How to Start Your Own Political Party

There are good arguments for fixing existing political parties, but what if you decided to start your own party instead?

1) Think it through: Do you really want to get into this for the long haul? Learn about political and law making processes: Draft an Oregon Initiative or propose a federal law to one of your U.S. representatives to Congress. (Voting rights for 16 year olds or clapping is allowed only at the end of the State of the Union Address, maybe?) Take a look at this, “Nine Steps to Draft a Bill.”  Or read the Citizen Engagement webpages on Oregon Legislature.

2) Learn how existing political parties operate so you can become an expert on what needs to change: Run for office under existing state laws and political party rules, which you’ll find at their respective political party websites.

So, How DO You Create a Political Party? (And if you listen to the news, you are probably wondering the very same thing!)

It’s probably about as easy as the above activities, which means it’s not necessarily easy as in “swallow a pill” or “press the enter button” or “buy one, get one free” easy — rather it’s easy as in “exercise more, eat less” is an easy way to stay healthy.

Or, as former President Obama has said, “… there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.” (Inaugural Address, 1/20/09)

But if you can read, follow directions (and the law), and enjoy the whole “putting together the puzzle pieces” of the task, there is a fair amount of help on the web.

More How to Start Your Own Political Party:

Use Duck Duck Go or Google or your favorite search engine and search: how to start a political party

In Oregon, you will start your research at the Secretary of State’s website. And you’ll have to end there because there are statutes and other laws about political parties you have to follow.

On the lighter side, no one does political party-creation better than the U.K. Get a load of this list, especially the minor and joke parties (current and defunct).