lobbying
Six grassroots lobbying tips
Submitted by Drew Mckissick on Thu, 11/18/2010 - 14:13Recently we've covered a good bit of info when it comes to grassroots lobbying and having an impact on the legislative process, so now's a good time to summarize some fundamental points.
Follow @DrewMcKissickLeveraging the grasstops (Grassroots lobbying methods: part 6)
Submitted by Drew Mckissick on Mon, 09/06/2010 - 15:35While the term “grassroots” refers to the average activist or constituent in an elected officials district, “grasstops” refers to community leaders. Individuals that are fairly well known in their community - and/or by the elected official. These are people that an elected official knows can have an outsized impact in their area, (whether it's a geographic area like a precinct, city or county, or in an area of interest).
In other words, these people are the "Mr. Bigs" in their area.
Picking the right methods from the grassroots lobbying buffet
Submitted by Drew Mckissick on Tue, 06/08/2010 - 18:21There are lots of ways to try and influence your government on issues you care about, but there are tradeoffs between different techniques that you should be aware of.
Generally, the more personal and spontaneous the lobbying, the harder it can be to to generate big numbers. For example, it's easier to get 30 people to sign a preprinted postcard than it is to get them to write their own letters.
Follow @DrewMcKissickEffective contact with elected officials
Submitted by Drew Mckissick on Thu, 06/03/2010 - 19:30Our form of government relies heavily on the feedback and involvement of its citizens in order to operate effectively, or least for the people it's meant to govern.
That means you help government operate more effectively by contacting elected officials on a regular basis. - whether they like it or not. But just remember that the old adage that “it’s not what you say, but how you say it” applies.
How you say something can be just as important as what you say. As Senator Hubert Humphrey once said, “The right to be speak does not necessarily include the right to be taken seriously”. If you have something important to say about your government, take the time to say it in the most effective way possible.
Basic grassroots lobbying
Submitted by Drew Mckissick on Mon, 05/31/2010 - 14:10No matter how involved you may become in the political process, every citizen (in the serious sense of the word) should know how to lobby their government.
Knowing how to effectively lobby – and doing so – is what gives conservatives a voice in the development of public policy. It’s not enough to show up at the ballot box every few years and elect some people to office. You’ve got to keep an eye on them once they get in, (even the one’s you may be friends with). Then let them hear from you when necessary. That’s the essence of grassroots lobbying.
But how to be more effective in the process?
Lobbying at the local level (fighting city hall)
Submitted by Drew Mckissick on Thu, 05/27/2010 - 20:16When it comes to local lobbying, the process is a little different because the local legislative process is different.
The biggest difference between local and state (or federal) lobbying is that there is usually just one chamber to deal with, (a council or a board), rather than two. The following is a brief description of one example for a city council.
Follow @DrewMcKissickTips on lobbying at the state level
Submitted by Drew Mckissick on Tue, 05/25/2010 - 14:59Previously we took a look at the steps of the legislative process, revolving mostly around Congress and opportunities for lobbying at the federal level. Although the state legislative processes and procedures are very similar to the federal level, there are differences between the two levels of government that you need to be aware of.
Follow @DrewMcKissickPrimary steps of the legislative process
Submitted by Drew Mckissick on Mon, 05/17/2010 - 21:04Previously we talked about the types and sources of legislation, but once a bill is actually introduced the fun is just beginning. There's a long gauntlet of potential roadblocks to becoming a law, (or opportunities to kill it, depending on your point of view).
Step 1 – Numbering the Bill: Once the bill has been introduced, it is num¬bered beginning with either “H.R.’ signifying a House bill, or with “S.’ signifying a Senate bill. The official legislative process then begins.
Step 2 – Referral to Committee: Bills are usually referred to standing commit¬tees in the House or Senate according to carefully defined rules of procedure, (such as by the Speaker or President of the Senate).
Follow @DrewMcKissickDecoding what's in the sausage: sources and types of legislation
Submitted by Drew Mckissick on Thu, 05/13/2010 - 17:29If you're going to be involved in working for or against legislation, it's a good idea to have a better understanding of legislation in general.
In other words, "where does it come from?", "how does it get started?", and "what's with all those different letters in front of bill numbers and what do they mean?".
Follow @DrewMcKissickThe slow motion sausage factory: understanding the legislative process
Submitted by Drew Mckissick on Mon, 05/10/2010 - 20:09So you want to know more about the legislative process? Glad you asked! Because if you want to have an impact on something you need to understand it first.
This will be the first in a series of entries geared to give you a better understanding of how the process works at all levels, then we'll talk about how to have an impact on it.
The slow motion sausage factory
All levels of government in our country have procedures that enable a bill (a proposed law) to become law. By knowing how this process works, you’ll be better equipped to influence legislation or to engage in any basic lobbying activities.
Follow @DrewMcKissick
From the Blog |
