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Lobbying Elected Officials
The policies that affect our lives are written and put into place by people - and it’s easy to forget that those people work for us. Still, elected officials can only represent you if they know what you think.
So tell them.
There are so many ways to get in touch with policy makers – whether it’s your Senator or your local school board. There’s no substitute for a face-to-face discussion about the issues you care about, but that’s not always possible. You can always call the official’s office or write a letter or send a fax. (This may be the last real use for fax machines – and it remains a surprisingly effective tactic!)
And with email as part of your arsenal, keeping in touch with your representatives has never been easier.
In this section, you’ll find tips to help you get in touch with your elected officials – and to help your message and issues break through.
Lobbying Tips
A vote tells elected officials how well they’re meeting their constituents’ expectations. But there are other opportunities to communicate with elected officials, and many different ways for doing so. For example, you can advocate for funding for comprehensive sexuality education when you meet a policy maker at the market or post office. You can sign up to speak at a public hearing or write to elected officials about your viewpoint. And you can schedule a lobby visit with your policy maker. The links below address the phone-in, writing to policy makers, and meeting with a policy maker. It also gives tips for effective lobbying and dealing with agreement and opposition.
A vote tells elected officials how well they’re meeting their constituents’ expectations. But there are other opportunities to communicate with elected officials, and many different ways for doing so. For example, you can advocate for funding for comprehensive sexuality education when you meet a policy maker at the market or post office. You can sign up to speak at a public hearing or write to elected officials about your viewpoint. And you can schedule a lobby visit with your policy maker. The links below address the phone-in, writing to policy makers, and meeting with a policy maker. It also gives tips for effective lobbying and dealing with agreement and opposition.
- The Phone-In
- Writing Policy Makers
- Face-to-Face Visits with Policy Makers
- Tips for Effective Lobbying
- Dealing with Agreement or Opposition
Strength In Numbers
There’s only one thing more powerful than telling your representatives why a particular issue matters to you. And that’s being able to tell them: “And all these people agree with me too.”
Check out our resources on Community Organizing.
Working with the Media
You can decide when and how to use the media to broadcast your message – and to recruit a wider audience to your issue or cause. Learn how!
