The Threat You’re Missing

--> Washington D.C. is the cornerstone of our democracy, it is where the bulk of broad scale governance and regulation occurs.

Every organization has a federal presence. 

Justice Brandeis famously referred to State government as the “laboratories of democracy” in a way to show that they should have the right to try new things that may be useful to other states, or to the federal government.

Many organizations have a state network of some kind.

However partisan gridlock has left most institutions paralyzed, or at the very least one sided in its governance.  While no organization sees themselves as strictly partisan, the issues you work on appeal more to one side or the other – or if they become a bill, they are sponsored by a members of one side or the other.  So by default, your issues become partisanized (Yes, I did just make that word up).

Despite this lack of ability to govern effectively at either level, governing needs to be done.  Increasingly that responsibility is falling to the local level.

Now I know what you’re thinking – “What jurisdiction do they have on my business/ industry / organization?”

 

The answer is probably none.  But that isn’t stopping them from inserting themselves into regulating it since they can’t get any action out of any other government.

So what can you do about it?

Reach out.  They’ve probably never been contacted by an organization like yours.  That wont be enough to dissuade them, but it can be enough to stall them long enough to pursue a couple of options depending on what it is:

• Organize a local group of partners/ vendors/ members/ etc. to address local policies with local policy makers.
• Organize a community group to push back on local regulation.
• Point out to their city attorney that they really have no role here, and that you are governed by state and federal laws, and that any action they do is likely in violation of the state constitution.
• Push local press and media to investigate the role of local government in broader issues.

Those local elected officials will later be Congressmen

Every issue is dealt with differently.  It may require one or a multiple of these options in pushing back on government over-stepping its bounds.

However these efforts also come with an added benefit – relationships.

Most local elected officials have higher aspirations.  Which means you will soon be dealing with those same individuals on the state or federal level you are accustomed to dealing with.  Developing the relationship with them early makes you a more valuable ally in the long run.