The Bulldog Party is a student organization at Truman State University. The Bulldog Party's mission statement is to "works towards securing a student voice and student empowerment with the guidance of the student body. The Bulldog Party values are defined as: Improving conditions of the students to make authorized decisions; and Ensuring and securing a student voice." The Bulldog Party in it's current incarnation was formed January 24, 1999 in a meeting of ten individuals organized by then Truman State University students Christopher Ross and Keith Ziegelman.

The Bulldog Party is claimed to be a reincarnation of a previous student organization by the same name. The first student organization with the Bulldog Party name at the university has unknown origins. What is known is that there was already a student organization known as the Bulldog Party by the 1950's. During this time, student senate elections were dominated by a party system, which would remain for much of the university's history. The organization took different names over the years, such as the Independent Bulldog Party for a period of time but had faded from existence by the mid-1990's.

The Bulldog Party's primary issue has been securing a voting student representative on the governing board of the university, this issue dates back to at least the 1970's. This issue and other positions are stated in the organization's platform. The Bulldog Party seeks action on the platform throughout the university but primarly through the student government, as a result the party supports slates of candidates for election to various student positions within the university.

The Bulldog Party has participated in student elections since it's incarnation, notable successes occurred in the 2001 election when it's candidates won majority control of the student senate and elected Matt Brooker student body president and in the 2004 election which elected Laura Keck student body president and continued the party's majority in the student senate.

During the 2001 student presidency of Matt Brooker, Bulldog Party members Bethany Ordaz and Wayne Yocum acting through the student senate helped organized a successful convention of Missouri colleges at the State Capitol Building in Jefferson City, Missouri which resulted in the formation of the Student Association of Missouri which also advocated lobbying the Missouri government on securing a voting student representative on the governing board of all Missouri universities.

The Bulldog Party has inspired the formation of other student organizations on universities throughout Missouri most notably the Bearcat Voice at Northwest Missouri State University and the Student Progressive Party at Lincoln University (Missouri).

External links

Bulldog Party Official Web Page

Bulldog Party Members Page

Bulldog Party Alumni Page