Getting Started
Local Action...National Impact
Over two hundred years ago, Sam Adams paved the way for the American Revolution and the rights and freedoms outlined in the Constitution. His secret? A focus on strong citizen networks and local action. 
Today, local leaders across the nation are following Sam’s example by tackling various issues on the county, city, and state level, including:
• Working for greater government accountability and transparency;
• Fighting eminent domain abuse and other attacks on property rights;
• Defending the rights of taxpayers;
• Working to protect free speech;
• Working against corruption and waste in local school districts;
• Protecting initiative and referendum rights;
• Recalling irresponsible public officials;
• Exposing misuse of taxpayer dollars;
• Fighting against taxpayer-funded lobbying;
• And more....
Know Your Turf
To get started in your community, get to know the political landscape. Stay on top of local politics by reading local newspapers, keeping up with local blogs, and attending local meetings.
Once you find an issue that you’d like to tackle, ask yourself the following questions: Does this issue have the potential to resonate with and attract support from a lot of people? Is it winnable? Does it have a realistic scope? Will it have a positive long-term impact?
If the answer to any of these questions is “no,” you may want to rethink your project. Many battles are won before they are fought...and good project selection is one of the keys to local political success.
