How To...
Below are tips that will help you take action effectively. You can scroll down to view them all or pick one of the topics below.
Write a Letter to Your Member of Congress
How to Meet With Your Member of Congress
Write a Letter to Your Member of Congress
Why?
Letter writing is a proven way of getting your representatives' attention. Your letters have weight not only because you are a potential voter, but also because most people don't write them. As one Congressman put it, "We legislators estimate that 10 letters from constituents represent the concerns of 10,000 citizens. Anybody who will take the time to write is voicing the fears and desires of thousands more."Basic Steps:
1. Open your letter by applauding a positive stance the representative has taken in the past-a commendable speech, a just decision, a vote in support of the issue.
2. Get straight to the point and explain your position. Stating your reasons in your own words is far more effective than sending a form letter.
3. Specifics like relevant personal experience and documented facts will make your letter more persuasive.
4. Ask a challenging question, and ask for a response. Staff members read and answer the mail, so if you ask something that can't be answered in a form letter, they'll be more likely to pass it on to the representative him/herself.
5. Ask to be put on the representative's mailing list.
6. If you don't receive a satisfactory answer, follow up and press for a response.
Focusing Your Efforts:
- Choose one issue/ piece of legislation per letter.
- Focus on "swing" members of Congress-those who have mixed voting records on the issue, or are undecided. Also, be sure to write letters in support of representatives who have advocated your issue in Congress and voted consistently for it. This may strengthen their position in the future.
- Time your letter effectively: send it when legislation is still in committee or still scheduled for hearings. You can track legislation at thomas.loc.gov.
- If possible, coordinate your letter with related events (demonstrations, etc.).
Important Points to Remember:
- Be clear, direct and concise.
- Be courteous, whether or not you agree with the Congress member's position. Do not be threatening or violent.
- Check your spelling, especially of names.
- Make sure your return address is on the letter as well as on the envelope. This is important for two reasons: it's necessary if you want a response, and it shows you are a voter in the representative's district/state.
Other Considerations:
- Some sources recommend typing letters; others advise writing them by hand, or adding a handwritten note to typed correspondence, to reinforce the fact that it's not a form letter. In any case, your letter should be legible and easy to read.
- When mail volume on a particular issue is high, staff members will sometimes glance at a letter to see it's "pro" or "con" and then sort it into the appropriate pile. According to the War Resisters League Organizer's Manual, it's not unheard of for staff to then simply weigh each pile (yes, literally weigh it) instead of counting all the letters. The WRL tip: write on heavy paper.
Why?
- You will expose readers to opinions that are often under-represented.
- You will provide a voice that otherwise may not have been heard.
- You will get the attention of representatives, who often read their hometown papers to gauge opinion.
- You will reinforce responsible journalism, show that readers notice fair reporting and sound editorials, and bring attention to newspaper biases, failings, and inaccuracies.
Basic Steps:
1. Hook the reader with a powerful first sentence.
2. If you are offering criticism of the paper, start on a positive note and make it constructive. A rude letter may annoy the very person in charge of deciding whether it gets published.
3. Get straight to the point. If applicable, explain the issue's direct effect on your life (and, by extension, others' lives). Point out who stands to gain, given a certain resolution. Give specifics.
4. Mention legislators by name; they may be reading.
5. Double-check your quotes, facts, and figures before you send your letter.
6. Ensure that your name, address, and telephone number are on the letter. The newspaper may need this information to get in touch with you, and they won't publish it. (Some papers will publish your email address if you supply it.)Focusing Your Efforts:
- Be timely. Hit issues as they're happening, and respond to specific articles and opinion pieces within three days of their publication.
Important Points to Remember:
- As with letters to representatives, be clear and direct.
- Keep it to 100-150 (or fewer) words-you'll run less risk of having your letter pared down by editors.
- Short words; short sentences; short paragraphs. It will be more publishable and more potent.
- Be positive, not defensive (or offensive).
Other Considerations:
One helpful way to monitor the arc of coverage on any particular story or to determine the newspaper's editorial bent is to keep a file of relevant clippings. These will come in handy when you write letters to the editor, not to mention letters to members of Congress.Why?
Nearly half of all American adults listen to talk radio for at least an hour a week; for many, its attraction lies in the range of opinions, and it's their primary source of staying current with politics.When you call in to a program, you are reaching thousands of these people at once, providing a voice that may not be heard otherwise.
Basic Steps:
1. Be prepared before you call. Write a quick reference sheet with your main points and any facts or information you want to remember to mention. Keep a glass of water nearby.
2. A producer may screen your call before you get on the air, so be ready to summarize to him or her.
3. When you're on, turn your radio off to avoid feedback.
4. Take a deep breath.
5. Get right to the point. Start out with your most interesting piece of information. This could be a fact, a statistic (but don't use too many of them), or relevant credentials in brief.
6. State your position and back it up with reasons, including your personal experience or local examples.
7. Be concise; you will probably have no more than two minutes. Keep your main focus in mind.
8. Speak with passion, but don't be defensive or argumentative. If your host makes a hostile remark, don't take the bait.
9. Thank your host by name before you hang up.
Focusing Your Efforts:
Make sure you're familiar with the show before you call in. Listen for at least a few days and pay attention to the disposition (political and otherwise) of the host, guests, and audience.Important Points to Remember:
- Don't rush; speak clearly.
- You are trying to win over the audience, not alienate them. Be compassionate and rational; consider their point of view when you're thinking of how to explain your reasoning. Don't use jargon or unexplained acronyms.
- If you are responding to something the host or another caller has said, summarize the previous point before you support or refute it.
Other Considerations:
If you know of an upcoming guest or topic of interest, consider organizing a group of people to call in separately, making it more likely that your viewpoint will be heard.
How to Meet with Your Member of CongressWhy?
It gives a diverse group of constituents the chance to meet face-to-face with a Congressperson on a single issue, showing voter support. You will have the opportunity to educate and influence your representative toward positive action.Basic Steps:
1. Organize a group of people to attend the meeting. Your group should represent as many of the Congressperson's constituencies as possible, showing a broad base of voter support for the issue.
2. Decide what your agenda will be. It should be specific and targeted-a request to co-sponsor legislation, vote in support of or against a particular bill, make a floor speech, write a "Dear Colleague" letter, ratify a treaty.
3. Compile a packet of relevant information. This should include a statement that summarizes your main points, and might encompass fact sheets, relevant articles or editorials, statistics, etc.
4. Choose a main spokesperson, and decide on questions to be asked or points to be made by other group members.
5. Contact your Congressperson's local office to schedule a meeting. Many Members of Congress go home on the weekends, and chances are it will be easier to meet with them locally than in Washington.
6. Arrive on time.
7. The spokesperson makes opening remarks. Try to start off with support for the Congressperson, commending them on a position or stand they've taken in the past.
8. Go on to briefly and directly summarize your main points. Make your presentation direct, diplomatic, and interesting, and clearly communicate what you are asking of the Congressperson.
9. Ask what the Congressperson's position is and whether you can count on him/her to take action in support of your issue. If s/he tries to dodge the issue or change the subject, ask again.
10. Listen carefully to what your Congressperson has to say, even if you disagree. Don't be argumentative.
11. Summarize your points again and thank the Congressperson for his/her time.
12. Present the Congressperson with your packet of information, which should include your name and contact information, in case s/he has further questions.
13. Send a letter thanking the Member of Congress for meeting with you. If s/he seemed responsive to certain parts of your presentation, use this as an opening to send along more information (e.g., a fact sheet), or to arrange a second meeting.Focusing Your Efforts:
- Check the Congressperson's position on the issue before you meet with him/her.
- Your main leverage in meeting with a Member of Congress is that you have votes behind you, so make sure you communicate the many groups that benefit from and support your issue. This is even more effective if the groups would not have otherwise voted for the representative, but will if s/he takes action.
Important Points to Remember:
If you are asked a question to which you don't know the answer, don't panic. Say you don't know but will find out, and get the necessary contact information so you can send the answer and related materials later.Appeal to the Congressperson as an informative resource as well as a concerned voter.
Other Considerations:
Try to arrange a meeting with the Member of Congress, but if s/he isn't available, meet with an assistant. In addition to informing someone who has influence over your Member's position in the future, you will have the opportunity to better understand his/her current position.
