Making Washington Listen A Guide to Writing Smart Advocacy Letters Summer, 2006

Note This presentation was prepared for a group of college students who wanted to write letters to their senators and representatives about providing more funds for Research Experiences for Undergraduates, or REUs. The abbreviation REU is used several times in this file.

How Individuals Influence Congress By adding their voice to the pool of constituents’ opinions By lobbying through an organization or political action committee By writing strategically to officials open to persuasion and who have the power to act By not being intimidated

Suppose You’re from Texas Who will read your or letter? What do you want them to do? What affects how they read and react? US Sentators John Cornyn Kay Bailey Hutchinson

Find Elected Officials’ Addresses and s Congress.org House of representatives US Senate Web sites for Cornyn and Hutchinson (TX) gressorg/home/ gov

What Your Representative or Senator Can Do Transmit your request to others –Contact a committee member, agency –Influence the HR Science Committee Collect unusual or urgent requests into separate file Ask upper-level staff to prepare responses Show unusual items to other officials Distribute info into organization’s processes Respond through his or her work on committees, support for resolutions, co-sponsorships of bills

Speak through a Group Write to a citizens organization that lobbies for particular actions (Earthwatch, Sierra Club) Check Congress.org to keep up to date Contact professional organizations –Engineering societies have student chapters Write to powerful companies or industry organizations

Find Bills to Support or Comment on Go to Congress.org and use search function Go to committee sites, check legislation Check Senate website headings Check THOMAS –In the spirit of Thomas Jefferson, legislative information from the Library of Congress Look up those bills that match your keywords Example - REU

Choose Audience Strategically Whom should you write? –Your own representatives –Committee members who draft legislation –Subcommittees who review bills –Sponsors and co-sponsors of relevant legislation

Analyze Audiences & Possible Arguments Old demographics approach to audience analysis is rarely strategic; learn more about specific senators and representatives. What arguments have they already used in their speeches, press releases, or actions? What can you agree with? What new evidence or alternative argument agrees with their values?

Find the Best Impact Point: Toulmin Argument Model Claim Reasons Evidence Warrants Assumptions Beliefs Limits Where’s the place you and your audience agree? Disagree?

Letter Format Is Simple. Writing Successfully Is Complex. Format conventions respond to a recurring situation with standard features Use letter conventions for address, greeting, and close. Success depends on Analyzing the situation and audience Setting precise goals Supplying exactly the right information and motivation

Your Purpose? Add to the statistics of those who favor oppose an action by saying “I support....” Prompt specific action –Example: House Committee on Science Provide evidence for representative’s use

What argument or evidence could you use for the following? Committees Senators and representatives who want to look good to their votes, want re- election Organizations National Academy of Engineers Bill Sponsor Bill Co-sponsors Do research on each audience before you choose your evidence.

What role can you play? Voter? Non-voting REU student? Person who benefits? One who contributes through science or engineering? (Research experience for undergraduates)

Letter structure Who’s writing to whom for what purpose Reasons the reader should respond plus info in support Looking forward to benefits of action plus details Paragraph one Body paragraphs Closing paragraph

Opening Paragraphs NOT My name is Sue Brown and I live in Houston. Point delayed to the end YES Your support for HR 4734 is crucial to the nearly 2 million college students in Texas and their parents. Please advise the Research subcommittee to triple the allocation for Research Experiences for Undergraduates. EXPLICIT REQUEST

Convey Character with Appropriate Style YOU ARE Reasonable Knowledgeable Clear-thinking Determined Action-oriented No slang or threatening language YOU WRITE CLEARLY “Although many items deserve funding, REUs provide an enormous long-term benefit.... “I have analyzed the proposed bill...” “Students need to experience research to choose a science major confidently.” “Members of my organization will volunteer to support candidates who understand the importance of REUs.”

Letters Workshop Links