Archive for category: Politics

,

What Are Congressmen and Congresswomen?

Congressmen and Congresswomen

In simple terms, Congressmen and Congresswomen are members of the U.S. Congress who are elected to represent the people in their districts. Congressmen and Congresswomen create and pass legislation and hold hearings. Congress also plays an essential role in passing laws, because all bills must be passed by Congress before they go to the president to be signed into law.

Congress is split into two bodies, the House of Representatives and the Senate. The House has 435 members, whereas the Senate has only 100 members. Each state has two senators, but the number of representatives a state has is based on its population. For example, California, a considerably large state, has 53 representatives, more than any other U.S. state.

In order to be a member of the House, a person has to be at least 25 years of age, a resident of his or her state at the time of the election, and have had U.S. citizenship for at least seven years. The Senate also requires members to be residents of his or her state at the time of election, though Senators must be at least 30 years of age and have been a U.S. citizen for at least nine years.

The requirements to hold office in Congress originate in British law. When creating the requirements, the founders made the age restriction for the House lower because it was designed to be the closest to the people and therefore less restrictive. The idea of having a higher age requirement for the Senate was because senators have duties that require more knowledge and character stability.

Aside from the differences in requirements to hold each position, the House and Senate also have different election cycles. Congressmen and Congresswomen in the House serve only two-year terms, whereas members of the Senate serve six-year terms. House elections happen every even year, but Senate elections are staggered during even years so that in any given election, only one-third of the Senate is up for reelection.

There are many differences between the House and the Senate, such as how long it takes each body to pass a bill. The House can pass a bill as quickly as in one day, whereas a bill can be debated on the Senate floor for two to three weeks.

The House operates based on committees and subcommittees, which are used to review bills and operate as an oversight for the executive branch of the U.S. government. This body’s main power is to pass federal legislation, though that legislation also has to go through the Senate and the president before becoming a law. The House also has the power to try federal officers for high crimes and misdemeanors, thought the Senate has the right to try the House’s impeachment.

Among the main powers of the Senate is the power to consent to treaties. The Senate’s consent to a treaty is required before a treaty can be ratified. The Senate also has the power to confirm the appointments of Cabinet secretaries and other federal officials and officers.

Each state has two senators to represent the state’s population, but a representative’s constituency is smaller, being only the population of their district. Congressmen and Congresswomen play an essential role in passing bills so that they can become laws after signed off on by the president. Though Congressmen and Congresswomen have many different tasks, their ultimate job is to represent their constituents in the U.S. government.

– Haley Rogers

Photo: Flickr

, ,

What Are the Qualifications for the Senate?

Qualifications for the SenateThe United States Senate has been meeting since 1789 to ensure the prosperity of the country through legislation. The people of this legislative body are some of the most important leaders in the country, and 16 of our presidents were once a part of this institution. But what does it take to gain one of the 100 respected positions in the U.S. Senate?

There are informal as well as formal qualifications for the Senate in the United States. The formal qualifications are clearly outlined in Article I of the U.S. Constitution. First, senators must be at least 30 years old. The youngest person to become a senator, John Henry Eaton, was actually only 28 years old when he was elected in 1818, but many believe his age was unknown when he was sworn in and therefore no one realized he was violating the Constitution.

The second qualification states that senators must have U.S. citizenship for at least nine years before being elected. This qualification is slightly more flexible in comparison to the qualification for president, which requires candidates to be natural-born citizens.

This qualification also allows for immigrant representation within the U.S. government. Many have been born in Europe or Canada and then immigrated to the United States and gained citizenship, allowing them to become senators.

The last of the specified qualifications for the Senate read that candidates must be a resident of the state which they represent at the time of the election. Former president and senator Barack Obama was born in Hawaii, yet represented Illinois in the Senate, as this was the state in which he resided at the time.

There are clear advantages to actually growing up and living in the state a potential senator wishes to represent, including making it easier to be elected. However, this qualification allows for politicians to move around more freely and live in a state where they are more likely to be elected than the one in which they grew up. Again, this benefits those born outside the United States, who can choose which state to reside in and represent.

Informal qualifications for the Senate have also emerged over the years. These are more like trends that have shown the type of people that citizens tend to deem qualified and choose to elect. Most senators have college educations, both private and public, and law school attendance is popular among these. Law also ranks as the number one declared profession by senators, followed by public service or politics. However, these qualifications are by no means necessary and many elected senators have not met them.

United States Senators are directly elected by the people they represent. This began when the 17th Amendment was adopted in 1913 to ensure Senate seats were not left open due to disagreements or corruption. The 17th Amendment stated that Senators serve six-year terms without term limits.

The Senate is crucial to the American political system. Its members are respected and work to pass laws that will advance the country. Because of the power they are given, their most important qualification is that the people have chosen them to serve and represent their interests to the best of their ability. When they are elected, they accept this responsibility and must value it above all else.

– Megan Burtis

Photo: Flickr

,

Living Conditions in North Korea: A Story of Extremes

Living Conditions in North Korea
Refugees and journalists consistently cite dire living conditions in North Korea, one of the most repressive authoritarian nations in the world. Leaking information from the secretive police state, they report firsthand knowledge to outsiders. According to these sources, the North Korean government commits severe human rights abuses against its citizens, and the government can barely feed its own people.

A 2014 U.N. Commission of Inquiry report cited numerous human rights abuses in North Korea, including murder, enslavement, torture, imprisonment, forced abortions and sexual violence. The government extracts unquestioning obedience through public executions, arbitrary detention, forced labor, tight travel restrictions and religious persecution. Citizens have no basic freedoms such as the right to expression, assembly, political opposition or independent media. A sociopolitical stratification system divides North Koreans into three classes: “loyal,” “wavering” and “hostile.”

The specter of prison is one means of keeping the population in line. North Korea’s draconian three generations rule punishes the entire immediate family if one member is convicted of a serious crime. The next two generations born in the camp are then detained there for life. Existence in the camps is extreme. Clothing and food are so scarce that prisoners survive on rats and anything else they can catch. Inmates are frequently left stunted and deformed from long hours of hard labor. Twelve-hour days, seven days a week is the normal work schedule.

Life outside of the prison camps has its own grave challenges. Living conditions in North Korea are characterized by deprivation. The elite ruling class enjoys basic benefits of modern life such as indoor plumbing, cars, meat, coffee and a few luxury items. The middle class receives sufficient food and occasional new clothes. Most people, however, struggle to survive. Half of the nation’s 24 million people live in extreme poverty. North Korea’s annual GDP per capita is $1,800, making it 197th in the world and only 2 percent of South Korea’s.

One-third of North Korean children are stunted from malnutrition. For most people, meat is an unaffordable luxury. They subsist on fermented cabbage known as kimchi, rice, corn and porridge. Most homes are heated by open fireplaces, and many have no flush toilets. Electricity, for those fortunate enough to have it, is unreliable and sporadic. Power might be available for only a few hours each day. Frequently, cell phones are used as flashlights during outages.

Theoretically, education and healthcare are free in North Korea. However, school children must provide financially for desks, chairs, building materials and heat. Patients must provide their own medications, pay for heat and cook their own meals at home.

Still, living conditions in North Korea are showing some improvement, particularly for the elite who are privileged enough to reside in the capital of Pyongyang. According to the South Korea Central Bank, the North Korean economy grew by almost 4 percent in 2016. Despite spotty service and no internet, there are now 1.5 million mobile phone users. Even in smaller cities outside of Pyongyang, electric bikes from China and Japan can be seen mingling with the country’s ubiquitous bicycles.

In Pyongyang, people are buying smartphones, tablets, hi-fi speakers and HDTVs. With the exception of accessing the internet, North Korean smartphones have similar capacities to those in other nations. In place of the internet, citizens use a state-controlled intranet. There are North Korean versions of Google, Facebook, chat rooms and online dating. Food courts in Pyongyang malls offer American-style fast food restaurants serving milkshakes and French fries. Skating rinks opened in 2013, ushering in a rollerblading craze for those wealthy enough to afford skates.

Despite difficult living conditions in North Korea, its people make the best of their circumstances. In some ways, their lives are not so different from those in democratic countries. North Koreans play video games and beach volleyball. They enjoy picnics complete with food, beer and karaoke. And of course, their teenagers take lots of selfies. Hope remains that the situation can improve so that all of its people can enjoy the living conditions that its wealthiest citizens currently do.

– Anna Parker

Photo: Flickr

,

What is a Trade Embargo?


What is a trade embargo? A trade embargo is a governmental restriction on trade for political purposes.  The restriction can be referred to as a trade barrier, which is any regulation or policy that restricts international trade. Sanctions, or economic sanctions, refer to provisions of a law that can enact penalties for disobedience towards the restrictions, or rewards for obedience.

What is a Trade Embargo to the governments of nations?

The objective of a trade embargo is to put pressure on other governments by prohibiting exports to, and imports from, those countries. Embargoes rarely involve a categorical ban on all trade, as even the most restrictive tend to allow for medicine and portions of food.

Trade embargoes are often invoked against countries which demonstrate a threat towards other nations or to their own people. Embargoes are often portrayed as a means to avoid war. For instance, the United Nations, at the behest of the U.S., U.K. and others, imposed economic trade sanctions on Iraq under the regime of dictator Saddam Hussein from 1990 to 2003. Hussein, who was Iraq’s leader from 1979 until early 2003, was responsible for the genocides of his own people and was convicted of crimes against humanity in a trial following his capture.

Said Richard Holbrooke, U.S. ambassador to the U.N. during the Clinton administration, “The concept of sanctions…[is] necessary. What else fills the gap between pounding your breast and indulging in empty rhetoric about going to war besides economic sanctions?”

What is a Trade Embargo to the people of nations?

A practical facet of embargoes and sanctions is the demonstration by a government to its people that their leaders will take action against a threat.  However, the victims of the sanctions are often not those in power, but the citizens of the affected nation.

This was the case in Iraq. Led by a dictator who had proven his indifference to citizens’ welfare, powerful Iraqi leaders made deals with other nations for goods and services during the economic sanctions. As a result, they benefitted individually while Iraq’s health, strength and infrastructure crumbled.

The once developing and prospering nation became a land where eradicated diseases returned and children were dying. As a result of legal trade being blocked, citizens were poverty-stricken and dependent on food aid from the U.N. and education had all but dissipated.

At least 500,000 children did suffer and die during the U.N.-imposed economic sanctions and the country has yet to rebuild completely, even in 2017.

As history acknowledges, trade embargoes have the power to prevent war but are potentially fraught with unintended consequences.

– Jaymie Greenway

Photo: Flickr

,

What Are the Qualifications for the House of Representatives?

qualifications for the house of representatives

The House of Representatives is the first line of defense for legislation in the United States. Some may not consider the House to be as elite as the Senate, but there is no denying that it is vital to the legislative process. Nineteen former presidents once served in the House of Representatives, more than the 16 who served in the Senate. But what qualifies someone to be elected to this legislative body?

The House of Representatives includes 435 members, with population size determining the number of representatives a state receives. The qualifications for the House of Representatives are less stringent than those for the Senate and the presidency. This was purposely done to limit the obstacles for ordinary people to become members. There are three formal qualifications, which are outlined in Article I, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution.

The first qualification outlined in the Constitution states that members of the House must be at least 25 years old. Despite this, the youngest member of the House of Representatives, William Charles Cole Claiborne, was only 22 when elected and only 24 when he was elected for a second time. Currently, the youngest member of the House, Elise Stefanik, is 33 years old, exceeding the requirement by eight years.

The second qualification, like that of the Senate, deals with citizenship. The constitution states that members of the House of Representatives must have U.S. citizenship for seven years upon election. This allows citizens who were not born in the United States, which is required for the presidency, to be elected into the House, which is crucial to immigrant representation. However, the number of immigrants serving has decreased significantly since the 1960s.

As of 2015, only 407 past and present members of Congress had been born outside of the United States out of the more than 12,000 who had served. 347 of these members served in the House of Representatives. From 1967 to 1974, no immigrants served in either the House or the Senate.

The last of the qualifications for the House of Representatives concerns residency and is the same for those serving in the Senate. Those elected to the House must be residents of the state which they represent at the time of election. However, this qualification does not require that representatives live in the district they represent.

The same article of the Constitution which outlines these qualifications also includes how members will be elected. Members of the House of Representatives are elected every two years without term limits. In addition to this, the House must confirm members who are elected before they may take the Oath of Office.

The House of Representatives was modeled for the people. It was designed to be accessible as well as an integral part of the legislative process. In addition, the Speaker of the House remains a prominent political figure within the government. Every moving part within our government serves a purpose and without one the system simply could not work. These qualifications for the House of Representatives ensure that these parts continue to work to the absolute best of their ability.

– Megan Burtis

Photo: Google

, ,

The US Top 10 Oldest Presidents to Take Office


The average age of the 45 U.S. presidents throughout history is 54 years and 11 months. Below are the top 10 oldest presidents to take office in United States history.

Gerald Ford – 61 years old

  • Ford took the oath of office in August of 1974 in the aftermath of the Watergate scandal. Notable accomplishments of his administration include: cutting inflation almost by half, decreasing unemployment, and 4 million people acquiring jobs since the recession.
  • Ford pardoned former President Richard Nixon for his crimes committed during his presidency. This act stunned the country, and his approval ratings dropped.

John Adams – 61 years, 4 months old

  • The first Vice President and second president of the United States, John Adams’s greatest contribution to U.S history was his rallying of Americans for independence. He pressed delegates at the Second Continental Congress (1776) to declare war against Britain.
  • Other of this president’s major roles in the founding of the United States include bringing a peaceful end to the Quasi-War: Adams sent a peace delegation to France and the signing of the Convention of 1800 is considered a major foreign policy accomplishment of Adams’s presidency.

Andrew Jackson – 61 years,11 months old

  • Displacement and deaths of Native Americans cloud Andrew Jackson’s presidency. Americans grew greedy for land in the 19th century, and Jackson took a systematic approach to removing Native Americans with several treaties as president.
  • The Trail of Tears was a result of various “Indian removal processes.” Some tribes wanted to stay and fight, others agreed to the treaties; however, Jackson ignored laws and the government and forced Native Americans out of their land through violence or bribery.

Dwight D. Eisenhower – 62 years old

  • Eisenhower served two terms as president, and during his presidency, he managed the tensions of the Cold War, strengthened Social Security and signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956.
  • Though he was successful in accomplishing many things, Eisenhower wavered in protecting the civil rights of African Americans and desegregating schools.

Zachary Taylor – 64 months, 3 months old

  • With military experience and success in expanding the U.S. by taking land from Mexico in the Mexican-American War, Zachary Taylor was regarded as a hero and became president in 1849.
  • His administration faced numerous problems, particularly in the expansion of slavery in new western territories and financial scandals. Taylor became the second president to die while in office and was succeeded by Millard Fillmore.

George H.W Bush – 64 years, 7 months old

  • As the 41st president of the United States, Bush brought back traditional American values as the world dramatically changed. During his presidency, he faced Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait and threat to invade Saudi Arabia. At home, he was unable to combat the increasing discontent of a failing economy, inner city violence increase and the high deficit spending.

James Buchanan – 65 years old

  • As the 15th president of the United States, Buchanan experienced the continuous conflict between Native Americans and the U.S. His presidency also witnessed the Panic of 1857 as a result of poor trade. The Dred Scott decision where an African American slave sued for his freedom occurred, which unfortunately was refused.

William H. Harrison – 68 years old

  • Out of the top 10 oldest presidents to hold office, William Henry Harrison served only one month before dying of pneumonia. Prior to becoming president, Harrison was a prominent figure in the fight against Native Americans, particularly in the Battle of Tippecanoe (1811). He won the presidential campaign against unpopular Martin Van Buren.

Ronald Reagan – 69 years old

  • Previously the oldest president to hold office in the United States, Ronald Reagan became one of the most revered figures in political history.
  • Ronald Reagan’s presidency was marked by several scandals – one, in particular, was the Iran-Contra Affair. The U.S. sold weapons to the Islamic Republic of Iran as part of an unsuccessful attempt at releasing six U.S. hostages.

 Donald Trump – 70 years old

  • The oldest president to date
  • In an unprecedented political campaign, Republican nominee Donald Trump won the presidential election in 2016. He was outspoken and unfiltered, and his controversial political remarks mark his presidency.
  • With an ongoing administration, Trump’s executive actions include:
    • Advancing the Dakota Access Pipeline and XL Pipeline
    • Increasing border security and promoting the development of the wall
    • Reversing the travel ban, suspending and banning travel from six countries

Youth is often associated with fresh ideas and renewed energy, but these top 10 oldest presidents have brought in their own decisive and controversial ideas. Top 10 source via : top10binary.com binary options trading.

– Jennifer Serrato

Photo: Flickr

,

The Nicaraguan Investment Conditionality Act Passes House

Nicaraguan Investment Conditionality ActThe House of Representatives passed the Nicaraguan Investment Conditionality Act on October 3, 2017. Authored by Rep. Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), the bill was first introduced last year and passed the House then; however, its progress was impeded by the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election. With a new session underway, it was reintroduced and will now go on to the Senate for further deliberation.

The legislation opposes loans made by U.S. international financial institutions for the government of Nicaragua. This measure is in response to the alleged fraud and irregularities associated with the recent reelection of Daniel Ortega as president of Nicaragua. Former United States Ambassador to Nicaragua Robert Callahan testified that “Daniel Ortega’s candidacy was illegal, illegitimate and unconstitutional.” Callahan also went on to claim that the period leading up to the election as well as the elections themselves were “marred by serious fraud.”

After a brutal civil war that decimated the Nicaraguan economy in the 1970s, Daniel Ortega and his quasi-communist Sandinista party first took power in 1979. He was voted out in 1990, however, and lost later elections in 1996 and 2001. Having lost three prior elections, his victory in 2006 surprised the world and was reasonably met with skepticism. Ortega has since seized control over all four branches of the Nicaraguan government: the presidency, the judiciary, the National Assembly as well as the Supreme Electoral Council.

Since the 1990s, when Ortega was first ousted from office, the U.S. has sought to assist Nicaragua in establishing a fair democracy, a free-market economy as well as improving respect for basic human rights.

Consequently, until Nicaragua is prepared to make progress towards increased political transparency and fair elections, the U.S. Congress proposes to not allow any new loans to be given to Nicaragua unless they are proven to help improve democracy and address human rights. The Nicaraguan Investment Conditionality Act will put pressure on Ortega to insist upon free and fair elections by cutting off vital financing. Through this legislation, the U.S. will be prevented from encouraging the behavior of a budding dictator and hopefully pave the way for a liberated Nicaragua.

– Micaela Fischer

Photo: Flickr

,

Elimination U.S. Special Envoys Impacts Diplomacy

How the Elimination of U.S. Special Envoys Impacts Foreign Relations

Recently, U.S. Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, outlined his elimination of U.S. special envoys to reorganize and expand upon other positions. Many of these special envoy positions that are being eliminated are integral to global health initiatives. They include the U.S. Special Representative for International Labor Affairs and the U.S. Special Envoy for Climate Change. Further, senior representative and special coordinator positions for impoverished areas including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, South Sudan, Burma and Syria are being eliminated.

Tillerson’s plan prioritizes other special envoy positions that reflect the current administration’s focus on topics including business and the War on Terror, and the reorganization plans to place a heavier emphasis on positions within the commercial and business affairs and anti-Islamic State military coalition.

In his statement, Tillerson noted that his choice of elimination of U.S. special envoys was based on whether or not the positions have “accomplished or outlived their original purpose.” In response, Column Lynch, diplomatic reporter to Foreign Policy, stated that Tillerson’s plan, “downplay[s] African peacemaking and outreach to the Muslim world.”

Special envoys are important positions to fill for the U.S. government to reach out and help global communities because the presence of U.S. representatives in underdeveloped countries contributes to development and growth. Lynch fears that many of the positions being eliminated by Tillerson are considered unimportant to the current administration.

However, special envoys exist to represent the U.S. government on issues like climate change, food insecurity and water resources around the world, which are issues that are critical and impact global health. The removal of special envoys in positions that aid such issues in underdeveloped countries impacts U.S. foreign relations in several different ways.

Namely, according to Ngaire Woods, Global Economic Governance professor at the University of Oxford, the health of a country is directly correlated to the functioning of its government. Thus,  a lack of special envoys and foreign assistance in underdeveloped countries, which may ultimately have negative impacts on health outcomes, has the potential to intensify political instability in such countries. Political instability is a large predictor as to whether or not a country poses a national security threat to the U.S.

On the other hand, many additional positions will remain intact by the current administration, and some will be expanded upon. The special envoy for the Office of Global Food Security will be moved to the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Tillerson stated, “I believe that the department will be able to better execute its mission by integrating certain envoys and special representative offices within the regional and functional bureaus,” and so, many positions will receive better funding and direction under specific entities that are reflective of each position’s respective values.

– Emily Santora

Photo: Flickr

,

The Political Promise of Young Cambodians

The Political Promise of Young CambodiansUSAID sponsors Next Generation, a televised youth debate in Cambodia. The debate is intended to encourage peaceful political discussion among young Cambodians in a country that values “saving face” and non-confrontation.

These practices are extremely harmful to productive political discussion. Next Generation aims to mitigate the consequences of these social constructs by inspiring young people in Cambodia to engage in debates.

The weekly TV show hosts 24 young adults for a 30-minute debate on issues such as poverty, the electoral system, Facebook censorship and gender quotas. The program hopes to foster a culture of constructive political discussion among the future leaders of Cambodia.

24-year-old Linda Eang won the debate in 2014. She had been a shy child, and her family tried to discourage her from pursuing politics, since being a politician can be dangerous in Cambodia. After learning in school about the state of poverty and healthcare in Cambodia, Eang decided that she wanted to be part of the solution, despite the vast challenges of the field.

After graduating from university, Eang decided she wanted to focus on coaching other young Cambodians. She expressed that “the greatest barriers for young people in Cambodia are the lack of trust and motivation from the environment around us” and that Cambodians “are taught to be followers”.

Eang believes that young people can become more empowered and bring positive change to their country by getting an education. She aims to coach young people to eloquently express themselves and to have self-confidence.

Another forum for the empowerment of young people in Cambodia is Politikoffee, a community that meets weekly to discuss politics and drink coffee. The meetings started with Channy Chheng and three friends who enjoyed drinking coffee and discussing topics like policy, economics, education and agriculture.

The group decided that their conversations would benefit from more people bringing additional knowledge to their discussions, so they started Politikoffee as a platform for Cambodians to engage in political debates, free from restrictive cultural norms. Productive political argumentation is counter to traditional Khmer culture, which encourages respect for elders and the status quo.

For member Chea Veasner, these open and honest conversations are something she cannot have at her university. Veasner notes that many of her Cambodian friends do not like to argue and will not voice their opinions when given the chance.

Politikoffee provides a safe environment for Cambodia’s young, ambitious people to discuss ideas rarely discussed elsewhere. Despite assumptions that young Cambodians are not interested in politics, many actually are passionate about politics because social injustice is blatant.

Opportunities like Next Generation and Politikoffee allow Cambodia’s youths to overcome restrictive cultural norms and are fueling future political change. According to a Politikoffee’s social media representative, “Youth, from my experience, all have a vision of what their Cambodia should be, and for the vast majority of them, it’s a Cambodia that is very different from their parents.”

– Kristen Nixon
Photo: Flickr

, ,

How to Become a Politician

How to Become a PoliticianPoliticians are vital to a successful country, state or municipality. Their main task is to represent the beliefs and needs of their constituents at the various levels. They create laws and carry their people through good times and bad times, and they often hold large amounts of power.

Politicians must represent the political, financial, administrative, economic, educational and other interests of their constituents. Most politicians strive to get elected to office in order to participate in creating legislation that supports those interests and eventually move their way up tot the state or national level.

But how does one actually become a politician? The following are important steps to answer the question of how to become a politician:

 

Step 1: Learn the Essentials

There are a few critical characteristics and steps to achieve before even considering the logistics of how to become a politician. First, one must understand politics. As simple as it sounds, the political landscape is vast and ever-changing, and it requires a certain finesse to navigate. Developing strong communication skills is another important necessity.

In order to convince constituents of one’s trustworthiness and effectively communicate their interests, one must be an exemplary and effective communicator. Finally, politics is not for the faint-hearted. There are significant risks involved with running for office, including risks to financial security and permanent reputation. Also, politicians often receive harsh criticism, so potential politicians have to have thick skin.

Step 2: Raise Money

Assuming that an individual possesses the aforementioned qualities, he or she needs to secure finances as quickly as possible. Money is arguably the best predictor for the outcome of an election. In fact, even the very best candidate will fail miserably without proper funding.

Running for office is a job in itself and often requires that the candidate take time off his or her work, which may cost his or her a year or more’s worth of salary. Money is especially critical for those seeking to serve at the state or national level.

Step 3: Gain Experience

When considering how to become a politician, a good way for complete beginners to enter into the political world is to volunteer or work at another politician’s office who is in their chosen party. This experience will expose the future politician to the job and allow him or her to build connections and work experience. As time goes on, he or she may even be promoted and considered by the party for a nomination. After that, the most important task is to connect with and advocate for one’s constituents.

These are important steps, but certainly not the only ones one must consider when wondering how to become a politician. The profession is complex, demanding, and requires a great deal of responsibility, yet can be incredibly rewarding.

– Lauren Mcbride

Photo: Flickr