Within the past week, I have spoken to two former interns, one from Senator Harry Reid's office (D-NV) and one from Senator John Ensign's office (R-NV). They have both told me that if you really want to affect legislation there are some other incongruities to the process to consider. Since legislators don't write the bills or interface directly with the general populace, it helps to know how bills actually move on Capitol Hill so that, when necessary, you can help Kill the Bill.
Committees
Bills must pass committee before they go to a floor vote. So, if your representative is not on the committee that will see the bill, sending him gobs and gobs of messages is not going to be very effective. Especially in the House, where they can dispense with all debate and amendments, a person exigent to the committee can only vote a bill up or down.
If you don't live in the area served by that committee member, get involved with an organization or movement that does. You can support them in their efforts and thereby indirectly influence the legislation.
What effectors work
When you contact a member of Congress, your contact boils down to a simple tally mark on a ledger as for or against a motion. Keep it simple, short, and respectful because the polished and well-reasoned letter gets the same attention as someone who keeps it simple because they have gobs of paperwork and phone records through which to sort daily.
The polls and petitions that cycle around the internet or go out from websites are basically ineffective because they are treated as robotic imput. From this technique comes the term 'astroturfing' because it looks like grass roots but is disingenuine and automated. If you want to affect them, write or call them directly and be brief. If that's not enough for you, get involved with a PAC or a Lobby and support them fiduciarily or with your time and talents.
Whom and how to influence
The elected officials basically just cast their vote and take the credit. High level staffers distill data and rewrite reports to simplify things. As such, they put most of the slant on a candidate's politics. If you want to influence someone, get face time with a staffer. If you want to get state time with a staffer, get together 50 people who share your opinion and hire a lobbyist. They are the people who get the most face time with staffers, and so it counts as a personal contact when the representative makes his choice. See, lobbyists can work FOR you too.
When all else fails...
Vote the incumbent out.
Some people in Washington could give a flying flapjack what you think. If they continue to win, they start to think, not just that you tolerate them, but that you endorse their wayward or destructive ideas. If you have a better idea, get in the race. You might actually win. In 1998, Reid defeated Ensign for the Senate by 425 votes. Many elections in NV come down to a few hundred votes.
Committees
Bills must pass committee before they go to a floor vote. So, if your representative is not on the committee that will see the bill, sending him gobs and gobs of messages is not going to be very effective. Especially in the House, where they can dispense with all debate and amendments, a person exigent to the committee can only vote a bill up or down.
If you don't live in the area served by that committee member, get involved with an organization or movement that does. You can support them in their efforts and thereby indirectly influence the legislation.
What effectors work
When you contact a member of Congress, your contact boils down to a simple tally mark on a ledger as for or against a motion. Keep it simple, short, and respectful because the polished and well-reasoned letter gets the same attention as someone who keeps it simple because they have gobs of paperwork and phone records through which to sort daily.
The polls and petitions that cycle around the internet or go out from websites are basically ineffective because they are treated as robotic imput. From this technique comes the term 'astroturfing' because it looks like grass roots but is disingenuine and automated. If you want to affect them, write or call them directly and be brief. If that's not enough for you, get involved with a PAC or a Lobby and support them fiduciarily or with your time and talents.
Whom and how to influence
The elected officials basically just cast their vote and take the credit. High level staffers distill data and rewrite reports to simplify things. As such, they put most of the slant on a candidate's politics. If you want to influence someone, get face time with a staffer. If you want to get state time with a staffer, get together 50 people who share your opinion and hire a lobbyist. They are the people who get the most face time with staffers, and so it counts as a personal contact when the representative makes his choice. See, lobbyists can work FOR you too.
When all else fails...
Vote the incumbent out.
Some people in Washington could give a flying flapjack what you think. If they continue to win, they start to think, not just that you tolerate them, but that you endorse their wayward or destructive ideas. If you have a better idea, get in the race. You might actually win. In 1998, Reid defeated Ensign for the Senate by 425 votes. Many elections in NV come down to a few hundred votes.
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