American political parties are organized on a national, state, and local basis. Every four years, the parties hold a national convention to nominate a presidential and vice presidential candidate. They also meet to approve a party platform of issues and positions upon which the candidates will run. A party platform is a set of principles, goals, and strategies designed to address pressing political issues. Each party’s platform is broken down into “planks,” or declarations that speak to each specific issue.

Party platforms and their planks are very important to the electoral process: They give the candidates a clear political position with which they can campaign. They give voters a sense of what the candidates believe in, the issues they think are important, and how—if elected—they will address them. Adapted from Constitutional Rights Foundation.

In Iowa, every two years the county, district and state platform are formulated starting at the Precinct Caucus, discussing, submitting, and voting on platform planks sent to the county convention that could be added by the Iowa Republican Party at the district and state conventions.

The latest Iowa State Republican Platform

What you can do to take action.

1. Participated at your local Precinct Caucus
   • Offer to serve as a County Republican Central Committee Members
     • Regular business meeting is once a month on the second Monday
     • Attend meetings even if you are not elected.
   • Serve as a delegate (or alternate) to the county convention.(Let us know you interest in advance)
   • Prepare , submit & discuss proposed platform planks
2. Hold our party’ candidates and elected officials accountable to supporting the party platform.
   • Confirm they espouse the party platform
   • If they don’t, challenge them on why they don’t until they provide an acceptable valid explanation why not.

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