How to Join Democratic Support Groups

Like other political parties, the Democrats attract a number of support groups that are not formally a part of their structure, but help them advance certain goals and agendas which they happen to share. If you wish to join a Democratic support group, you can go about it fairly easily.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Determine the issue you wish to support. There are literally hundreds of different support groups and political action committees which you can join. Some are focused on very specific issues such as civil rights or health care, while others embrace a broad range of subjects. You should decide whether you want to join a group with a single, specific agenda or one with a wider approach.

2. Gauge exactly how you want to support your chosen issue and the resources you can bring to it. It may be that you simply wish to donate time or money, or you may have the ability to do something more extensive: organize marchers at a rally, set up phone banks on election night, canvass your neighborhood for a given candidate or speak at a function in support of your cause. Decide before you join how much you are prepared to work for your group's agenda.

3. Speak to the Democratic Party about groups which support them. The Democrats' home page lists a number of support groups you can join, most of which are closely affiliated with the party (see Resources below). They can help you locate a group that's right for you.

4. Find a group which matches the issues you support and whose agenda matches that of the Democrats. Washington State publishes an extensive list of political advocacy groups, along with website addresses, phone numbers and contact information (see Resources below).

5. Contact your support group and ask about joining. You may need to pay membership fees or make other contributions, depending on the group. You may also be asked to donate your time volunteering or attending rallies regarding the issues they support.

6. Get information regarding your group's connections to Democratic candidates and ways in which it supports Democratic efforts. If your purpose for joining a group is to support the Democrats, you need to know how it interacts with the political party, which candidates it supports and where it may disagree with the party's overall goals.

Tips & Warnings

• Joining a support group is not the same as joining the party itself, nor does it mean that you are registered to vote. When you join a support group, be sure you still register at a site like Register to Vote.com, so you can vote on the issues that brought you there (see Resources below).

Resources

• The Democratic Party's official page for a list of groups which support them.
• Washington State University's Political Advocacy Groups list, for contact information on a huge number of support groups.
• Register to Vote.com to register to vote.