Common Cause Education Fund: Lauren Coletta 1 Lobbying Techniques How to run a legislative campaign.

Common Cause Education Fund: Lauren Coletta

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Lobbying TechniquesLobbying Techniques

How to run a legislative campaign.


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Things to Consider Things to Consider Before Getting StartedBefore Getting Started

Are we ready? Is it winnable? Can we sustain moment the duration of the

campaign? Is now the best time to be on offense? Defense? Are we the best group to lead this? How will this impact the ability to grow our

organization?


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Things to Consider Continued…Things to Consider Continued…

Is the issue easy for people to understand how a change would impact their life in a positive way?

Are there clear targets/decision makers? Will this bring most people together or is it

controversial? Can we raise enough money on this issue to win

and grow the organization?


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Internal GoalsInternal Goals

How many activists, members, donors, and supporters will we get involved?

How will this increase our ability to take on other issues?

How will this increase our political clout and what will we do with it?


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POWERPOWER

Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did, and it never will. Find out just what people will submit to, and you have found out the exact amount of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them; and this will continue till they have resisted with either words or blows, or with both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those who they suppress." -- Frederick Douglass, 1849


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Power MappingPower Mapping

Who are our likely champions in the Legislature? Who are our opponents? Why do they oppose us and what do

we know about them? What outside groups actively work to oppose our initiative or to

maintain the status quo? Who is likely to be on our side? Who can we get that we need to win?


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Elements of a CampaignElements of a Campaign

Four Legs of a stoolFour Legs of a stool Basic of a strong inside and Basic of a strong inside and outside gameoutside game

AdvocacyResearchCommunicationsGrassroots


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Identifying Champions and SupportersIdentifying Champions and Supporters

Identify Champions/Leaders– Who would make good champions and why?

Political calculus Do they have high enough profile Can they persuade their colleagues Are they likely to want to be identified with your

organization? Who else might they need at the table to join you?

– Down fall of choosing the wrong champion


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Co-SponsorsCo-Sponsors

What type of balance do you need in your co-sponsors for this to be viable?

In what order do you need to bring your cosponsors onto a bill?

What role will your champions play in bringing on co-sponsors?

What role will your organization or other potential partners play?

How and when will you know when you are ready to go public about a bill and your campaign?


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Building Public AwarenessBuilding Public Awareness

Among Members Among Legislative Staff Among the Press Among your members Among Think Tanks and leading policy

thinkers


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Awareness Among MembersAwareness Among Members

Press you generate– Editorial Board Memos– Local letters to the editor– Earned media via research– Importance of statements and staying in the news

cycle So you establish your organization as a source So you shape the debate


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More About MembersMore About Members

Local press, local press, local press Local Editorial Board meetings, local reporters Regularly deliver any positive messages by hand Stage briefings and press conferences with

Champion Members and expert allies Popular Theater in and around the capitol


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More About Members: GrassrootsMore About Members: Grassroots

Organizing individual local meetings with members. What they need:– Sample Agenda– Talking points– Recent news articles– Lobbying tips– Instructions on follow up and how to communicate

what they learned to you.


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Among the PressAmong the Press

Continually stay in the news cycle or create one.

Cultivating relationships with opinion makers– Editorial boards– Reporters– TV– Radio– Bloggers


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Among Your Members & AlliesAmong Your Members & Allies

Using the Web Long term cultivation of members Grasstops Big rollers Coalition partners and allies


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Among Think TanksAmong Think Tanks

Partner with academic institutions to inform their thinking

Convene conferences and meetings to learn and help shape opinion

Leverage credibility of experts to build your own Comment/react to studies published in your field to

stay relevant Publish your own studies and share


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Basics of LobbyingBasics of Lobbying

Identify your supporters and make sure they vote your way..and publicly thank them

Identify potential supporters and make them supporters…and publicly thank them

Decide which of your opponents is worth spending time on.

In all cases, be prepared and prepare your members to take away the arguments of your opponents


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Mark a Target ChartMark a Target Chart

““Ones”” Your friends, make sure you don’t forget about them. Your friends, make sure you don’t forget about them.““Twos”” More important than on “ones” keep them close. More important than on “ones” keep them close.““Threes” Your primary targets” Your primary targets““Fours”” Long shots but they might no actively work to oppose Long shots but they might no actively work to oppose

you if you treat them rightyou if you treat them right““Fives”” Forget about it but be respectful, you might need them Forget about it but be respectful, you might need them

another day for another fightanother day for another fight


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What to do with “Ones”What to do with “Ones”

These are your closest allies, make sure they get the credit they deserve by:

– Actively praising them and thanking them for their votes in the media

– Organizing members to thank them– Keeping them in the loop on your campaign and any

victories so they can feel the momentum– Engaging them in the efforts to convince their colleagues by

writing dear colleague letters etc.


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What to do with “Twos”What to do with “Twos”

Be gentle at first… Listen carefully to their concerns Organize in district meetings with your

members and “grasstops” who agree with you

Escalate tactics as necessary (see tactics)


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What to do with “Threes”What to do with “Threes”

Lobby hard federally and locally They are always, always on your radar screen and

receive every piece of paper that goes to anyone to make your case.

Really focus on their home turf and nexus of power. Where does it come from? Who influences them? Where do they get their money.


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What to do with “Fours”What to do with “Fours”

You might never get these folks but keep them close and make sure they hear your arguments.

Try to find some constituency that supports them and you to see if you can get them not to actively oppose you.


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What to do with “Fives”What to do with “Fives”

Don’t spend much time on them Take away their arguments Make sure you understand their efforts to

undermine your efforts Don’t let it get personal or partisan


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TacticsTactics

Always start out gentle, reasonable Escalate Tactics Be creative Don’t give up unless your absolutely sure Give your members fun things to do Be creative Be creative


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Understand the Self Interest of Understand the Self Interest of MembersMembers

Who is in their political world that you might influence?

How vulnerable are they in their current position?

What do their potential opponents think about your issue?

What do they want? What are they afraid of?


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What’s worked best for Common What’s worked best for Common Cause?Cause?(make your list)(make your list)

Our members local work #1 Local press work Repetition and constant pestering Local press. Earned and paid radio. Making them pay for bad votes. Mastering the inside outside game Perseverance over Smart policy work


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Ideas for TacticsIdeas for Tactics

Ideas to Ideas to Consider Actions for Actions for Activists

– Write letter to editorWrite letter to editor– Send letter to officialSend letter to official– Call officialCall official– Send postcardSend postcard– Send emailSend email– Send faxSend fax


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More IdeasMore Ideas

Attend in-district meeting Attend Lobby Day Sign/circulate petition Canvass Participate in grassroots media event Sign up others/pass on information about campaign Attend issue forum Make phone calls Host coffee


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Register voters Vote Volunteer in state office Conduct research/send in story Donate to campaign Donate to the organization Research Products & Activities Follow the Dollar report on pending legislation Connect the Dots report on lobbying activities and campaign contributions with

national and state angles Pocketbook Report on consumer impact with human interest angles ‘Dirty Dozen’-type list of biggest offenders Agency Watchdog Projects Conflict of Interest Report on public officials with conflicts Voting record


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State-by-state report card Communications Products & Activities Branded campaign materials (poster, brochure, video, t-shirts,

grassroots kit) Coordinated national and state rollouts of reform agenda Coordinate state and national news releases on research

reports News/features on creative advocacy techniques Media briefing/issue forum


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Celebrity events Expert Op-Eds Bipartisan coalition rollouts Advertising – online, newspaper, radio PSAs Topic for TV documentary Topics for call-in radio programs Substantive/interactive town meeting (with Members

of Congress?)

Common Cause Education Fund: Lauren Coletta 1 Lobbying Techniques How to run a legislative campaign.

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Transcript of Common Cause Education Fund: Lauren Coletta 1 Lobbying Techniques How to run a legislative campaign.