Toby C's Senior Project Blog

Project Title: Pathways to Political Office BASIS Advisor: Brent Weaver Internship Location: Arizona State University Onsite Mentor: Dr. Luke Perez

Project Abstract

Running for political office is an effective way to advocate for policy issues, but it is also a form of civic engagement that is foreign to most of the American public. Not only is it a great financial and time commitment, but most are unfamiliar with where to start the process. In order to have a functioning democracy, public office should be accessible to all – this project seeks to explore how it can be made so. Because the outcome of an election is dependent on such a wide variety of factors, my internship is not limited to one site, but rather multiple internships with candidates, campaigns, and party officials. This will allow for a well-rounded result and a bird’s-eye view of what goes into a successful campaign. Interviews with those with campaign experience will provide a baseline for developing a publicly available resource that lays out what the election season looks like from the candidate’s side. What differences are there in a rural area versus an urban area? How many successful candidates would consider themselves introverts? Do campaign managers use specific software to stay on track? By exploring these questions, my project seeks to demystify the political office and encourage the average citizen to run for office, representing the issues they’re passionate about.