From Thomas Jefferson to William Jefferson Clinton, the Democratic Party has been an integral part of the US political landscape. The DNC Services Corporation (better known as the Democratic National Committee, or DNC) is the organizational and fundraising power behind the party. It plans the presidential nominating convention, promotes candidates from the local to the national level, and sets the party platform. It also encourages citizens to write letters to the editors of local newspapers, register to vote, contribute funds to the cause, and volunteer for Democratic campaigns. Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz was appointed as chair of the DNC in 2011. The DNC was formed in 1848.