Lobbying Print

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 comprehensive sex 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. This section addresses 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

A phone-in can be useful for getting a lot of people to share their opinions on the issue with the policy maker. For example, to build Senate support for the REAL Act, you can ask supporters to make calls to key members who haven’t yet become co-sponsors of the bill. You might arrange to have cell phones donated for a phone-in day. This would allow you and other organizers to go where students are—in coffee houses, libraries, cafeterias—and ask students to call their senator.

Once you’ve decided whom you will target, remember to:

  • Reserve at Least Two Tables and Four Phones with a campus office. Recruitment offices often have extra phones they use for follow-up with potential students. If you will be calling long-distance, make sure you have proper codes and connections for the calls.
  • Heavily Publicize the Phone Day(s) and Time(s). Let people know that a three-minute call can make a big difference! Visit classes and clubs to get youth to come to the call-in event.
  • Prepare a Sign or Banner for the Table to Draw Students to the Call-in Day.
  • Prepare a Brief Phone Script, phone numbers, and a calling log. The calling log should report who was called, how many times, responses received, and contact information for follow-up.

Sample Phone Script

Hello, my name is ____________ and I’m a resident of ___________ (state). I live at ________________. (Give your address to ensure that your call is recorded and that you receive a response). I’m calling to request that Senator ___________ co-sponsor the REAL Act.

Passage of the REAL Act would ensure that federal money permits states to develop a responsible approach to sex education in schools—an approach that includes information about both abstinence and also contraception. I and my peers deserve accurate and comprehensive information about our sexual and reproductive health.

I hope that Senator ___________ will decide to co-sponsor the REAL Act. I look forward to hearing from the Senator on this important issue.

Writing Policy Makers

Writing letters, especially via e-mail or fax, can be an effective way to lobby policy makers. Mailed letters once had more impact. However, today, with lengthy protective delays in paper mail actually being delivered to Congressional legislators, it is better to send your letter via e-mail or fax.

Tips

  • Be Brief and Succinct. A short, one-page letter will have far more impact than a letter that goes on for ten pages. State your main point in the first paragraph, and discuss only one issue. State clearly how you want the elected official to vote. Remember to make sure that your letter speaks briefly to five W’s: who you are, what you are writing about, why it’s important, what you want the policy maker to do, and where you can be reached. For background, you can also include a newspaper clipping or single fact sheet that presents more information on the issue.
  • Ensure that the Policy Maker Receives Your Letter. When the policy making body is in session, send your letter to the offices of the school board, state legislative body, county council, etc. Out of session, use the policy maker’s home or personal office address. For e-mail, check whether the policy maker uses different e-mail addresses at different times. Specifically when writing to a Congressperson, use e-mail or fax.
  • Follow up. Make a quick call to confirm receipt of the letter. You can simply say to the receptionist: “I’m calling Ms. Jones to make sure she received my letter about the REAL Act.” Leave your name and phone number. Continue to call or write until your receive acknowledgment of your letter.

Face-to-Face Visits with Policy Makers

Face-to-face meetings are the best way to address your issue with a policy maker, and it’s easier than you may think to visit policy makers.

Tips

  • Schedule a Meeting. Most Congressional offices require meeting requests in writing. See below for a sample meeting request. Follow-up with a phone call a few days after you submitted the request. Be persistent – sometimes it takes a few follow-up calls to confirm a meeting.
  • Invite Additional Interested People. Invite other people working on this issue to also participate in the meeting. Don’t go overboard—three to five is perfect number for a visit.
  • Be Flexible. Expect interruptions and changes in schedules or staff’s availability. If you can’t meet with the policy maker, meet with the staff person who assists the policy maker in the area you want to address.
  • Be Prompt. Don’t be late. It’s rude and sets a bad tone for the meeting before it has even begun. You will usually have very little time with the policy maker and you don’t want to waste it. If you are running late, call ahead to let the policy maker’s office know that you will be late and ask if the appointment should be rescheduled.
  • Be Prepared. Make the most of your visit. Plan your presentation in advance. Plan a five-minute presentation (10 minutes at the most!) and expect to spend no more than 15 minutes with the policy maker. Make your important points in a clear and succinct manner. Be sure to include personal stories and briefly note personal relationships and whether you are the policy maker’s constituent(s).
  • Leave Materials Behind. A short (one-to two-page) summary regarding the organization you represent, the issue you are meeting about, and your request for action is all you need to leave behind.
  • Follow up. Send a note immediately after the meeting, thanking the policy maker for her/his time.
  • Stay Organized. Keep a record of who attended, what information was shared, and any actions promised to or by the policy maker.

Sample Meeting Request (Fax)

DATE

Attn: (Name of Scheduler)
The Honorable (Name)
Member of Congress
Washington, DC 20515 [May use local address]

Ms./Mr. (Name of scheduler):

I am writing to request an appointment for a few constituents to meet with Senator __________ in (name of town where office is) to discuss the Responsible Education About Life Act, federal legislation that would support comprehensive sex education.

My preference for a meeting date would be (date), but my colleagues and I can be flexible for time on the Senator’s schedule.

Those attending the meeting, depending on its scheduled date, may include:

(First person)
(Title and organization if relevant)
(Street Address)
(City, State, Zip)

(Third person)
(Title and organization if relevant)
(Street Address)
(City, State, Zip)

   

(Second person)
(Title and organization if relevant)
(Street Address)
(City, State, Zip)

(Fourth person)
(Title and organization if relevant)
(Street Address)
(City, State, Zip)

Please contact me to let me know when the Senator might be available. If I haven’t heard from you, I will follow up with you in the next week by phone.

Thank you,

(Your name)
(Your address)
(Your telephone number)
(Your e-mail address)

Tips for Effective Lobbying

  • Target Your Efforts. Examine your goals and determine the policy makers it will be most effective to lobby.
  • Be Gracious and Professional. Always begin by thanking the policy maker for the opportunity to share your ideas and opinions. Elected officials who support adolescent reproductive and sexual health, in particular, receive a lot of negative attention from the opposition. They will greatly appreciate a sincere “thank you.”
  • Do your Homework and Be Focused. Stick with one issue. Talking about more than one topic will only confuse the message and dilute your point. Research the policy maker’s position on your issue. You can find this position through voting records, speeches, newspaper articles, debates, and from other organizations that work in related areas.
  • Make It Personal. Elected officials (and their staff) are more likely to remember letters and visits that include real life experiences, so be sure to briefly describe a personal experience that illustrates your point. Also, no matter how insignificant you feel the connection to be, if you have friends, relatives, and/or colleagues in common, let the policy maker know! Especially let the policy maker know if you are a constituent!
  • Consider Yourself an Information Source. Policy makers have limited time and staff to devote to any one issue. They can’t be as informed on all the issues as they would like to be. You can fill the information gap.
  • Know Your Opposition as well as Who Is on Your Side. Anticipate who may be in the opposition and tell the policy maker what the opposition arguments are likely to be. Provide clarification and rebuttal. It is also helpful for a policy maker to know what other groups, individuals, state agencies, and/or legislators are working with you on an issue. Providing this information illustrates that your group represents many voters. Bringing coalition members and other youth in on lobbying efforts is important.
  • Tell the Truth and Don’t Be Afraid to Admit You Don’t Know Something. Giving false or misleading information will result in your losing credibility. If you don’t know something, don’t make it up. Explain that you do not know the answer and offer to get the information, and DO IT! Be sure to get back to the policy maker promptly with the information you promised.
  • Be Specific in What You Ask for. If you want a vote, information, answers to a question, a signature on a petition – whatever it is – make sure you say so directly. Make sure you get a response – yes or no – to your request..
  • Follow up. Send a thank you note immediately following a meeting. Also, find out if the policy maker did what he/she promised. Send a letter in which you restate your position, thank her/him for the supportive action taken, or ask an explanation for unsupportive action.

Dealing with Agreement or Opposition

What if the Policy Maker STRONGLY AGREES with my Position?

  • Thank the Policy Maker.
  • Ask the Policy Maker to Take a Leadership Role on the Issue in the policy making body, the media, and/or the community. It is appropriate to ask the policy maker to:
    • Write an article for a newsletter
    • Sign a petition or letter of support
    • Permit public use of the his/her name
    • Sponsor a bill
    • Offer amendments to policy or legislation
    • Make speeches at public forums
    • Agree to vote for, or against, a resolution.
  • Ask the Policy Maker’s Advice about Talking with Other Policy Makers—whom to talk with, what arguments make the best case for the issue, and what media strategy will be most effective in gathering support for the policy.
  • Ask What Information or Constituency Would Be Helpful in swaying additional policy makers to your position. Then work to produce these materials or advocates.
  • Ask the Policy Maker to “Lobby” Undecided Colleagues. Provide a list of these undecided colleagues.
  • Thank the Policy Maker again.

What if the Policy Maker AGREES with my Position?

  • Thank the Policy Maker.
  • Assure the Policy Maker of Your Continued Interest in the Issue and Your Continued Support for the position he/she has taken.
  • Ask if the Policy Maker Would Be Willing to Help in any way Beyond Voting. If yes, refer to the tips above under STRONGLY AGREES.
  • Thank the Policy Maker again.

What if the Policy Maker Is UNDECIDED or NONCOMMITTAL?

  • Thank the Policy Maker.
  • Inform the Policy Maker of Your Interest in the Issue or Legislation.
  • Ask about the Policy Maker’s Viewpoint to investigate whether his/her position arises from personal or political factors, a lack of information, misinformation, or a combination of these factors. Adjust your strategy accordingly.
  • Present the Case as Clearly and Concisely as Possible. If possible, ask constituents, including teens, to make the presentation.
  • Ask if There Are Specific Groups or Individuals from Whom the Policy Maker Would Like to Hear on this Issue.
  • Offer to Provide Information that Will Help Inform the Policy Maker about the Issue.
  • Thank the Policy Maker again for the Opportunity to Talk with Her/Him.
  • Follow up by Providing the Information You Promised and/or that addresses the policy maker’s reservations.
  • Express Thanks for Her/His Support or Disappointment for Nonsupport once the policy maker has indicated a position.
  • Keep in Touch to Nurture the Relationship.

What if the Policy Maker Is OPPOSED to my Position?

  • Thank the Policy Maker for the Opportunity to Present Your Views.
  • Determine how Strong the Policy Maker’s Position Is, and upon what it is based. If the opposition is not vehement, it may be worth trying to change his/her position.
  • If the Policy Maker Appears Movable, Present Information that Addresses His/Her Concerns. Make sure that the policy maker hears from constituents who support your position. Strategize and present the case most likely to resonate with this particular policy maker.
  • Thank the Policy Maker again for the Opportunity to Present Your Views.
  • Stay in Touch to Nurture the Relationship with the Policy Maker.

What if the Policy Maker Is STRONGLY OPPOSED to my Position?

  • Thank the Policy Maker for the Opportunity to Talk.
  • Ask Him/Her Not to Lobby Colleagues on the Issue. If you expect a close vote and cannot win without his/her cooperation, ask him/her to “walk” (be absent) when the vote occurs.
  • Write and Express Your Disappointment in the Position and/or Vote Taken. Don’t waste your time and energy trying to move this particular policy maker.