Are you sick of Donald Trump and his cronies ruining this country with their divisive politics and disastrous spending? Or maybe you’ve had enough of the Democrats and liberals who will stop at nothing to stop the president’s “America First” agenda. You might even see a new way forward for the country through socialism, libertarianism, or even Elon Musk’s emerging America Party.
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You might even be more aligned with the Peace and Freedom Party, the Green Party, a Libertarian, or any number of smaller, localized parties, like the Party for Socialism and Liberation of Florida, the Legal Marijuana Now Party of Nebraska, or Utah’s Independent American Party.
No matter what your political views might be, aspiring veteran politicians can learn how to run a campaign, raise funds, and earn votes at Syracuse University’s Veterans for Public Office program. If you’re already sold, applications for the next cohort are now open.
Veterans are much more civic-minded than their non-veteran counterparts. They vote, volunteer, join civic groups, contact politicians, and engage their communities in greater numbers.
But running for political office is far more challenging than it seems, even at the local level. There’s a lot to consider. Who will manage your campaign? How will you interact with potential voters? Do you have the support of the local Democratic or Republican parties? Or is there another party you want to run with?
Also: How in the world are you gonna pay for any of this?
It might seem like a mystery to someone on the outside looking in, but that’s what the Veterans for Public Office is designed to teach. The goal is to demystify this mysterious process in a practical, useful way—even if you don’t know which office you want to run for.
The D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) is a bipartisan institution with the sole goal of helping service members, veterans, and their families improve their lives through research-driven programs and the thoughtful implementation of that research. It offers programs for female veterans, budding veteran entrepreneurs, and employers seeking veteran talent.
Formerly known as “Veterans Program for Politics and Civic Engagement,” the course is produced in partnership with Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. It’s an inherently political program, but it isn’t designed to flood the halls of Congress with one party or another; it’s designed to help aspiring veteran politicians achieve their goals of leadership, creating policy, or all that “changing the world” we wanted to do when we first enlisted.
Veterans Program for Politics and Civic Engagement
The curriculum directs aspiring veteran politicians in one of two tracks. The first is the Ideation track, designed for military-connected people with a strong interest in serving in a public office.
It helps vets understand the current political landscape without committing to launching a campaign. This track also helps participants determine their motivations and values, as well as which office might best suit their goals.
The other option, the Campaign Planning track, is for candidates who are actively running for office or working to support a civic issue. It’s an intense training focused on practicality: campaign strategy, messaging, fundraising, compliance with campaign laws, and team building. The goal is that trainees walk out with a clear plan for their campaigns.
For more information about the Veterans for Public Office, visit the IVMF’s Training Program for Veterans and Military-Connected Individuals website. If you’re ready to get your campaign started, you can apply for the next cohort now.
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