citizens and local government

Know your audience and craft a concise argument.

Before you state your case, be ready to make your argument in ten seconds or less.

STATE COLLEGE, PA— We’ve all been urged to sign form letters, contact congressional leaders, and write letters when a policy decision threatens the health of the environment and our own health. A good place to start is in your own community—get involved in local policymaking decisions at city- and township-hall meetings to bring positive change. Getting local elected officials to hear your voice is key to improving environmental regulations in your area, according to “Making Public Policy: Communicate with Local Government,” a workshop at the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture’s 18th annual Farming for the Future conference held earlier this month in State College, PA.

THE DETAILS: At the conference, Catherine Smith, PhD, author of Writing Public Policy: A Practical Guide to Communicating in the Policy-Making Process (Oxford University Press), and professor of at East Carolina University in Greenville, NC, had this to say about the importance of being able to communicate your ideas: “If you can’t write it or say it, you can’t do it.” Smith credits the quote to one of her former students who interned on Capitol Hill. But it’s that kind of clarity that needs to shine through when you’re writing or speaking about an issue you’re passionate about, she says.

WHAT IT MEANS: Whether you’re taking your case to city hall, e-mailing the mayor, or writing a letter to the editor of your local paper, these strategies will help:

• Frame the issue. Think of your issue as a story when defining a problem. There are heroes, villains, and victims. When you make your case, use that narrative to add emotional punch to your argument. “Pit the forces of evil against the forces of good,” Smith suggests.

• Know your audience. Who will be reading your letter or hearing your argument? What do they already know on the subject? What information, and misinformation, are they likely to have already received? Be prepared to supply well-backed stats and facts to fill in the gaps.

• Consider who you are. Do you want to present your viewpoint as a concerned citizen and neighbor, a consumer, or a businessperson in your town? Before putting pen to paper, you need to figure out how you want to come across to others. Then write from that point of view.

• Ask yourself these questions. No one wants to wade through unnecessary text or listen to long-winded diatribes, so state your case as succinctly and directly as you can. Smith says four questions can help you focus your thoughts:

1. What is the one overriding point I want to make?
2. Who are my most important readers/listeners?
3. What changes do I want to make in them?
4. How do I want to sound?

• Know how to say it in 10 seconds. Depending on your audience and the time you’re given to present your case at a meeting, you could face significant time constraints. So be prepared with short, punchy versions of your argument. As a general rule, Smith suggests this: “Turn your issue into 1-minute, 1-page, and even 1-sentence summaries.”

• Lay it out cleanly. If you’re planning to provide a handout to accompany an oral argument, make sure it’s not weighed down with too much information or text. Keep it readable; use white space and even some graphics to break up blocks of sentences. Consider using a bold header for different topics on the page.