A Citizen’s Guide To State Advocacy

Ordinary citizens can have an extraordinary impact on the actions of their state government. Doing so requires productive relationships with lawmakers and staff, sound command and communication of an issue, and a thorough understanding of the legislative landscape.

Be magnanimous. Good advocates cultivate relationships with elected officials. Great advocates cultivate relationships with staff. Typically, access to lawmakers is limited, particularly in the forty states that have part-time legislatures. On the other hand, staff work year-round to manage correspondence, coordinate scheduling, research constituent concerns, navigate institutional relationships, and maintain external relations with stakeholders. The fastest way to undermine legislative support is to take staff relationships for granted.

Be the expert. Most lawmakers and staff are not subject-matter experts. They rely on advocates to supply the information they do not possess or have the time or resources to acquire. This includes the arguments in support of a policy or appropriation, potential objections, and responses to those objections. Awareness of both intended and unintended consequences is essential. Advocates should also offer up-to-date data supplied by reputable sources and anecdotes from individuals affected directly by the matter. Most importantly, information should be organized, succinct, and as jargon-free as possible. 

Be a quality communicator. When it comes to legislative communications, quality is more important than quantity. Former North Carolina House Speaker Pro Tem Paul “Skip” Stam devised the “Rule of Tens,” a simple way to think about the relative effectiveness of legislative communications. An original email reflecting a real person, even if it is brief, is worth 10 mass emails. A phone call is worth 100 mass emails. A personal visit to a state capital office is worth 1,000 mass emails. A personal visit to a lawmaker in his or her district is worth 10,000 mass emails. Form emails sent en masse to an elected official are no substitute for personalized communications and face-to-face interactions. 

Also, do not confuse being seen or heard with making an impact. Social media posts and corporate media hits may generate popular support for an issue, but effective legislative advocacy requires much more than likes and reposts. In fact, not all successful legislative strategies necessitate a full-scale media campaign. Customize communications plans in a way that will increase the likelihood of producing legislative action, even if it means minimizing social and corporate media engagement related to the issue.

Be mindful to choose the appropriate venue for action. Education governance is the shared responsibility of local, state, and federal authorities. States administer, but cannot modify, federal programs and associated funding formulas. Likewise, state legislators often empower school boards and local governments to manage personnel, coordinate instruction, and deliver core services. Local problems do not always necessitate state legislative solutions.

Be judicious when selecting a legislative champion. Consider whether the individual sits on relevant committee(s) or otherwise maintains a leadership role in the caucus. Factors such as experience, profession, reputation, and known political or personal liabilities may be the difference between bill ratification and committee purgatory.

Be attentive to institutional timeframes. Excluding special sessions or budget extensions, legislative sessions in 18 states are shorter than three months long, and 73 legislative chambers have deadline systems in place. The most productive advocacy efforts begin long before the legislative body convenes.

Be cognizant of procedural limitations. A dozen states maintain streamline provisions that limit the number of bills that can be introduced in a given legislative session, and several states have mandated procedures for proposing bill revisions and floor amendments. Plan accordingly.

Be persistent and be patient. Like all other issues, education reform is subject to unforeseen events, new research findings, public opinion shifts, and emerging technologies and innovations. Moreover, legislative turnover, individual party switching, and changes to the partisan composition of legislative chambers or elected offices may create new opportunities or challenges.

Be a political realist. Proposed legislative action must be politically palatable, as well as meet certain short- and long-term policy goals. Don’t be surprised when politicians act like politicians. After all, they are politicians. 

Be a legislative realist. Passage of legislation is not the finish line. It is simply a new starting point. Once a bill becomes law, it must be implemented with fidelity. Sufficient transparency, accountability, and rulemaking measures may mitigate downstream complications, including attempts to subvert or weaken the legislation by bad-faith actors.