The
election of President Obama demonstrated the power of constituent organizing,
the dissatisfaction of many voters with the work of elected officials, and the
importance of participating in the electoral process.
We can
mourn the state of affairs, or we can use the elections as a wake-up call. We
must make housing; jobs, economic development and racial inequity a political
issue, and we can begin by holding our elected officials accountable. This is
no easy task. It requires consistent vigilance and hard work. And yet, if we
want a more just society in which everyone is adequately housed, fair wages, we
must hold them accountable.
Fundamentally,
elected officials care about one thing: votes. The keys to votes – and to the
power needed to hold elected officials accountable – are people and money.
Activists need to learn how to use these keys to influence elected officials.
Use this four-step process to analyze your potential to hold your elected
officials accountable and visibly demonstrate your organization's power.
1.
Analyze Elected Officials
•Learn as
much as possible about your elected officials. Learning about them one-by-one
is crucial, because elections are held ward-by-ward or district-by-district.
•By how
much did the elected official win the election? The smaller the victory, the
better for you – he or she will be eager to hear from constituents.
•Who were
the primary groups of people supporting the elected official? How many were
"hard core" supporters and how many were possible swing voters?
•What are
the elected official's positions on your issues? Are they firm ideologically,
or are they more flexible depending upon the voters' positions?
•Where
did the elected official's money come from? Is any of it from groups that
oppose you? Is there evidence to suggest that the elected official is
"bought" by moneyed interests?
2.
Analyze Your Supporters and Potential Supporters.
•Who are
the people who care most about your issues? Money and votes flow from the
committed supporters.
•Who else
might care about your issues? What other groups might be willing to vote based
at least in part upon your issues?
•Are your
supporters and potential supporters registered to vote, and did they vote in
the last election?
•Did any
of your supporters or potential supporters contribute money to their elected
official?
•How can
we "cut" our issues so they appeal to a broad segment of voters? In
order to be successful in the long run, we need a majority in the district or
ward supporting our positions. This means we have to define our issues more
broadly to unite poor and working class families. If not, they'll be
pitted against one another, and we all lose.
3.
Make a Plan.
•Is your
elected official strong on your issues, and has he or she won the election by a
wide margin? If so, keep up the good work. Maintain a relationship with the
elected official and help that person strengthen the base in the community, but
focus more attention on other, less agreeable or less popular elected
officials.
•Is your
elected official a supporter of your issues who won by a small margin? If so,
you will need to shore up his or her support. Make sure your supporters are
registered and come out to vote. Register other voters. Educate potential
supporters about your positions and the importance of having your elected
official's support.
•Is your
elected official flexible (a moderate), depending upon the perceived interests
of the district? You must demonstrate that a sizable portion of the district
cares about your issues. The closer the election, the more the elected official
cares about groups of voters; however, you must make sure that your group's
support doesn't diminish the elected official's support from another group. If
it does, you will have to demonstrate that votes and money support your
position.
•Is your
elected official indifferent or adverse to your issues while having won the
election by a small margin? Unless you think the elected official is
redeemable, it is probably best to begin looking for another candidate to
support and begin educating the voters about the official's position on your
issues, so they will vote for an alternative candidate in the next election.
•Does
your elected official oppose your issues but enjoy wide electoral support? This
is the worst situation. Unless a very large number of unregistered voters could
be registered and mobilized, you may want to consider focusing your efforts on
other districts.
4. Demonstrate
Your Power. It is not enough to have the people and campaign contributors on
your side, you must visibly demonstrate that power. A few tried and true
tactics for demonstrating your power include:
•Voter-registration
drives. Make sure all new supporters are registered.
•Turn out
the vote campaigns. Except in times of high publicity and high voter turnout, a
well-orchestrated campaign to turn out the vote is an effective demonstration
of power.
•Orchestrate
communication with elected officials to help them gauge their constituents'
concerns.
•Personal
letters get the most weight, but they are hardest to generate. Postcards or
petitions are less influential unless people send them in large quantities. It
may be easier to collect 5000 postcards than 50 personal letters. Ideally,
collect both.
•Use the
phone and fax also. Seek quantity rather than quality. Politicians are seldom
moved by the merits of the position, but they may well be moved by the breadth
of constituent interest.
•Town
hall meetings. Turn your supporters out to these meetings. Wear visible buttons
or pins. Grab the mikes early and ask your questions. Be a visible force.
•Media
coverage. Issues covered by the media are believed to concern constituents.
Have supporters write letters to the editor (the second most widely read
section of the paper), seek editorial board endorsements, write guest
editorials. Try to get media coverage of every event possible demonstrating
public support for your issues. Media coverage gives the impression of broad
support and educates potential supporters.
•Accountability
sessions. Ask the elected official to commit to your issue at a well-planned,
large meeting between your supporters and the official. Invite the media and
large segments of the community. These meetings are effective ways to
demonstrate power and work especially well with flexible elected officials who
won close election races.
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