Political Resolutions for the New Year

How are your New Year’s resolutions working out? We’re just a few days into 2018, so, I hope well!! But while you were planning out what you’d like to accomplish in the new year, did you think of any political goals?

Our civic institutions, from the local level right on up, need good conservatives to step in and make the changes they want to see in the world. But that all starts with setting realistic goals that you can actually accomplish before the end of the year.

Here are a few ideas to get you going.

Look up your local representatives and get involved on their campaigns

2018 will be a big election year from federal offices to school boards, and now is a great time to get involved. Local candidates, like your city council, mayor, school board, and others don’t have the same resources that larger campaigns do. They would love to have any dedicated volunteers they can get their hands on.You can make a sizable impact on a local campaign and challenge yourself in new roles that may be harder to attain on a federal campaign.

Identify a candidate that supports the same values you do and reach out to see how you can help. Volunteering to stuff envelopes, knock on doors, or make phone calls not only will help good conservative candidates win their elections, but give you a way to connect with them once they are in office.

They will remember your contributions on the campaign trail and take your concerns and suggestions much more seriously.

Create your own activist group

Your voice can be powerful on its own, but you can step up your game and create your own activist group. First pick an important issue to you; maybe it’s your children’s school, transportation issues like unrepaired roads, or overspending by your local representatives. Pick a problem that affects you and your neighbors and figure out which politicians or government bodies would be responsible for creating (or ignoring) that problem. Then, identify a few of your friends and neighbors that agree with you.

This core group can be like a spark that ignites a fire; each of you can lobby your representatives on issues, find more people to write letters, make calls, or attend public meetings. That small group of highly motivated individuals can make massive changes possible in a community, just by organizing your ideas and actions in a small group.

We’re here to help you get started. Check out our online course on activism and get involved today.

Attend and speak up at a public meeting

Your local boards, city councils, and other governing bodies hold public meetings all the time. Often times, they are sparsely attended, unless a very pressing issue presents itself. Find one of these groups that affects your life and community and just show up.

Find out what your representatives have been up to, ask them questions about projects in your neighborhood, and make connections with the reporters and representatives in attendance. You will not only learn a lot, but could identify issues in your community that you need to speak out on.

Get involved in the discussion online

You probably saw this article on social media. It might have been Twitter or Facebook, but there’s no doubt, the conversation we make online can have far reaching consequences.

Utilize these free (or cheap) tools like social media and blogging to move the needle in your community. Write articles about the meetings you attended and what happend. Use your cell phone to capture video that might interest your neighbors. Follow local reporters on Twitter and ask them questions or reach out to them with potential stories.

The internet has torn down many of the barriers that might have stopped you from getting involved. Check out our course on social media to learn about how you can utilize these powerful tools.

Make your campus more conservative

It’s the beginning of the semester and you won’t have much in the way of tests and essays for the next few weeks, so now is a great time to get involved on campus. 2017 was a scary example of what happens when advocates of free speech are chased out of the campus, but you can start making inroads now.

Learn what it takes to get elected to student government, get involved with conservative clubs, and bring your fellow students. Our course on activating your college campus will arm you with the tools and knowledge to get to work today.

Run for office

Do you have what it takes to run a winning campaign? I would bet you do. If you aren’t sure, take our “Should you run for office?” quiz and find out.

At some point, you just might have to take matters into your own hands. Running for local office is hard, but can be a hugely fulfilling experience that will make positive change in your community. You will be able to practice the conservative values you preach and make your neighborhood a better place to live.

But you don’t have to go it alone. Check out our course explaining how to jumpstart your campaign and check out our events page to find a candidate training near you.

2018 could be a banner year for conservatives

But it won’t start at the top. It will start with people like you, stepping up to impact the lives of your family and your neighbors. By this time next year, you will be able to look back with pride on the changes you’ve made and the better world that you’re creating for your community.