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.

02-14-09 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.