Figuring out how to get what you want from government is no simple task. In Illinois, for example, we have at least four layers of government: city, township, county and state. That doesn’t count regional offices of education or park districts, either. Add the three branches of government at both the state and federal levels, and you have a recipe for confusion and frustration.

Here’s a favorite letter that illustrates the difficulty—this to Wallace Bennett, U.S. senator from Utah:

Dear Senator Bennett:
I have to draw a tree diagram of our government and I am
stuck on the legislative branch. You are equal to the executive
and judicial branches. Right? But does this mean executive plus judicial equals legislative?

Also are there other limbs I should draw on the legislative branch except the Senate and the House? Which branch should
I draw shorter? That is, are the Senate and the House exactly
equal to each other, or are they greater or lesser equal and what
are the chances of getting things simplified?

Respectfully…

Simplification? Not likely. The first rule in any advocacy effort is to be sure you know what you want. Only when you know your specific goal can you be sure that you’re talking to the right people. If you know that you want a new sewer in your neighborhood, for example, you will need to approach your city or county government. On the other hand, if you want to change the way federal tax laws apply to your business, you’ll need to reach out to your federal government.

Once you’ve decided what you want and whom to ask, you need to summon the courage to make the “ask.” In fact, the main difference between “advocacy” and simple education is this issue of asking for a specific action. When we think about advocacy, the asks we usually focus on are “policy asks.” There is a pretty specific set of policy-related or “official” actions that a legislator can take. These include:

• Introducing legislation. One of a legislator’s main roles is to propose changes to laws or funding for programs within the jurisdiction they serve. If you believe your state government should invest more of the state’s budget in libraries, you might ask your state legislator to propose an increase in funding as part of the budget process—to the extent that Illinois even has a budget process.

Of course, there are some bills that legislators won’t introduce. Consider this request of Congressman George Andrews from Alabama: “Our band bought some uniforms and the bill came to $675. Please introduce this bill into Congress.”

• Cosponsor existing legislation. In addition to introducing their own legislation, in most legislative organizations legislators can cosponsor policy changes proposed by their colleagues. Having cosponsors on a bill is an important way of demonstrating that the idea is relatively non-controversial and could increase the bill’s chances of passing.
• Vote for or against bills at various stages in the process. The act of voting is the lifeblood of the legislative process. Legislators can introduce all the legislation they want, but in order to have any real impact, it will need to be voted on. Former Congressman Ray LaHood often said that voting was his single most important responsibility. Believe it or not, asking your elected officials to vote for legislation you support (or against legislation you oppose) can have an enormous impact on the final outcome. But avoid temporizing: “Dear Congressman: I have decided that I am half for and half against the foreign aid bill. Be sure and split your vote.” Yes, that was a real request.
• Go to bat with other branches of government on your behalf. Helping individuals understand and work through the various executive branch agencies is an important but often overlooked activity of the legislative branch. Every member of Congress employs staff people called “case workers” whose job it is to solve individual problems—Social Security claims, for example. Again, be realistic about what you want.

These four types of “asks” are appropriate, and your legislators are well equipped to respond to them. Knowing what you want will help you appeal for help from your elected officials. But it won’t always be easy. Our form of government will test one’s patience:

Dear Congressman:
I have a question that is driving me batty. You must figure it out for me. It is in the next paragraph.

I am represented by one representative and two senators. Okay? Everybody else has one representative and two senators. Okay? So why aren’t there twice as many senators as representatives? Tell me this and how long it will be before it can be fixed right.

Yours truly… iBi