Citizen's Handbook to Influencing Elected Officials (Softcover)
Citizen Advocacy in State Legislatures and Congress
A Guide for Citizen Lobbyists and Grassroots Advocates
Includes U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence

By Bradford Fitch

Practical guidance how to prepare for and meet with elected officials and staff, how to write effective letters and emails to elected officials, strategies for influencing legislators face-to-face, best practices for communicating with Congress and state legislatures, and how to write persuasive "letters to the editor".  Includes the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.

2010, 136 pages Softcover, $9.99 Dimensions: 5.5 x 8.5 x 0.3 ISBN 10: 1587331810  ISBN 13: 9781587331817 Buy from TheCapitol.Net Buy softcover from Bookshop Buy from Amazon Buy from Barnes and Noble   Ebook: $2.99 eBook ISBN: 9781587332326   Available from your bookseller or online  POL043000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Political Process / Political Advocacy POL017000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Public Affairs & Administration POL006000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / American Government / Legislative Branch POL003000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Civics & Citizenship

Formats Softcover    $9.99 Ebook         $2.99

Each U.S. citizen has 3 elected representatives in Congress: 2 Senators in the Senate and 1 Representative in the House. To find out who your congressional representatives are, see "Congressional Directories" below.

More Information
Synopsis	Table of Contents	The Author	Related Resources	Details

This book is one part research studies, one part interviews and focus groups, and one part experience.  It uses available research on Congress and its decision making. Dozens of elected officials, including members of Congress, and their staff agreed to off-the-record interviews and discussed the factors that contribute to their decision-making process. 

• Strategies for Influencing Legislators Face-to-Face

• Best Practices for Communicating with Congress and State Legislatures

• Practical Guidance How to Prepare for and Meet with Elected Officials

• How to Write Effective Letters and Email to Members of Congress

• How to Write Persuasive Letters to the Editor that Get Published

Table of Contents

About This Book
Introduction

Part I. How Government Really Works

Ch. 1. How Congressional Offices Work
1.1 Dominant Role of Constituents
1.2 Offices Are Like Small Businesses
1.3 Representational Work for Constituents
1.4 Legislative Work for the District, State, and Nation

Ch. 2. Congressional Culture
2.1 Working Environment of "The Last Plantation."
2.2 Congressional Hierarchy
2.3 Committees - Where the Real Work Is Done
2.4 Congressional Staff Descriptions

Ch. 3. How Legislators Make Decisions
3.1 Heart
3.2 Head
3.3 Health (political)

Ch. 4. People Who Can (and Can't) Influence Legislators and How They Do It
4.1 Family and Friends Have the Lawmaker's Ear
4.2 Knowledgeable Acquaintances Can Make a Difference
4.3 Legislators Pay Attention to Respected Colleagues
4.4 Legislative Leaders and Arm Twisting
4.5 The Real Influence of Lobbyists
4.6 Campaign Contributor Are Less Influential Than You Think
4.7 Are Legislators Driven by Polling?
4.8 How Paid Advertising Affects Legislators' Thinking
4.9 You Are Competing with Everyone, Even Though You Don't Know It
Chart 1 - Influence Factors of Undecided Legislators

Part II. How to Influence a Legislator

Ch. 5. Strategies for Influencing Legislators
5.1 Get to Them BEFORE They Take a Stand
5.2 The Personal Story Trumps All
5.3 How to Build Long-term Relationships with Legislators
5.4 How to Leverage Your Affiliations to Magnify Your Power
5.5 How to Map Your Economic and Political Footprint
5.6 How to Influence Legislators Who Don't Represent You
5.7 How to Influence Congressional Committee Staff

Ch. 6. Face-to-Face Meetings
6.1 Tips for Meeting with Legislators or Staff
6.2 How to Influence Legislators at Town Hall Meetings
6.3 How to Turn a Chance Meeting into a Legislative Victory
6.4 Influencing Staff, and Why It's Important

Ch. 7. Communications
7.1 How to Write Letters and Email to Legislators that Influence Decision-Making
7.2 What Kind of Mail Do Lawmakers Really Read?
7.3 How One Letter Reached the Oval Office and Fed a Million People
7.4 Effective (and Ineffective) Phone Calls to Legislators
7.5 Why Petitions Usually Fail to Influence Congress
7.6 How to Write Letters to the Editor that Get Published
7.7 Thank or Spank: After-the-Vote Communications
7.8 The Magic of Combining Advocacy Tactics

Appendices
A. U.S. Constitution and Amendments
B. Declaration of Independence
C. The Advocate's Pledge
D. How to Analyze a Legislator's Perception of Our Issue
E. Information about Congress and Washington, DC

Capitol Switchboard
202-224-3121

House of Representatives
www.house.gov

Senate
www.senate.gov

White House
www.whitehouse.gov
202-456-1414

Resources from TheCapitol.Net

Congress Seating Charts
CongressSeating.com

Congressional Leadership and Committees
CongressLeaders.com

Current party numbers in Congress and Differences between the House and the Senate At-a-Glance
CongressByTheNumbers.com

Congressional Glossary (of legislative terms)
CongressionalGlossary.com

Pay and perquisites of Members of Congress
CongressPay.com

Terms of Congress
TermsofCongress.com

Visiting Washington, DC page
https://www.thecapitol.net/VisitingDC/

Publications from TheCapitol.Net

Congressional Deskbook, The Practical and Comprehensive Guide to Congress, by Michael Koempel and Judy Schneider
CongressionalDeskbook.com

Congressional Operations Poster
CongressPoster.com

Lobbying and Advocacy, by Deanna Gelak
LobbyingandAdvocacy.com

Persuading Congress, by Joseph Gibson
PersuadingCongress.com

Testifying Before Congress, by William LaForge
TestifyingBeforeCongress.com

The Federal Budget Process
FederalBudgetProcess.com

G. State and Local Resources

Index

Bradford Fitch is President of the Congressional Management Foundation. He is the author of Media Relations Handbook for Agencies, Associations, Nonprofits and Congress (TheCapitol.Net) and Citizen's Handbook to Influencing Elected Officials (TheCapitol.Net).

Citizen's Handbook mug by TheCapitolNet

Live Courses

• Congress in a Nutshell: Understanding Congress

• Congressional Dynamics and the Legislative Process

• Capitol Hill Workshop

• Advanced Legislative Procedure 
  

Custom On-Site Training

• Capitol Hill Day / National Advocacy Day

• How America Governs

Online download with MP3 audio and materials in PDF	Capitol Learning Audio Courses Capitol Learning Audio Courses are a convenient way to learn about the legislative process, federal budgeting, media relations, business etiquette, and much more.  Each course is between 1/2 hour and 2 hours long, and includes the course materials.  C-SPAN 1 Viewer's Guide: Making Sense of Watching the House of Representatives: Legislative Procedure, Congressional Jargon, and Floor Plan C-SPAN 2 Viewer's Guide: Making Sense of Watching the Senate: What's Behind the Classical Music What Your Member of Congress Can Do for You: Gallery Passes, Flags, Presidential Greetings, and Help with Federal Agencies How to Organize a Capitol Hill Day Understanding the Path of Legislation Congressional Committees and Party Leadership: Who Controls the Congressional Agenda Senate Scheduling and Floor Procedures Senate Amendment Procedure House Floor Procedures The House Rules Committee: Gatekeeper to the Floor and more Our Capitol Learning Audio Courses can be customized with your logo in quantities of 250 to 10,000 copies.  Contact our Client Liaison for details.
Also see these related publications Congressional Operations Poster Persuading Congress Congressional Directory Pocket Guide to Advocacy on Capitol Hill Pocket Constitution Pocket edition of Common Sense, by Thomas Paine

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