A lot of folks get started in politics b/c their parents were members of a particular party, or they joined a party in their young adulthood. This support group-type of arrangement can really be helpful -- so long as you actually agree with the platform the party upholds!! If you don't, you'll spend all your time frustrated byalways disagreeing with the folks around you. And deep-rooted philosophical differences do usually make it hard to get anything done.
I am an active member of the Democratic Party b/c I argee with their view of the world and how government should work in people's lives. Of course, I'm not a business Democrat or a Southern Democrat. I lean toward the more social/environmental side, advocating reform and change on all levels of society. (I disagree with some of the other folks in my local party, sometimes rather vocally, but it doesn't stop us from getting things done.)
Not having been an active member of the GOP during my youth (when I was a staunch social and fiscal conservative) I can't tell you much about their organization, but the Dems have organizations in every county, every LD, every state in the US. Plus, most of those groups have sub- or side-groups such as a Minority Caucus, Women's Club, or Young Democrats. If you want to get involved with certain issues such as voting reform or environmental legislation your input and involvement will be welcome. Go to www.democrats.org, or just Google your county name along with the word "democrat."
If you go to www.meetup.com, you will find a great number of independent discussion groups, arranged and searchable by location and topic. Some of the Meetups are more regimented, having a regular venue, established process, etc; others choose a new venue every month, take topics of discussion as they come up, and generally have little contact between members outside the Meetup.
Lots of wonderful progress is made every day, on many fronts, by organizations such as The Sierra Club, the Red Cross, and Habitat for Humanity. Joining an active chapter will give you opportunity to tackle your chosen concern hands-on, with the support and help of other like-minded citizens.
This activity isn't strictly political, but I see politics as part of civics and making a better life for all of us. In that sense, I link all such activity together. Maybe I'll change this in a future permutation of the site.
Let's say you want to make a difference in your county, or regarding a specific