep." Then you'd wait. Then John looks at himself in the mirror in the morning and says, "You know, I might be a good state rep." Then you'd call again in two or three weeks. You'd get some friends to call and, as one of my friends in politics said, "Three calls and you think it's a landslide." We always tried to recruit women because they always do better. Now days they say five percentage points is the advantage that a woman has over a man.

Campaign management

      Campaign staffs usually consist of a campaign manager, fundraising director, press director, field organization manager, researcher, scheduler, and volunteer coordinator. A steering committee of community leaders who are vocal supporters of the candidate may be formed. In addition, a finance chairman may organize a finance committee for fundraising purposes.

Grassroots Women example
Gloria Clayton, Dallas, Texas
      A kitchen cabinet is the backbone of the campaign. You would have someone in charge of canvassing, getting out your vote, fundraising, mailings, volunteers, and publicity. They are all volunteers. It is six or seven people who meet on a regular basis with the candidate and keep the campaign together and moving forward.
      Let me give you an example. A candidate recently ran a television ad for his campaign. I was struck dumb when I saw it. It was so bad. If he had had a kitchen cabinet look at it and advise him, he wouldn't have run it. He pulled it after one day.
      Sometimes the hardest part of the campaign is keeping the candidate out of it. They should be out making speeches, getting their rest, and shaking hands. Let all of the nitty-gritty be done by the volunteers. But they want to get in the act, too. If you can get the candidate out of the way, you can move forward. It is not just my thinking, it is a known fact. They thought it was their campaign.

How Elections Are Run

      Election laws vary from state to state and may be researched through each state's Secretary of State. Party officials prepare for months in advance of the primary and elected officials spend a significant amount of time completing arrangements for the general election. Officials check and double check the ballots, secure polling places, and recruit workers to process voters on election day.

Grassroots Women example
Carole Ragland, League City, Texas
      Before an election, (as precinct chair and election judge) I used to have all my workers over and work out a system step by step. I have a reputation for running smooth elections. The process is broken into components with each voter processed at one place. We divide the alphabet up according to what the demand will be with a team of two people at each station. The first takes voters' identification and looks them up in the book, and the other takes the I. D. and then the voter signs the ballot sheet. The voters don't get their I. D. back until they sign. We have about 6,500 voters and 800 early voters.

Ballots

      Candidates on the ballot may vary from precinct to precinct depending upon the offices to be filled in the election. As a result, election officials must review the names to ensure that voters are selecting from the proper candidates. Names may be placed on the ballot by meeting the filing requirements, which can include age and residency, or by winning a primary election. Write-in candidates are also permitted in most jurisdictions within limitations.

Grassroots Women example
Ruth McGuckin, Houston, Texas
      The hardest thing when I was Republican County Vice Chair besides the financial statement was figuring out which names to put on the primary ballot. It would be the same for every precinct as far as president and vice president and state offices, but then it would start changing from state representatives on down. I don't think that most people knew anything about that.

Polling places

      Voting takes place at a polling place that is easily accessible to citizens residing in the precinct. It is usually a public place such as a school, community center, or government building.

Grassroots Women example
Betty Strohacker, Kerrville, Texas
      We got more people to participate in the Republican Party, and actually it was hard to find a place to have a primary election. The only type of building in the whole area of seventy-six square miles was a little one-room schoolhouse. It was built after World War II, probably 1952.
      We started having the primary in our living room. An election inspector came out one time. I went out and met him and his wife on the road. I talked to him about what we were doing and the election. He came in, and he approved us and went on his way.

Election workers

      Citizens are appointed to serve as the election judge, alternate judge and election clerks ensure the proper administration and integrity of the election in each precinct. Election workers confirm the eligibility of voters based upon the rules of each state and protect the voters' right to cast a secret ballot. Both judges and clerks commit to these principles prior to the time the polls open by taking an oath.

Grassroots Women example
Winnie Moore, Lubbock, Texas
      When people came to vote in the primary we would be sure that they were registered. We told them about the precinct convention, which we held right after the polls closed.

Elected Officials

      Voters elect a wide variety of officials on the national, state, and local levels. After victory at the polls, candidates make the transition to elected officials. Campaigning for office is an intense job, but once a person is elected the real job is just beginning.

Grassroots Women example
State Senator Jane Nelson, Flower Mound, Texas
      Before I ran for state senate, I was in Austin often because I was on the state board of education. I would come over and watch the legislature if I had some free time. My own senator was an incumbent Democrat, very liberal. He was carrying some workers compensation legislation that I, as a businessperson, knew was detrimental to business. I went to talk with him as a constituent. He didn't have time to talk to me. He never talked to me. I ran against him because I was so angry that he wouldn't even take the time to talk to me. Then when I decided to run, I started talking to people and found that more and more people had had that same experience with him and were willing to help me. Looking back, my gosh, I ran against a powerful incumbent with a boatload of money.

Initiating policy

      Newly elected officials have an opportunity to implement their campaign platform. Depending upon the office held, officials may:

Appointing officials to carry out policy
     Administrative boards and commissions implement government policies. Elected officials hire and fire the leaders and members of boards and commissions. In some cases, this may be their greatest power. Conscientious men and women are always needed to be chairs and members.

Grassroots Women example
Debbie Francis, Dallas, Texas
      Governor Clements appointed me to the Texas Developmental Disability Board Planning Council. I served, I guess, ten years. I have worked over the years on disability-related issues because our youngest son was in a near-drowning accident when he was almost two. For a number of years, I have also done political work, but I really had somewhat of a more specialized calling. But that's also taught me a lot about government-state government, federal government, their programs, and how does money really filter down?

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