Research the Public Official
Here are a few things you'll want to know.
Who represents me?
From local city council members to the President of the U.S., our elected officials make decisions everyday that impact our lives. Learning who makes which decision is the first step in becoming an effective citizen activist. Check out your city or county's website (just Google your county's name) and look for a list of elected officials. See who is on the Park Board, Library Board, City Council, County Commission and in the Mayor's office. On the state level, there are State House or State Senate websites. And of course to find your federal representatives check out http://www.house.gov for US Representatives and http://www.senate.gov to find your Senators. These website will also have information about how to contact your representatives.
How has my legislator voted on my issue in the past?
On the federal level, find your representative's voting records at any other number of watchdog sites out there keeping an eye on Congress, including OpenCongress and Project Vote Smart. Search voting records by member of congress or by topic, check in on committee and bill activity, and more. On the state and local level, check out the elected official's personal website or call the office and ask for their voting record or a position paper on how your representative stands on the issue of concern to you. These are helpful pieces of information. They help you understand the elected official's position and they'll often help you learn about the issue as well.
What do you and your representative have in common?
Elected officials are people who come into office with a history, a set of experiences, commitments to various issues and personal styles. In order to be effective with a legislator at any level of government, it is important to get to know them and their story:
- Learn their biographies - their profession, their education, their family situation and their involvement in community issues.
- Know their districts. Research the area they represent - what are the demographics, the geography, the economy, the resources and the challenges of the person's district.
- Discover their policy interests. What issues motivated them to become an elected official? On which issues do they exert leadership? What life experiences have made certain issues real to them? Whose opinion on issues do they value?
- Learn their community interests. Find our where they volunteer, where they worship and what they care about in their communities. Find out what they did before becoming a legislator.
- Find your shared interests by letting them get to know you.
It is important to give lawmakers a chance to get to know you before you need their assistance in the heat of a decision making process. Invite them to visit your agency, organization, neighborhood or community when they are not legislating. Explain what you do and how it affects people's lives. Take the time to listen to elected officials and get to know their concerns. Demonstrate that you can be a resource to them and look for opportunities to provide them information and other assistance. Maintain contact throughout the year and thank them if they do things that deserve praise and support.