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Thinking Globally, Acting Locally by John SoaresTable of ContentsI. PARTIES, ELECTIONS AND GOVERNMENT SERVICE V. CHANGING BUSINESS PRACTICES VI. PROTESTS AND CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE APPENDIX
1: INTEREST GROUPS The actions of government affect you every day. The government has rules for the quality of the water you drink, how fast you can drive your car on the way to work or school, how much money you'll pay in taxes, and how much tuition you'll pay at a public university. So government obviously impacts you, but you in turn can impact the government. And don't think that you are only one person and the power of one person doesn't matter. Rosa Parks is only one person. When she refused to give up her bus seat for a white man in Montgomery, Alabama in 1955 she became the catalyst that sparked the civil rights movement to many important victories. You do have the power to make a difference. This booklet presents many ways you can be a part of the political system. It describes how you can join a political party and affect the political demands of that party; help elect candidates that support your positions; help or hinder the passage of a referendum or initiative put before the voters; run for office yourself and serve in government; get yourself appointed to boards and commissions; work through interest groups to effect change; use newspapers, newsmagazines, television, radio and the Internet to broadcast your message and gain support; affect the actions of businesses; and organize a protest or boycott. The last chapter discusses how you can work alone for change in small and large ways using the methods described earlier in the book. Finally, the appendix lists a large number of interest groups along with information on how to contact them. Note that much of the information in this booklet is applicable to issues involving your own school. Tune in to what's happening on your campus. Talk to people in student government about getting involved or running for office. Lobby the administration and faculty for the policies you desire. Make your views known to alumni and donors. Check and see if you can get selected for your college's board of trustees. The Political System The political system model, a favorite of political scientists for decades, presents a simplified, easy-to-understand way to make sense of the way government creates policy, be it at the local, state, or national level. There are five interrelated components of the political system: the public, linkage institutions, the policy agenda, policymaking institutions, and policy. The public is impacted by government policies. Citizens have various desires and concerns about those policies, and they have desires and concerns about current issues, problems and events that they would like addressed in new policies. Linkage institutions-political parties, elections, interest groups, media-articulate and help coordinate these desires and concerns to form the policy agenda, the series of issues under consideration by the policymaking institutions of government. These policymaking institutions comprise the legislature (U.S. Congress, state legislatures, county board of supervisors, city council) which considers and passes legislation into law; the executive (president, governor, mayor) which usually has an important role in the legislative process and is responsible for ensuring that laws are "executed," i.e. carried out; the bureaucracy (government departments and agencies) that actually carries out the laws under the direction of the executive; and a court system (federal courts, state courts) which determines whether or not laws are in accord with the United States Constitution and/or state constitutions, and if laws are being faithfully carried out by the bureaucracy. The output of the policymaking institutions is policy, which can include increased or decreased taxes, the creation or elimination of programs that benefit certain citizens or businesses, regulations on a host of subjects ranging from the composition of car exhaust to who can own what guns, and also non-decisions-essentially a decision to take no action on an issue on the policy agenda. To complete the circle, government policies affect the citizenry, which again makes demands through linkage institutions to place issues on the policy agenda, and so forth. Top of DocumentA Hypothetical Example Let's say you, part of the public, strongly oppose underage drinking and want to do all you can to stop it. You can use linkage institutions to help your cause: join a political party that strongly shares your views and attempt to elect its candidates; work in an interest group such as SADD (Students Against Drunk Driving) or MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving); write letters to the editors newspapers and magazines, and perhaps make a video on the impact of underage drinking on your town and have it shown on your local community access channel. These actions raise the visibility of underage drinking on the policy agenda, making it more likely the policymaking institutions will develop stronger policies discouraging underage drinking. Now let's look at the different policy actions the various policymaking institutions can take in response to the demands you and your like-minded fellow citizens make through linkage institutions about underage drinking, beginning at the national (federal) level. Congress could pass legislation mandating stiff penalties for stores that sell liquor to underage persons. It could also twist the arms of states by withholding federal highway funds if states don't have a minimum drinking age of 21 or don't have certain programs in place to combat underage drinking. It could also increase the funding for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms with the provision that the extra funds be used to combat underage drinking. The president could give a major speech outlining a new initiative to combat underage drinking, which could include increased funding for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms and the appointment of a blue-ribbon panel to investigate the problem and make recommendations. The president could also instruct the relevant bureaucratic agencies to do all they could to fight the problem. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms could decide to focus on underage drinking, shifting resources, if necessary, from other operations under its jurisdiction. The Federal Trade Commission could ban certain types of liquor advertising if it felt the ads were targeted primarily at underage drinkers. The National Institutes of Health could increase funding for studies on the health effects of drinking on young people. Individuals and groups could sue liquor companies in federal court, charging that their products are dangerous and do harm. Health care providers and insurance companies, and even state governments, could also sue for the same reasons. Similar actions could take place at the state level. State legislatures could pass laws imposing large fines and long jail terms for store owners and/or clerks that sell alcohol to underage persons, and for overage persons that buy alcohol for underage persons. The governor could support such legislation and also instruct state agencies to combat the problem in a manner analogous to the proposed presidential actions above. Lawsuits could be brought in state courts to supplement action in the federal courts. Local governments could pass laws revoking liquor licenses of any establishment that sells alcohol to underage patrons. Local police departments could set up sting operations to catch businesses that sell alcohol illegally. Local schools and colleges could institute anti-drinking campaigns on campus. Of course, you and your group can lobby the policymaking institutions at all levels of government to further the goal of ending underage drinking. For example, you could have like-minded legislators introduce legislation and you could then lobby for its passage throughout the entire process of turning proposed law into actual law. You could also lobby the president or governor and the relevant bureaucratic agencies. You'll find the details of these methods in chapter 3. Top of DocumentI. PARTIES, ELECTIONS & GOVERNMENT SERVICE In the American political system many of the most important policymakers are elected: presidents, governors, members of Congress, mayors, city council members. The policy positions of these officials do matter. Get involved in a political party and in election campaigns and help determine which people with what positions have a shot at winning those policymaking slots. Top of DocumentPolitical Parties The two obvious ones are the Democratic Party and the Republican Party, but if your ideological predilections lie with the Libertarian Party, the Green Party or any other third party, by all means follow your principles and help 'em out. There are many things you can do for a political party. The easiest thing to do is join. Contact your county or city registrar to find out how. You can often do it when you register to vote. The other options for helping a party involves contact with someone who works for the party. You can look the party up in the phone book or call the League of Women Voters. (The latter is an excellent source for information on parties and government.) Party organization varies from state to state, but is essentially hierarchical, often with local county committees, a state committee, and a national committee. Most likely you will work within the local party at the city and county level. Note that it's quite possible for an industrious volunteer who logs a lot of hours of service to gain a spot on the county committee and move up the power structure. This is also an excellent way to garner support within the party if you plan on running for office someday. You can help the party perform its normal day-to-day activities, which can consist of raising funds, writing and sending newsletters, maintaining mailing lists, and a host of other activities. Of course, you can also support a party by making a generous donation. Top of DocumentGet Involved in Elections You don't have to be a member of a political party to get involved in an election. Indeed, many local elections are non-partisan. The League of Women Voters will most likely be able to direct you to the right someone within your chosen campaign. Once you're in as a volunteer there are plenty of things to do. You can tack posters around town, deliver literature door-to-door, stuff envelopes, make phone calls, conduct polls, serve tea at fund-raisers, and set up campaign events. You may also be able to offer specific skills such as writing, editing, graphic design or photography. Many state constitutions provide for the initiative and referendum. These two instruments, especially the former, can engender intense and expensive political battles over passage, and you can join the fray. The referendum allows voters to approve or disapprove legislation or proposed constitutional change referred to the voters by the state legislature. The initiative also proposes new law or constitutional change. However, it is "initiated" by the citizens, which usually means an interest group or a coalition of interest groups. To place an initiative on the ballot, its supporters usually must gather a minimum number of signatures of registered voters, often a percentage (say five percent) of the number who voted in a specific previous election. Sponsoring and running a drive to pass an initiative has many similarities to running a campaign for elected office (see below), but there are some added considerations. Since an initiative is a piece of legislation it needs to be precisely worded so that it means (hopefully) what you think it means; you will likely need the help of a legislator and the legislator's staff. You'll probably also need to hire signature gatherers, because the number of signatures required to qualify for the ballot is often too high to be collected by volunteers alone. Overall, you need plenty of money and supporters, and you must wage an extensive, well-planned media campaign to both educate voters and thwart opponents' attempts to discredit you. Top of DocumentIf the People Want Me… What, you want to run for office yourself? A noble calling perhaps, depending on your motivations. A detailed discussion of campaigning for office would easily fill a book. As a matter of fact, the particulars have already filled several books-check your favorite bookstore. Here's one particular: many offices have minimum age requirements that will preclude most younger college students. Call the League of Women Voters or the country registrar, or ask a reference librarian to help you. You may also run into reverse ageism: some folks may think you are too young and inexperienced for certain offices, especially at the state and national levels. The type of office you seek will determine the amount of effort and money it will take to run a credible campaign. A bid for a city council seat in a small town or a spot on the local parks and recreation board may not require too much money or time, perhaps a thousand bucks and the help of family and friends. If you're aiming at the big-city offices, the state legislature, state-wide offices, or Congress, you're in a totally different ball game. Besides a detailed strategy you'll want lots volunteers and lots of money. You'll need that money to pay for television ads and a professional campaign staff consisting of a manager, a fund-raiser, a pollster, a press secretary, and finally an accountant to keep track of all the finances and to ensure your fund-raising and spending follow applicable laws. You'll have to raise that money from interest groups, businesses, and private individuals. Top of DocumentAnother Path to Government Service Many cities and counties have their mayors or governing bodies appoint the members of many commissions (also called boards). Examples of commissions could be the Historic Preservation Review Commission, the Parks and Recreation Board, the Planning Commission, the Police Commission, and the Board of Ethics. If you are interested in serving on a commission, contact the city or county government offices and inquire about what you need to do to be considered for appointment. Top of DocumentInterest groups are a key linkage institution of the political system. There are two broad types of interest groups: economic and non-economic. Economic interest groups try to fatten the wallets of their members. Examples include the Communication Workers of America (labor union), National Association of Manufacturers (big business), the American Farm Bureau Federation (agriculture), and the American Medical Association (professionals, doctors in this case). Non-economic groups typically promote a certain value (environmental protection, gun ownership rights, civil liberties, equality). A few sample groups: The Nature Conservancy, National Rifle Association, American Civil Liberties Union, Children's Defense Fund. The stands promoted by such groups typically seem more important to college students than the stands of economic interest groups. Of course, this can definitely change once you leave college and dive into the working world. There are many thousands of interest groups out there, and many would love to have you as a member. Appendix 1 contains the pertinent details on numerous interest groups. So how do you decide where to focus your activist energies? For starters, you need to learn about what happens in the world. Subscribe to a good daily newspaper, typically one from the nearest large city. Read newsmagazines such as Newsweek and The Nation. Watch television news. Listen to radio news, especially in-depth news programs on National Public Radio. Examine an American government textbook. You'll notice certain events and practices that spark your interest. Once you've found your focus, look for existing groups that address the issue. Call, write, or e-mail for information. And don't forget cyberspace; many interest groups have detailed websites (see Appendix 1). Many national and international interest groups will have local branches in your area, or perhaps you're interested in a local issue and will hook up with a local grassroots group. If there is something specific you want to do at the local level and no other group is addressing it, you have two options. First, approach a group with a similar philosophy and issue stance as you and see if you can join it and direct its attention to your issue of interest. If this isn't feasible your second option is to bite the bullet and form your own organization. Top of DocumentStarting Your Own Group Jump-starting a new grassroots interest group is not always easy. Be prepared to do the bulk of the work yourself, especially in the beginning; it can take time to expand membership and develop a dedicated corps of volunteers. A successful first meeting is crucial to your long-term success. You must advertise extensively. (See chapter 4). Shoot off a news release to all media-use your creativity to craft a catchy headline and compelling content. Flood the region with flyers and tell every one you know about the what, when, where of the event. See if your college instructors will let you announce the meeting in class. All communications should include the meeting place and time, and a contact number for more information. Prior to the meeting, prepare a handout for distribution to your potential co-conspirators. The handout will clearly spell out the mission of the new group. This will keep you, your meeting, and your group's future on track; amiably suggest to those who don't agree with the mission that they should find another arena for their energies. Now some specifics of running a group. Decide how the group will reach decisions. The old-fashioned way is by majority vote. Some groups, especially liberal and environmental groups, use consensus, in which members discuss matters until all agree on the proper course of action. This can be very time-consuming and frustrating, but decreases the likelihood that members with minority views will feel alienated and perhaps drop away from the group. Compromise methods include a vote if it is difficult to reach consensus, perhaps with a super-majority of two-thirds or three-fourths. Of course, you can use super-majority voting even if you don't use consensus decision making. You also have to select officers. You should be the president, unless you are forming the group with other people who share your level of dedication and skill and one of them wants the job. Quickly hold nominations for vice-president, treasurer, and secretary; then vote and congratulate the winners. In addition you need to choose a name for the group. Have suggestions prepared ahead of time, but let the group decide. You want a name that is catchy, memorable, and descriptive. Two more items round out your first-night agenda. First you must decide when and where to meet in the future. Ideally the meetings should always be held at the same time and place. Have the place pre-determined. It should be someplace free, like a college classroom or a church or a non-profit organization's headquarters. Avoid having it in your or someone else's home. Suggest several meeting times; weeknights are usually best. Meet at least once a month. Second, you need to plan the group's initial actions. You should present two to four potential actions for the group, each relatively easy to accomplish in the short-term and each carefully described on the handout. Lead a group discussion of the potential actions and see where interest lies. Perhaps you can pursue two simultaneously, but not more than that. Your group needs an early success to boost morale and momentum. Make sure that plans on one or more actions are moving forward before the first meeting ends. You also need money. Here are some ideas: charge members dues; hold a raffle for prizes donated by local businesses; convince local bands to do a benefit concert; ask businesses and corporations for donations; approach national non-profit organizations with similar goals as yours for funding. Be wary of bake sales and car washes and the like. They may be fun, but compared to the time you all invest the monetary return may be minimal. Top of DocumentLobbying is the art and science of influencing government policy, which boils down to influencing individual decisionmakers, primarily legislators. But you do need to know some things about the policymaking process, especially… Top of DocumentHow a Bill Becomes a Law This is standard American government textbook stuff. You need to understand the basics of the process because there are several areas where you can lobby to change the content of a bill or to help or hinder its passage. Here we'll examine in simplified form how a bill becomes a law in the U.S. Congress. The process in state legislatures is analogous; substitute the governor for the president and be aware that the names and powers of the two legislative chambers can vary somewhat. The process is usually simplified at the city and county level; typically there is only one chamber and few if any committees, and the mayor may or may not have veto power. Legislation is often introduced, amended, debated and voted on during regular meetings. The process divides into five phases: bill introduction, committee action, floor action, conference action, presidential action. Bill introduction. A member of Congress sponsors a bill, which can be written by the member or by anyone else. The bill is assigned to the appropriate legislative committee composed of legislators from both parties. A member in the other chamber also introduces the same bill (or perhaps a similar bill) where it is also assigned to a legislative committee. Committee action. The committees study the bill and hold hearings on the bill's impacts and purported benefits and disadvantages. The committees can rewrite the bill, amend the bill, or kill it. Floor action. If the bill makes it out of committee, the leadership (top members of the majority party in that chamber) schedule the bill for consideration by the full chamber. During consideration members debate the bill and offer amendments. Eventually a vote is taken. Conference action. After passing through the two separate committees and floor amending processes, the two bills coming out of the two chambers are probably not the same. A conference committee composed of members of the House and Senate resolve the differences and come up with a single bill that is a compromise between the two original bills. This bill returns to both chambers for another vote. Presidential decision. If both the House and Senate pass the compromise bill, it is sent to the president. The bill can become law in three ways. First, the president can sign it. Second, the president can refuse to sign it; after ten working days the bill becomes law. Third, the president can veto the bill. It takes a two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate to override a presidential veto and ensure the bill becomes law. As you can see, there are numerous places to affect the bill. You can help write a bill and have a sympathetic legislator introduce it. You can testify at committee hearings and contact all the members of a committee about your views of a bill, pro or con, including whether or not you want the bill reported out of committee. You can also have amendments to a bill introduced in committee by a sympathetic legislator. Once a bill reaches the floor for consideration by the entire membership of the chamber more opportunities arise. Lobby legislators to vote your way, and/or to offer amendments. This is also a phase where you want public opinion to favor your position and thus pressure legislators. You can continue similar efforts at the conference committee stage and before the final vote in the House and Senate. Finally, you can lobby the president to either sign or veto the bill. Top of DocumentSo There's a New Law. Now What? A department or agency of the bureaucracy (usually under the ultimate direction of the president) is charged by Congress with ensuring that a law is actually implemented. Often times bureaucrats have discretion in deciding exactly how a law will be implemented; the law gives general guidelines. You can lobby bureaucrats to implement the law in a way most favorable to your position. Even after a law is passed Congress is still involved. Through the oversight process, committees often hold hearings on the implementation of the law to see if the implementation matches the spirit of the law. If not, a new bill may be introduced that gives more explicit directions, or bureaucrats may be chastised for not following the law. This presents another opportunity for you to assert your views. You can also bring to the attention of sympathetic members of Congress any transgressions of the bureaucracy in implementing the law. One other route to affecting change through laws lies open to you: the courts. Under certain conditions you can sue a bureaucratic agency for improperly implementing a law, or you can challenge a law on constitutional grounds. Such suits can be expensive and complicated. Top of DocumentInfluencing Decisionmakers To maximize your influence you need to know what a decisionmaker's most probable position is on your issue, and you need to know what motivates the decisionmaker. Find out the former by checking past statements and votes or decisions of the decisionmaker, and by asking other groups and people who know the decisionmaker. Concentrate on likely supporters and those that are on the fence. Don't waste your time trying to convince a staunch opponent to come around to your position. It rarely happens. Gaining your specific goals requires a good feel for the motivations of decisionmakers. Nearly all decisionmakers want to retain their power of decisionmaking (and hopefully increase it). A bureaucrat wants to keep his position and build his power base. More relevant for most interest groups, however, are legislators. A legislator wants to be reelected in the next election. The most obvious requirement for reelection is, of course, the support of enough voters in the legislator's district. So a legislator wants to know how her position on your issue will affect her standing with the voters. But there's a second consideration: money. Legislators need lots of money to run reelection campaigns. So, to convince the legislator to support you, you need to convince her that it will gain her votes and/or more campaign money. The money part comes through donations from your group's political action committee and the donations from individual members of your group, and also from others who are not members of your group but decide to donate money based on the legislator's support of your position. So how do you convince her that casting her lot with you will gain her votes in the next election? Give her lots of information-statistics, study results, perhaps personal stories from affected individuals. Cite relevant polls in her district, if these polls show majority support for your position. Let her know how many of your members reside in her district and would thus be likely to vote for her based on her support on this issue. Have group members send her letters (or faxes, e-mails, or phone calls) requesting her support and explaining why they want it. (Note: personally written and composed letters carry much more weight than the pre-written and pre-printed form letter many interest groups use.) Finally, launch a media campaign (see chapter 4) to move public opinion in your direction. A few more hints. Try to develop a personal relationship with the people in power, and don't forget staff members-these folks are often important sources of information and advice for legislators (and bureaucrats) and make good targets for your lobbying efforts. In addition, be willing to join a coalition with like-minded groups. This can create a synergy that will yield greater results than if you all worked separately. Top of DocumentScheduling and Conducting a Meeting with a Policymaker Let's discuss a hypothetical first meeting with a legislator. Say you and some comrades have formed a local group and you want to meet with a state senator who's on the fence about an upcoming bill of major interest to your group. Call the legislator's capitol office or district office and request a 10-20 minute meeting. Let them know who you are, who you represent, and what you want to discuss. Bring fellow group members (there's strength in numbers) and be sure you all dress appropriately. Have only one person be the main speaker for the group. Bring a couple of copies of the bill with you and perhaps a one-page handout for the legislator that outlines the reasons why you support or oppose the bill. Have your main talking points outlined in your head (or on paper if necessary) before you go in. Be polite and relaxed and stay focused on your message (which can include references to support for or opposition to the bill in the legislator's home district) and what you want the legislator to do. Don't stay longer than the length of time allotted for the meeting. Follow up a few days later with a thank-you note and a reminder of the action you requested. Top of DocumentThe media is a very important tool in your struggle to obtain your political objectives. The media brings information and issues to the attention of policymakers, to non-policymakers who actively attempt to shape policy, and the public in general; it is instrumental in molding public opinion. For the purposes of our discussion, the media includes newspapers, newsmagazines, television, and radio. The Internet also falls under the media category, but it has special characteristics that are presented separately at the end of this chapter. You want to use the media to further your goals, so you need to understand who and what you're dealing with. For starters, most media are privately owned businesses, and are thus responsible to owners and/or stockholders. They also generate most of their revenue by selling advertising, so the outlook of the people who advertise and those who pay the bills can influence media coverage. In addition, the people who work in media, primarily journalists and their editors, have their own human qualities that can affect coverage, such as political biases, likes and dislikes, and varying degrees of knowledge about any issue. Besides determining which events and issues to highlight, the media perform the following functions:
So you're ready to get some press coverage for your group or activity. First identify which media you want to target. If you haven't done so already, begin compiling a master list of media outlets that includes contact names, phone and fax numbers, and snail mail and e-mail addresses. Study your targets. Where do you think a story about your group would go? What day would be optimal? You need to send a news release and a media kit. The news release contains the basics necessary to compose a story, what journalists call the "five w's and the h": who, what, where, when, why, how. Include a release date. State "for immediate release" if that's what you want. Include a contact person's name and phone number, the date of the release, and a short, catchy, head-line-like title. Be truthful, but don't be afraid to sell your cause. Your are a salesperson. Triple-check your grammar and spelling. Type the word "end" or the characters "###" at the end of the release. The media kit gives background information on you and your cause. It provides plenty of information for the journalist to prepare a story. It can include position papers, supporting facts, the history of your group or cause, and biographies of spokespersons. Send the news release and media kit to the city desk editor of larger newspapers and to the managing editor of smaller ones. Call radio and television stations and ask to whom you should send your materials. Note that many media now have their own websites that may contain all the information you need. However, you have to present something newsworthy. What is newsworthy changes with time, place, and the nature of the issue or event, but here are some qualities that can make your cause news:
Newspapers and Newsmagazines In addition to the methods outlined above, you can get your message into a newspaper or newsmagazine through a letter to the editor. Nearly every daily or weekly has such a section that appears in every issue, and it is often the most widely read section. Decisionmakers pay particular attention to the letters since it is one way to gauge public opinion, especially if there are no polls on the subject under discussion. You can write a letter responding to another letter or to an editorial, or about a recent event. An event need not be local, but if it is national or international, demonstrate its relevance to the readers. Letters can be particularly effective when they point out misleading information or present important information that is not well-known. Use your best writing skills when writing letters to the editor. Get straight to the point in the first paragraph and present supporting material in subsequent paragraphs. Be concise and descriptive with your words and avoid being too strident or appearing mean-spirited. Newspapers and magazines also occasionally open the op-ed page to guest editorials. These typically run about 1000 words or so and are often written by people considered to be quite knowledgeable about the subject under consideration. Guest editorials often carry more weight than a letter to the editor, but are more difficult to place. You can write the piece and then submit it, or you can contact the editor and inquire if such a piece would be of interest. Additionally, you can offer your services as a columnist to one or more papers. (The same column can appear in different papers as long as the papers don't have overlapping circulation areas.) Many small papers struggle to get by and are open to free submissions. This can be an excellent way to get material relevant to your cause published on a weekly or monthly basis. Most local newspapers have a daily or weekly calendar of events, an excellent spot to advertise meetings and events. Look in the calendar itself for submission details, or call the paper. You can also write and publish your own weekly or monthly newspaper. This is an excellent way to get your message out, especially if your paper is free and widely distributed. You can also feature news and opinion about other issues of importance. Putting out your own publication requires a lot of effort and adequate money to support printing, equipment, and overhead costs. Take a professional approach and run it like a business. In particular, you should aggressively seek advertisers. Television There are three basic ways to approach television. The first involves getting a straight news story on the tube about you and/or your cause. The second entails being a guest on a television talk show at either the local or national level. The third is the most creative: have your own show! For the straight news story follow the steps outlined at the beginning of the chapter-send a press release and a media kit. You must prepare to be interviewed on camera. When interviewed, be calm and stay focused on the main message you want the public to receive. It's best to wear solid colors when appearing on camera; avoid white clothes and any clothing with complex patterns. Be clean and neat. An excellent way to get out the message is through a television talk show. If it's a local show, call the station for the proper contact; for a national show call the network. Be prepared to sell yourself as both an interesting and relevant guest. Provide your media kit in advance. Follow the clothing cues above. When actually on air stay as relaxed as possible. Smile and be friendly. Stay on topic. Keep the conversation away from a discussion of you and your life unless it truly is relevant and will help sell the message. Arrange to have the mail address, website address and phone number of your group appear on the screen. Many talk shows allow questions from the audience and/or from callers. Be prepared for these; some can be contentious. Keep your cool. If possible, have supporters call in and lob you easy questions. Want to have your own television show where you and your group decide the content? Check with your local cable company. Many areas have one or more local access cable channels that are often wide open to a variety of shows. You and your gang will need to know some basic videography; It's not hard to locate inexpensive training. Your own school may be able to teach you (and give you some college credits in the process) or the agency running the local access channels may have instructional programs already set up. The local public television station may also be interested in your show. Finally, most television stations (and radio stations) run public service announcements. Contact the station about how to have your events publicized. Radio Using radio parallels television use for the first two ways described above. Of course, for actual appearances on the air it doesn't really matter what you wear, unless you are appearing in the booth with the reporter or talk show host. Then your appearance can matter. When you do appear on radio talk shows you will most likely be at home. Here are some tips to optimize your performance. For starters, be relaxed and smile. Yes, smile. Even though listeners don't see your pearly whites, it will affect your mood and thus your tone and word choice. Speak slowly and clearly; this helps listeners understand you and enhances your credibility. Have lots of relevant facts literally at your fingertips. A couple of techie hints. First, use a regular phone, not a cordless or a cellular. You want your voice to come through as clearly as possible. Second, disable call waiting if you have it. Check your phone book or call your telephone company for directions. Now for your own radio show. There is almost certainly a public radio station in your area, and many places also have membership-based alternative radio stations; either may host your show. You can also investigate starting your own radio station. This can be a complex process involving the Federal Communications Commission, and it will certainly cost some money and a lot of time. You could also set up a pirate station in your basement; this is much cheaper, but it is illegal. Buying Ads Your group may decide to do this when you feel your message is not getting out quickly or adequately through the above methods; when you are striving to win a short-term goal such as passage of a particular piece of legislation; or when you are under attack from opponents. This is one area where good business skills bring the best results. You need to choose the best media and markets for your ads, and you need to professionally prepare them. Study books on advertising, and look at other political ads. What works best? If you are a branch of a national organization, ask national headquarters for help and advice. They may have existing ad copy you can run. If you are a local group, seek the help of a national organization with a similar philosophy. The Internet A detailed discussion of the Internet lies well beyond the scope of this booklet. The advice below assumes basic familiarity with the Internet. Fret not if you aren't yet up to this speed. A good, up-to-date introductory book about the Internet, a fairly modern computer, and a net-savvy friend will get you rolling in no time. The easiest thing to do on the Net? Send e-mail. You can write letters to many members of government, especially elected officials in state and national government. Do a search on the web to find the specific institution, or you can call or write the institution for addresses of specific people. Newsgroups It's also easy to participate in newsgroups (often called forums on some on-line services). There are tens of thousands of newsgroups out there covering a mind-boggling list of subjects. Most are part of the Internet; others exist within an online service such as America Online. A newsgroup contains "posts" (letters, essentially) written by subscribers to the newsgroup (usually anyone can subscribe) that are included on the newsgroup, usually by the sender clicking a "submit" button on the computer screen. You can either respond to a previous post or post a message that is within the subject content of the newsgroup. Get a feel for a group by hanging out and reading for a couple of weeks ("lurking") before posting. Some tips for effective posts: keep your message on-topic; be courteous, even if others attack you; be clear in your thinking and try to use facts to support your arguments; thoroughly proofread your posts for spelling and grammar errors-this alone will set you apart from 95 percent of all posters; consider adding an e-mail signature that helps identify your position or lists the URL of your website (if you have one); short is better than long. Websites A website for your cause serves two primary goals. It signals the world that you and your group are part of the modern world: you have enough organization and resources to merit a website. Note that this is mostly perception; a one-person operation can have a website. Second, and most important, your website disseminates information. This information can inform the public about your cause; gain new members for your group; gain donations for your group; let people know about actions they can take to support the cause; publicize meetings and upcoming events. Creating, posting and maintaining a website does take some effort and money, but much less now than in the past. Several software programs allow easy creation of webpages, and you can use existing literature and graphics to help construct the site. You can often have the site posted on a web server for less than $20 per month; some Internet service providers let you post a site for free if you have purchased their basic Internet-access package. You want the site to make you look good. This means clear and concise writing with no spelling or grammar errors. Your writing must also be easy to read-literally. Take care in choosing type styles and colors, background colors, and the overall layout and navigation of the site. Keep the main goal in mind: getting the message out. This means keeping your site as simple as possible. Make it easy for visitors to move around your site and gather information. Online Services America Online currently reigns as the 500-pound gorilla in this field. Online services have hundreds of forums and newsgroups where you can post information and views. They also sponsor on-line, real-time "chat" groups where you may be able to put out the message. This is most effective when there is a large chat group where hundreds or thousands of people can participate, often with one person (usually some sort of celebrity) as the focal point of questions. See if you can arrange to be that focal point, with the questions concerning your political issues of choice. "Netiquette" The relative anonymity of the Internet, and certainly the lack of face-to-face interaction of participants, can sometimes lead to rude behavior, such as name-calling, e-mail "flaming," "spam" posting, and the like. Give you and your group the best image possible by always being polite and following the rules of proper "netiquette." V. CHANGING BUSINESS PRACTICES Some corporations engage in activities that may counter the goals of some interest groups. Environmental pollution and selling harmful products like tobacco are two such activities. But corporations are not government, so some different tactics must be brought to bear. The bottom line for corporations is truly the bottom line: what affects profits. To get a corporation to change policies you must first convince its decisionmakers that it will earn smaller profits (or suffer greater losses) if it does not change. Convince the CEO and board of directors that, by not changing, the company will either lose sales or see overall costs increase. So let's say your group wants to change certain practices of a certain corporation. There are several ways you can make this happen, all listed below. Choose which ways are best for the situation. But before you act, write the corporation's CEO a polite letter stating the policies you would like changed and what you will do if they are not changed. Give diplomacy a chance. If you don't hear from the CEO within a week, write another letter, followed soon by a phone call. No reply? Well then, how about a boycott? Boycotts serve two purposes. They deprive the company of profits and they publicize the practices that provoked the boycott. Here's how you maximize the effectiveness of a boycott. Send a newsrelease to media (see chapter 4) across the country (and internationally if applicable) that clearly states why you've called the boycott, exactly what is being boycotted, and what practices must end or change for the boycott to be called off. Also contact like-minded groups with the same information and ask them to support the boycott and help spread the word. Of course, make full use of the Internet to spread the call to action. In all communication, give the troops the address, phone number, fax number, and e-mail address of the corporation. There are other ways to put some hurt on companies. If the company issues credit cards, encourage citizens to cut their cards in half and send them to the CEO; also, have people apply for the cards, and then cut 'em in two and send 'em back. Many companies have an 800 number for comments, complaints, and orders. Have boycott supporters phone the number often to voice their opinion about the targeted offensive practice. A similar tactic involves mailing back comment cards, which many companies have available in their businesses for customer comments. You can also stage protest demonstrations. See the next chapter for advice on this tactic. VI. PROTESTS AND CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE Protests and civil disobedience have a long history in the United States stretching from the Boston Tea Party to women's demonstrations for the right to vote to tree sitting by environmentalists. Is it right for you? Read on. Protests Many groups never resort to protests. For other groups it's an integral part of their strategy. It's probably best to protest as a last resort, when you've already tried the conventional means of lobbying and media techniques and had insufficient success. There are two key points to a successful protest. First, make it legal by obtaining a permit from the pertinent local authorities, often located in city hall. Call city hall and ask how to obtain a permit. With a permit you have the law on your side rather than against you. Second, get as much media attention as possible. That's why you're protesting anyway, isn't it? Well before the big day send out news releases, post the flyers, appear on radio and TV, get interviewed in the papers, announce it on your website. Encourage participation in the protest by anyone, not just members of your group. Try to hold the protest on a weekend or holiday, or in the early evening (better in summer when it's light out) so more people can attend. Encourage people in your group to dress appropriately, both for the weather and for the cameras. Bring ice water in summer and hot tea in winter. Oh, and clean up the place when you're done. Civil Disobedience This entails intentionally breaking a law in order to make a point. The point may be that the law itself is unjust, or the point may be that a government or business policy is unjust. You want to draw attention to the injustice by breaking a law, such as those against trespassing, that will result in your arrest, ideally with plenty of media coverage. One important point of civil disobedience is nonviolence, a hallmark of the actions of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King. The nonviolent aspect helps gain public support; violence in law breaking will rarely win admirers. As the civil rights movement demonstrated, civil disobedience can be effective. However, it should be carefully planned by experienced people, and all taking part must realize the risks involved, which include potential jail time, a criminal record, and physical pain. For a variety of reasons you could find yourself unable or unwilling to work within a group. Here's a list of actions (most described in detail elsewhere in this booklet) you can do alone, actions that can make a difference:
Accuracy in
Media Alinsky, Saul
D. Rules for Radicals. New York: Vintage Books, 1989. APPENDIX 3: GOVERNMENT WEBSITES http://www.info.gov/ http://www.info.gov/ |