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Chip Ahlswede
Meredith Weisel

Friday, May 1, 2015

Another trip to the Capitols

This month, I will get the opportunity to hit up my state capitol, and Washington DC.

One of the great things about working in advocacy is the ability to see what congress actually works like.  And the sad side of that is seeing how far off the general public's view of the members of congress is.

The general view people have is that the congress is broken because nothing ever gets done.  For the better part of 2 years congress' overall approval ratings has been in the teens.

At the same time the re election rate in congress is actually higher than the soviet politburo was.

So essentially the public says "congress is the problem, except for my congressman."

Well the truth is the problem isn't congress or any individual congressperson, but the fact that we don't hold our members of congress more accountable for action.

The reason we don't hold them accountable is because we generally don't pay attention to what they are doing.

Our members of congress are in general good people who want to do good things. Regardless of political persuasion, background, or supporters this is generally true.  The difference between them is less about party, or if they are corrupt, but instead how they see getting good things accomplished, and the priority with which they place those issues.

So if you want to truly know your member of congress, or how to get them engaged on things. Here is a fool proof plan to success:

STEP ONE - don't be a one issue / one position / one approach person
Know all the issues. Know all the stances. Know which are priorities. Know how to promote things that may not be your first priority.

STEP TWO - don't try to eat the elephant in one bite
Legislation takes time, and change needs to be an evolution. If you look at the history of any policy you love or hate it started small and took time to grow.

STEP THREE - stay on top of things
Information about what is going on in DC or your state Capitol, or even your city hall is very easy to follow. No it's not as easy to digest as a reality tv show or as entertaining as a sit com, but there are resources that can make the issues much more accessible. Check out thehill.com politico.com and fivethirtyeight 

STEP FOUR - don't just follow one point of view
It's easy to just watch fox, or just watch msnbc, or just watch cnn.  However when you do that, you never challenge your own thoughts, and you never see how anyone else could view an issue. In other words, it's like talking into a mirror. You learn from other perspectives

STEP FIVE - don't become that guy/gal
Here's the thing. Neither Bush nor Obama are like Hitler.  And that kind of talk makes you look like a lunatic. So stay away from that, it does nothing for anyone, anywhere, anyhow.

Five steps and you'll quickly become an involved engaged person.  You might also find that your congressman is the problem and that the congress isn't!

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