Running for Office

1. Running for Office By: Cynthia Shafer 4-12-12

2. Key terms • Campaign- an effort to win an elected office • Political Parties- groups going head to head to gain power and get elected • Special Interest Group- a group that focuses on one thing and tries to influence the public policy • Political Action Committees- raise funds for the candidates

3. What people do to get involved with the government • Most people just vote • Others do more and run for public offices • Citizens vote on the party they want depending on their ideas

4. Political Parties • There are 2 political parties • They are the Republicans and the Democrats • The Democrats are represented by a donkey • The Republicans are represented by a elephant • Political parties play a key role in governing our country and our state(s)

5. Watching your party’s candidates and others as well • To keep political abuse from happening • Each party wants their member to win as many elections as possible • The most common ways to receive votes and get your name and word out are mailings, signs, buttons, slogans, and television and radio commercials • When they are elected it depends on what party they are and that is how the laws will be passed • Each part has a set of ideals so the 2 parties almost never get along • Sometimes when they need to work together they do

6. Influencing officeholders • Lobbying is the effort to persuade government officials to support a goal • Lobbyists meet with members of Congress or of the state legislature to gain their support • Some citizens form political action committees or PACs • Many candidates receive more than half of their funds from PACs • Federal and state laws regulate PACs