When I was in undergrad I was interested in politics and
wanted to get involved, but didn’t know how.
I noticed that other students on campus who were also poli sci majors
felt the same way. Since then I’ve been
able to learn more on how to get involved.
Whether you want to pursue a career in politics or just get involved,
participating in groups is a great way to network and meet like-minded
people. Here are a few groups I know of
and I would recommend joining:
National Teen Age
Republicans (TARS)
Personally, my high school did not have a TARS chapter;
however, I wish I started one. To be
honest I’m not really familiar with the organization, but in general if you are
in high school and you want to start building on your political involvement
look into creating a TARS group at your school.
College Republican
National Committee (CRNC)
If you are in undergrad I highly recommend joining College
Republicans. If you don’t have a chapter
on your campus, create one. There are so
many opportunities and networking channels.
You mainly host events on campus and aid in local political
campaigns. There are also events to
participate in with students from other campuses.
Young Republican
National Federation (YR)
I love being apart of young republicans. With my move back to California, I haven’t
been able to get involved in a new chapter yet, but my experiences were
great. Young Republicans is a group for
Republicans under 40. There are
conservatives and libertarians who join, basically everyone who votes
Republican. Groups are usually
categorized by county, but some larger counties are split up. Every group does things differently. However, there is usually a blend of mixers
(usually at a bar or restaurant) and speaker events. It’s one way to meet politicians and local
leaders in your community.
The Federalist
Society
I’m currently President of my Law School Chapter. If you are in Law School, join the Federalist
Society. This group isn’t affiliated
with a political organization. But in
general it is a group consisting of conservatives and libertarians who believe
in federalism (small government). The
Nationals really treat all of their chapters really well. Being part of The Federalist Society means
hosting on campus events that foster political and legal thought with open
discussion. There is no “right” or
“wrong” view, but the end goal is that people learn more on a topic than they
previously did.
The Adam Smith
Society
If you’re in Business School, then you should consider
joining The Adam Smith Society. The
group focuses on free market principles.
National Federation
of Republican Women
I love my chapter. I
can’t fully explain how nice it is to be among other likeminded women in my
area. I’ve met soooooo many women within
my chapter. Each month we host an event
with a featured speaker. We have had
authors, political writers, non-profit leaders, politicians, as well as those
in entertainment. It’s the one meeting I
most look forward to every month just because of how fun it is.
Republican Party/
Grand Old Party (GOP)
Go online and look into membership for your state. These are probably the biggest events. I know some people who are very active and
even hold leadership positions within their county GOP. It’s a great way to network.
Lincoln Club
I don’t have one national website. And just to be clear it’s not a club of
Lincoln car owners. I’m not a member
because my chapter meets in the middle of the week, but I know others who are
members. Just Google it for your county
to learn more about your chapter. I know
this is another group with really great speakers.
DC Internships
Besides being involved with an organization, having an
internship in DC is great. You’ll be
able to be in the center of politics while meeting members of our country who
are actively creating change.
Volunteer
This takes some digging to do. You can either choose an organization like Wounded Warriors or another organization
to volunteer for. One thing I did last
summer was intern for Mimi Walters with her campaign. Because I hope to run for U.S. Representative
myself someday, it was nice to get in on the action.