playing to our strengths grassroots: using the ieee membership to motivate legislators russell...
TRANSCRIPT
Playing to Our StrengthsPlaying to Our Strengths
Grassroots:Grassroots:Using the IEEE Membership Using the IEEE Membership
to Motivate Legislatorsto Motivate Legislators
Russell HarrisonIEEE-USA
What is Grassroots?What is Grassroots?
Citizens talking directly with their Citizens talking directly with their elected officials about issues they elected officials about issues they care about.care about.
Most direct way to influence a Most direct way to influence a legislator. legislator.
Representative democracy in Representative democracy in action.action.
Why Do Grassroots?Why Do Grassroots?
Influence political decisionsInfluence political decisions Engage your membershipEngage your membership InexpensiveInexpensive Most importantly – IT WORKSMost importantly – IT WORKS
The Impact of GrassrootsThe Impact of Grassroots
Source: Congressional Management Foundation
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
PersonalVisits
Personalletters
Contact fromCommunity
leader
Personal E-Mail
Lobbyists Personalfaxes
Phone Calls Form letters
A Lot of Influence Some Influence
““In order to manage increased constituent In order to manage increased constituent communications, our office has shifted communications, our office has shifted resources away from other priorities.”resources away from other priorities.”
Strongly Agree12%
Agree38%
Neutral15%
Disagree33%
Strongly Disagree
2%
Source: Congressional Management Foundation
50%
The Life of a The Life of a PoliticianPolitician
A Politician’s WorldA Politician’s World YOU
Listening is HardListening is Hard
Source: Congressional Management Foundation
25
45
65
85
105
125
145
165
185
205
225
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
Letters Staff
(In Millions) (Staff)
Constituent Meetings per Constituent Meetings per WeekWeek
February - AprilFebruary - April
33
41
74
15
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
Less than10
10 - 20 20 - 30 30 - 40 More than40
“What Makes an Effective Advocate?” Advanced Consulting. April, 2003
How to Talk to a How to Talk to a PoliticianPolitician
Life of a Grassroots Life of a Grassroots MessageMessage Sent by a voter.Sent by a voter. Read / listened to Read / listened to
by a kid.by a kid. Sorted by issue Sorted by issue
into a folder.into a folder. Response sent.Response sent.
Read by a senior Read by a senior staffer when:staffer when:– A decision needs A decision needs
to be made on to be made on how to vote, orhow to vote, or
– The folder The folder reaches a specific reaches a specific size.size.
Impact:Impact:– Bring attentionBring attention– Decide as voteDecide as vote
Essential Parts of a Essential Parts of a Grassroots Grassroots CommunicationCommunication
1.1. AddressAddress
2.2. IssueIssue
3.3. AskAsk
Everything else is secondary.
The Importance of the The Importance of the AskAsk
76%
22%
2%
Specific AskOtherTouch Base
“What Makes an Effective Advocate?” Advanced Consulting. April, 2003
What do politicians What do politicians want?want?
A chance to impress A chance to impress you.you.
A chance to help A chance to help youyou
Anecdotes.Anecdotes.Senate Majority Leader
Harry Reid
Senator Chuck Schumer
How helpful is it for messages How helpful is it for messages from constituents to include the from constituents to include the following?following?
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Status of Bill
Recognition of Member'sPosition
Personal Story
Summary of Bill
Reasons for Supporting
Bill's Local Impact
Specific Bill
Address
Very Helpful Helpful
Source: Congressional Management Foundation
Common ObjectionsCommon Objections
““We need to FLOOD We need to FLOOD congressional offices congressional offices with communications with communications to really make a to really make a difference.”difference.”
Quality > QuantityQuality > Quantity
A few good constituent letters A few good constituent letters beats a ton of post cardsbeats a ton of post cards
Sincerity beats volumeSincerity beats volume Voters trump lobbyistsVoters trump lobbyists
Key number - SevenKey number - Seven
““We are a learned, We are a learned, professional society. We professional society. We don’t get involved in the don’t get involved in the
dirty business of politics.”dirty business of politics.”
oror
“Our role is to present “Our role is to present un-biased technical un-biased technical
information to elected information to elected officials. We don’t take officials. We don’t take
positions.”positions.”
““Political” and “Bias” Political” and “Bias” are O.K.are O.K.
We in America do not have government We in America do not have government by the majority. We have government by the majority. We have government by the majority who participate.by the majority who participate.– Thomas JeffersonThomas Jefferson
Most “un-biased” white papers and Most “un-biased” white papers and policy papers state positions.policy papers state positions.
Elected officials are looking for Elected officials are looking for arguments for and against.arguments for and against.
There is no such thing as “unbiased” There is no such thing as “unbiased” policy.policy.
““We can’t advocate for We can’t advocate for this issue – it would be this issue – it would be seen as self-serving.”seen as self-serving.”
If you don’t, who will?If you don’t, who will?
Experts in fieldExperts in field Political decisions are better the Political decisions are better the
more people participate.more people participate. IEEE: “promotes the engineering IEEE: “promotes the engineering
process of creating, developing, process of creating, developing, integrating, sharing, and applying integrating, sharing, and applying knowledge … for the benefit of knowledge … for the benefit of humanity and the profession.” humanity and the profession.”
All policy is self-serving.All policy is self-serving.
StoriesStories
Colorado – Local activitiesColorado – Local activities Wisconsin – Individual effortWisconsin – Individual effort Rock River – Cheap entertainmentRock River – Cheap entertainment Seattle – Engaging politiciansSeattle – Engaging politicians Maine – Generating supportMaine – Generating support The Big Black-OutThe Big Black-Out
Now What?Now What?
Encourage members to visit Encourage members to visit www.ieeeusa.org/policy/lwww.ieeeusa.org/policy/lacac
Sign up for Eye On Sign up for Eye On WashingtonWashington
Discuss policy with your Discuss policy with your members.members.
Communicate with elected Communicate with elected leaders.leaders.
Work with IEEE-USA Tech Work with IEEE-USA Tech Policy CommitteesPolicy Committees
Questions Questions oror
CommentsComments
Wild Applause
?
Is this legal?Is this legal?
501(c)3 organizations have 501(c)3 organizations have limitations:limitations:– Cannot be active in elections at any levelCannot be active in elections at any level– Cannot endorse candidates for any Cannot endorse candidates for any
elected officeelected office– Limits on lobbying expensesLimits on lobbying expenses
Doesn’t mean you can’t lobby! Doesn’t mean you can’t lobby! Grassroots is usually seen as an Grassroots is usually seen as an
educational, not political, activity.educational, not political, activity.
!
ControlControl
The more you try to control your The more you try to control your grassroots, the less likely they will grassroots, the less likely they will respond.respond.
Good Good Grassroots Grassroots
Requires You to Requires You to let go of Your let go of Your
Message.Message.