Five years have passed, and it is the time once again for the Party Congress to assemble. Directives for the continued growth of our great Motherland must be established. Behind the scenes however, there is a power struggle brewing. There are party members who force through new directives solely to advance their own careers. The only certainty is that when the congress ends there will be a new General Secretary and many who stood his or her way will be purged.
In Join the Party, you take on the role of a power-hungry party member. Each turn, you will try to pass a directive with the help of another player. Beware though, there are other bureaucrats who may disagree with your ambitions. That is fine, as such disagreeable party members never survive long. Be careful to not be too disagreeable yourself, or it is you who may end up being purged. The player who has passed the most directives, and in doing so gained the most Victory Points, will be named the new General Secretary of the Party.
—description from the designer