Publisher's Synopsis
The American Government, including the national, state, and local levels, has more than 400,000 elected and appointed public officials according to a New York Times estimate. That number, more than the number of people who work for most major companies, is a tell-tale sign of just how important the political system is in this country. To become part of it however, and realise your dream of running and being elected to local office, you need to know exactly what will be expected of you, what is going to come up during the campaign, and how much time and energy the process might take out of your life. This book is written to guide every potential new politician down the path of filing for, gathering support, and running for local office, whether you are a law man, judge, politician, or concerned parent. You will start by reading a complete list of everything you need to know about the process of running for office, from the rules that govern your conduct, to the time line you can expect to start living. You will learn how to organise you resources and start hiring campaign staff. You will learn how to start creating a database of donors and individuals who can be called or contacted when drumming up support. You will be walked through the process of dredging up your own past and disclosing everything you can about yourself to offset the potential for negative campaigning by your opponent. Successful local politicians and campaign staff have been interviewed for this book and have provided detailed information about what you can expect when you start the process of running for office, from the door to door walking to the campaign literature and signs that must be created. You will learn the ins and outs of campaign fund raising and how to acquire the best possible endorsements to your campaign. You will learn what events you should be appearing at and how to start gaining access to television commercial air time. Finally, you will be walked through the phone bank and survey process on the road to the primaries and through the primaries to what you can expect on Election Day. From start to finish, you will learn everything you need to know to effectively run and win your campaign for local office with this book.
