Passionate about politics and looking to get involved on campus? A political student organization might be a great way to find like-minded people all while expanding your own thinking. Here are a few of the major political, government and law associated students organizations at UT. 

College Democrats

This organization is officially affiliated with the Democratic Party, and the main focus of their work on campus is to get Democrats elected to office at any leadership level and to encourage progressive values. New members are always welcome, and the club meets on Monday nights over Zoom. 

College Republicans 

With a similar, though ideologically opposite mission, the college Republicans seek to elect Republican leaders at different levels and promote conservative values. Two of their major events are debates with the college Democrats and debate-watching events.

Libertarians at UTK 

This organization supports the Libertarian Party and wants to better inform voters in Knoxville and spark conversations about voting options other than the two-party system. They frequently collaborate with the East Tennessee Libertarian Party. 

Young Democratic Socialists of America at UTK 

The main goal of this broad-left national organization is to further political education and open conversations about politics and different ideologies. They plan events to engage with students and paint the Rock as a conversation starter. 

Young Americans for Freedom 

This non-profit, non-partisan organization promotes conservative values without being associated with a political party. The organization is part of Young America’s Foundation, the nation’s largest conservative youth outreach organization, and participates in debates, hosts lectures and organizes various conservative projects throughout the year.

Student Political Alliance 

This organization is mostly focused on engaging in civil discourse and debate and furthering student engagement with civil issues at UTK. Not tied to a political party, the student political alliance wants to empower students to understand political issues and be able to talk about them with civility. 

Progressive Student Alliance 

This organization focuses on student and worker power at UTK, and is the same as United Students Against Sweatshops Local 86, or USAS, which is a national organization. Their major focuses are living wages for campus workers, ending poor working conditions for people making college apparel and acquiring funding for higher education. 

Leading Women of Tomorrow UTK 

This organization is bipartisan and focuses on empowering women in joining public service in politics. The organization aims to encourage women to be involved in politics to increase their representation in the political sphere. LWT is currently working on creating events to provide resources and host speakers. 

In addition to the organizations listed above, UT is home to many more organizations focused on similar topics, such as law and government. If a career in politics is something you’re interested in, consider attending a meeting for one of the organizations above. For more information, visit the organizations’ sites on VOLink.