

Introduce, vote for, or vote against legislation.You may ask elected officials to do any of the following:.Relationship-building asks, such as attendance at an event, are requests not necessarily related to policy that may nevertheless help you with policy asks in the future.Your organization, if you are affiliated with one, may have some asks for you to make. Policy asks are oriented toward specific legislative or government initiatives (e.g., asking a member of Congress to support a particular bill, sign onto a letter, lead a particular legislative initiative, etc.).There are two key types of ask: policy and relationship-building. Your objective is to encourage someone in the office to think for more than a few minutes about the issues that you have brought to his or her attention making a clear and concise “ask” helps you to achieve that goal. Knowing What You Want Why is it important to ask for something specific?Īsking for something specific is often the most effective way to get an elected official’s attention. Most importantly… their constituents: A common refrain in any elected official’s office is, “How does this impact my constituents?” It is the lens through which many or most decisions are made.Staff: It is critical to build good relationships and communicate effectively with legislative staff, as they are generally responsible for briefing elected officials about an issue and advising on what their position should be.Effective advocates will identify those interests and then frame their message accordingly. Personal interests and passions: All elected officials have one or more policy issues that they care about deeply.Party considerations: Elected officials are often swayed by their political party’s priorities.The media: Media coverage of events will often have an influence on what elected officials talk about in hearings and introduce as legislation.The message: What you say to elected officials is actually important! Latter sections of this document will help you develop a winning message.Personal relationships: Friends, family, and staff members have a tremendous influence on the day-to-day decisions of elected officials.Your voice does matter in this process, and the only way to make a difference is by using it to advocate for the issues you care about.

Our system of government is slow-moving and complex, but the legislation that makes its way through this process has the potential to fundamentally change the way our society functions. While government does not function perfectly, and it can sometimes be hard to make your legislators listen, effective communication strategies can increase the chances of your opinion having an impact. However, these common narratives must be challenged. Politicians don’t listen to an average citizen. After all, conventional wisdom holds that the political process is corrupt and the government is broken. It may seem as if one person cannot affect the legislative process. Advocacy organizations represent the views of like-minded individuals when it comes to supporting or opposing bills but the most powerful voice still belongs to the individual constituent.
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Ending the Slaughter of Nonambulatory PigsĮvery piece of legislation starts as an idea, and that idea can come from a legislator, a staff member, a professional lobbyist, or an “average citizen.” Legislation succeeds or fails depending on a number of factors.State Wildlife Agency Contact Information.
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Cetacean Anti-Captivity Legislation and Laws.Traveling Exotic Animal and Public Safety Protection Act.Save America’s Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act.Shaping Policy for Animals in Laboratories.
