"Providing practical insights and vote-winning tips, this book is an invaluable resource for candidates - newcomer, challenger and experienced incumbent alike - pursuing a political career at any level." "As campaigns have become more expensive, sophisticated, and competitive, today's candidates need a clear understanding of the challenges they will face - as well as the tools and techniques available to them." "Put together in one place for the first time, Running for Office covers the essentials of assembling a winning campaign, from big-picture items to the smallest details."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

“Over the last few years we’ve seen a remarkable surge of women running for office, and even better, winning. Running takes courage, passion, and commitment, but it also takes books like this. June and Kate have created a wonderful resource for women as they think about taking the leap.”—Hillary Rodham Clinton Turn “can I do this?” into “yes, I can!” Join the growing wave of women leaders with Represent, an energetic, interactive, and inspiring step-by-step guide showing how to run for the approximately 500,000 elected offices in the US. Written with humor and honesty by writer, comedian, actress, and activist June Diane Raphael and Kate Black, former chief of staff at EMILY’s list, Represent is structured around a 21-point document called “I’m Running for Office: The Checklist.” Doubling as a workbook, Represent covers it all, from the nuts and bolts of where to run, fundraising, and filing deadlines, to issues like balancing family and campaigning, managing social media and how running for office can work in your real life. With infographics, profiles of women politicians, and wisdom and advice from women in office, this is a must-own for any woman thinking of joining the pink wave.

It Takes a Candidate serves as the first systematic, nationwide empirical account of the manner in which gender affects political ambition. Based on data from the Citizen Political Ambition Study, a national survey conducted on almost 3,800 'potential candidates', we find that women, even in the highest tiers of professional accomplishment, are substantially less likely than men to demonstrate ambition to seek elected office. Women are less likely than men to be recruited to run for office. They are less likely than men to think they are 'qualified' to run for office. And they are less likely than men to express a willingness to run for office in the future. This gender gap in political ambition persists across generations. Despite cultural evolution and society's changing attitudes toward women in politics, running for public office remains a much less attractive and feasible endeavor for women than men.

The growing ideological gulf between Democrats and Republicans is one of the biggest issues in American politics today. Our legislatures, composed of members from two sharply disagreeing parties, are struggling to function as the founders intended them to. If we want to reduce the ideological gulf in our legislatures, we must first understand what has caused it to widen so much over the past forty years. Andrew B. Hall argues that we have missed one of the most important reasons for this ideological gulf: the increasing reluctance of moderate citizens to run for office. While political scientists, journalists, and pundits have largely focused on voters, worried that they may be too partisan, too uninformed to vote for moderate candidates, or simply too extreme in their own political views, Hall argues that our political system discourages moderate candidates from seeking office in the first place. Running for office has rarely been harder than it is in America today, and the costs dissuade moderates more than extremists. Candidates have to wage ceaseless campaigns, dialing for dollars for most of their waking hours while enduring relentless news and social media coverage. When moderate candidates are unwilling to run, voters do not even have the opportunity to send them to office. To understand what is wrong with our legislatures, then, we need to ask ourselves the question: who wants to run? If we want more moderate legislators, we need to make them a better job offer.

The overwhelming majority see nothing particularly noble about those currently in office, viewing most as dishonest, self-interested, and disinterested in helping their constituents. These young people want to improve their communities and enact change in the world; but they don't think politics is the way to achieve these goals. In fact, they look disdainfully upon the prospects of growing up to be a mayor, governor, senator, or even president of the United States. Running from Office explores young people's opinions about contemporary politics and their political ambition (or lack of it). The book paints a political profile of the next generation that should sound alarm bells about the long-term, deeply embedded damage contemporary politics has wrought on U.S. democracy and its youngest citizens.

Becoming a Candidate: Political Ambition and the Decision to Run for Office explores the factors that drive political ambition at the earliest stages. Using data from a comprehensive survey of thousands of eligible candidates, Jennifer L. Lawless systematically investigates what compels certain citizens to pursue elective positions and others to recoil at the notion. Lawless assesses personal factors, such as race, gender and family dynamics, that affect an eligible candidate's likelihood of considering a run for office. She also focuses on eligible candidates' professional lives and attitudes toward the political system.

Get ready to run for—and win—that local election! In the land of opportunity, just about anyone who qualifies as an elector can seek public office. Some do it on a whim, some are urged to run, and some want to use their time and talents to make a difference in their local community. If you want to know how to prepare for a run, which steps to take beforehand, and how the process goes from announcement to campaigning to election day to the swearing-in ceremony—this book has you covered. Find out what it’s like to run for local office as a first-time candidate Explore the introspection required and the study necessary to make such a run effective Deal with marketing, fundraising, interacting with the public, and dealing with opponents Encourage and help others to make a run for local office Though only one person ultimately wins a seat, nobody does it without a wide network of support. Running For Local Office For Dummies is your ticket to navigating every step on the road to winning that election.

Why are Americans governed by the rich? Millionaires make up only three percent of the public but control all three branches of the federal government. How did this happen? What stops lower-income and working-class Americans from becoming politicians? The first book to answer these urgent questions, The Cash Ceiling provides a compelling and comprehensive account of why so few working-class people hold office--and what reformers can do about it. Using extensive data on candidates, politicians, party leaders, and voters, Nicholas Carnes debunks popular misconceptions (like the idea that workers are unelectable or unqualified to govern), identifies the factors that keep lower-class Americans off the ballot and out of political institutions, and evaluates a variety of reform proposals. In the United States, Carnes shows, elections have a built-in "cash ceiling," a series of structural barriers that make it almost impossible for the working-class to run for public office. Elections take a serious toll on candidates, many working-class Americans simply can't shoulder the practical burdens, and civic and political leaders often pass them over in favor of white-collar candidates. But these obstacles aren't inevitable. Pilot programs to recruit, train, and support working-class candidates have the potential to increase the economic diversity of our governing institutions and ultimately amplify the voices of ordinary citizens.

Used in campaigns and classrooms throughout the United States, The Political Campaign Desk Reference is synonymous with planning and winning. Whether you are a candidate for office or just helping a campaign, the Political Campaign Desk Reference will make your team stronger. From planning the early stages of the campaign and asking the basic questions to mapping out the campaigns winning message and building a budget and time line, the Political Campaign Desk Reference covers it all. An entire chapter dedicated to fundraising will help every organization become better at raising money. If you have The Political Campaign Desk Reference, be glad. If your opponent has The Political Campaign Desk Reference, then get a copy for yourself.

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 realize 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 lawman, 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 timeline you can expect to start living. You will learn how to organize 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 fundraising 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. Atlantic Publishing is a small, independent publishing company based in Ocala, Florida. Founded over twenty years ago in the company president's garage, Atlantic Publishing has grown to become a renowned resource for non-fiction books. Today, over 450 titles are in print covering subjects such as small business, healthy living, management, finance, careers, and real estate. Atlantic Publishing prides itself on producing award winning, high-quality manuals that give readers up-to-date, pertinent information, real-world examples, and case studies with expert advice. Every book has resources, contact information, and web sites of the products or companies discussed. This Atlantic Publishing eBook was professionally written, edited, fact checked, proofed and designed. The print version of this book is 288 pages and you receive exactly the same content. Over the years our books have won dozens of book awards for content, cover design and interior design including the prestigious Benjamin Franklin award for excellence in publishing. We are proud of the high quality of our books and hope you will enjoy this eBook version.