What You’ll Learn
- The different organizations within the Democratic Party
- How to identify the functions of the different elected offices
Why This is Important
If your dream is to work on a campaign, this course will help you decide what level of campaign you want to work on (e.g., state representative, U.S. Senate) and who the organizational players are that you might be engaging with to get that job and once you have it. If your dream is to run for office, you’ll learn all about the Democratic ecosystem and the responsibilities you may have depending on the level of office that you run for. You need to understand the Democratic Party if you want to work within it!
Key Resources
- Research Policy Activity Worksheet
- Supporting PACs and Organizations List
Related Trainings
- Starting a Career in Politics — You’ll explore what campaign life is really like and decide if this is the right career path for you and what role on a campaign might be a good fit
- So You Think You Want to Run? — Prepare to run for office with this course, where we show you all of your options and how to have conversations that will help you decide if running for office is right for you
- Raising Money from PACs and Labor Unions — Some of the organizations we discuss in this course donate to campaigns, too. Learn how to earn their financial support
Johnaé Strong
Trainer
An educator and organizer with over 10 years of experience, Johnaé joined the NDTC team in 2019 to further her goal of securing a true democracy for folks on the margins. A former candidate herself, Johnaé brings a lens for authenticity and equity to her work to support nontraditional candidates in breaking up the “old boys’ club”. Johnaé holds a BA and MAT from the University of Chicago in International Studies and Urban Education. Strong is a founding member and leader of BYP100, a political organization for Black people 18 to 35 working for liberation for all Black people.
In 2020, Strong received a Voqal Fellowship for her project Razing to Restore, an online organizing training platform connecting emerging social actors to political education, organizing, and restorative practices, through on-demand learning modules developed by national organizers and healers.
When she isn’t building tools for democracy, Johnaé can be found making music, losing dance battles to her two children, Akeim and Jari, or in her hometown of Cleveland.