Lobbying Techniques

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

2. Things to Consider Before 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? Common Cause Education Fund: Lauren Coletta 2

3. 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? Common Cause Education Fund: Lauren Coletta 3

4. Internal 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? Common Cause Education Fund: Lauren Coletta 4

5. POWER 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 Common Cause Education Fund: Lauren Coletta 5

6. Power 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? Common Cause Education Fund: Lauren Coletta 6

7. Elements of a Campaign Four Legs of a stool Basic of a strong inside and outside game Common Cause Education Fund: Lauren Coletta Advocacy Research Communications Grassroots 7

8. Identifying 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 Common Cause Education Fund: Lauren Coletta 8

9. Co-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? Common Cause Education Fund: Lauren Coletta 9

10. Building Public Awareness Among Members Among Legislative Staff Among the Press Among your members Among Think Tanks and leading policy thinkers Common Cause Education Fund: Lauren Coletta 10

11. Awareness 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 Common Cause Education Fund: Lauren Coletta 11

12. More 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 Common Cause Education Fund: Lauren Coletta 12

13. More 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. Common Cause Education Fund: Lauren Coletta 13

14. Among the Press • Continually stay in the news cycle or create one. • Cultivating relationships with opinion makers • Editorial boards • Reporters • TV • Radio • Bloggers Common Cause Education Fund: Lauren Coletta 14

15. Among Your Members & Allies Using the Web Long term cultivation of members Grasstops Big rollers Coalition partners and allies Common Cause Education Fund: Lauren Coletta 15

16. Among 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 Common Cause Education Fund: Lauren Coletta 16

17. Basics 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 Common Cause Education Fund: Lauren Coletta 17

18. Mark a Target Chart “Ones” Your friends, make sure you don’t forget about them. “Twos” More important than on “ones” keep them close. “Threes” Your primary targets “Fours” Long shots but they might no actively work to oppose you if you treat them right “Fives” Forget about it but be respectful, you might need them another day for another fight Common Cause Education Fund: Lauren Coletta 18

19. 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. Common Cause Education Fund: Lauren Coletta 19

20. 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) Common Cause Education Fund: Lauren Coletta 20

21. 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. Common Cause Education Fund: Lauren Coletta 21

22. 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. Common Cause Education Fund: Lauren Coletta 22

23. 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 Common Cause Education Fund: Lauren Coletta 23

24. Tactics 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 Common Cause Education Fund: Lauren Coletta 24

25. Understand the Self Interest of Members 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? Common Cause Education Fund: Lauren Coletta 25

26. What’s worked best for Common Cause?(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 Common Cause Education Fund: Lauren Coletta 26

27. Ideas for Tactics Ideas to Consider Actions for Activists Write letter to editor Send letter to official Call official Send postcard Send email Send fax Common Cause Education Fund: Lauren Coletta 27

28. More 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 Common Cause Education Fund: Lauren Coletta 28

29. More Ideas 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 Common Cause Education Fund: Lauren Coletta 29

30. More Ideas 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 Common Cause Education Fund: Lauren Coletta 30

31. More Ideas 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 31