Impacting Your Political PartyÕs Platform
How to Write a Proposition
Compiled by D. A. Sharpe
WHAT IS THE PARTY PLATFORM?
This is a document about how this is done
in Texas. What is a political partyÕs platform? ItÕs explained
in detail here. Basically, it is the series of beliefs
and political positions adopted by the State Party Conventions (every even
numbered year) and the National Party Conventions (every leap year Ð years with
a February 29). It is expected that
all the people who offer themselves as candidates for a partyÕs primary
election (and who subsequently are on the partyÕs November General Election)
are generally in support of his or her partyÕs platform. Though there may not
be 100% support, the huge majority of the platform is expected to be in the
realm of the candidateÕs support.
In Texas, the two major political parties
are the Democratic and the Republican Parties. Occasionally a third or fourth party
arises, but such is rare in Texas and there is no record of final success for
any of the few that have arisen in this century or last. Here is a display
about political parties in Texas.
HOW IS IT DECIDED WHAT GOES INTO A
PARTY PLATFORM?
The party platform elements develop from
any of several conventions. They
are in the form of propositions (resolutions or petitions). The first occasion
can be the Precinct Conventions that take place in the evening after the voting
polls close on the first Tuesdays of each even numbered yearÕs month of March
or the leap year Marchs. Here is a document about
how a precinct convention is structured.
Here is a website from the
Texas Secretary of State, governing the dates when the various party
conventions meet.
Precinct petitions go to the county
convention, or in the case of larger population counties, to the senatorial
district convention. Their dates are determined by the respective partyÕs state
executive committees. The
Democratic and Republican parties may meet on the same days or separately. Typically, county conventions meet later
in March on a Saturday.
The county or senatorial convention is
the second opportunity for petitions to be originated. It is there that any precinct petitions
are entertained. The county or
senatorial convention debates the petitions before it to decide which ones are
forwarded to the partyÕs state convention.
The county convention may amend any petition before adopting it.
The state convention receives these
resolutions, debates them and finally adopts a state platform. ItÕs possible for a Delegate to the
State Convention to originate his or her new resolution to the State ConventionÕs
Platform Committee, but at that stage, itÕs difficult to expect much attention
to be paid at that late time.
In Presidential election years (leap
years), the state platform is forwarded to the national conventions of the
political parties. They meet
generally in August.
HOW DO YOU WRITE A RESOLUTON?
At its core, a resolution is a written
description of a situation that impacts some facet of political partyÕs
mission, followed by a suggestion as to how to affect it. Several
considerations come into play when deciding to write a resolution, such as whether or not a position or action has already been taken,
its actual workability, if the matter can be settled administratively with need
for a resolution, and its political sensitivity.
Each resolution should cover only one
subject. Resolutions consist of two parts, which must be written precisely
for the resolution to be allowed to move forward.
The first is the preamble, or, the
description of the situation. One or more clauses, each beginning with
ÒWHEREAS,Ó give facts that support and justify the resolution. The
beginning of every phrase after that is should be capitalized. Two or more
clauses are joined by a semicolon and the word Òand.Ó
The final clause of the preamble ends
with a semicolon and the phrase Ònow, therefore, be itÓ. The second part is the resolving clause,
a statement of how the targeted level of the political party should address the
situation.
Keep in mind that the entire resolution
is one continuous sentence Ð the preamble ends with a semicolon, not a period.
Ò...be itÓ is followed directly by the resolving clause.
Here are a couple of sample
resolutions. Their focus is on
party administration, rather than party platform:
Eliminating Proxy
Voting for State Executive Committee
Requiring State Executive Committee to use 2/3Õs vote of make
Rules changes
SO THAT YOU CAN KNOW THE ORDER OF A
PRECINCT CONVENTION:
Here is a sample agenda
provided by the Republican Party of Texas, and, though I do not have a
Democratic Party sample at this writing, IÕm confident itÕs about the same.
PRESENTING YOUR RESOLUTION
You must be a delegate in the convention
at which you offer your resolution (or petition or proposal). At a Precinct Convention, you must have
voted in your partyÕs primary election of that day. If your proposal is approved by majority
vote of your Precinct Convention, it is forwarded to the County or Senatorial
Convention for consideration.
For a County or Senatorial District
Convention, you must be present as a delegate who was elected at your Precinct
Convention to one of those representing your Precinct at the County or
Senatorial Convention. You may
originate a proposal or you may advocate on behalf of a proposal sent by a
Precinct Convention.
The County or Senatorial Convention
debates, and approves any proposals before it, voting either to forward it to
the State Convention or to vote not to send it. Any resolution forwarded to the State
Convention may have been amended in the debate (or discussion).
The State Convention has its process for
considering all petitions or resolutions or proposals for inclusion in its
partyÕs platform.
Even though this document is concerned
primarily about relating to the political party platform, these resolutions
possibly can have other subjects not applicable to a party platform, such as in
what city to meet for the next State Convention or how food vendors may be
approved to sell at State Conventions, etc.
My hope is that this document can be
educational and instructive for any registered voter who wants to participate
in the political process in a meaningful way, regardless of with which
political party one identifies.
Cordially,
805 Derting Road East
Aurora, Wise County, TX 76078-3712
817-504-6508
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