Advocacy

1. Advocacy Lobbying Voting Campaign Finance Reform

2. Advocacy • Advocacy: active support or argument for a cause • LOBBYING: influencing legislators to take a certain action on a proposed law • VOTING: casting a ballot for an issue or candidate you support • CAMPAIGNING: actively working to make a change in how the government deals with a specific issue/candidate

3. How a BILL becomes a LAW • Introduction • By member of that house • Committee Work • Debate, Discuss, Public Hearings, Amend, Kill • LOBBYING!!!! • Floor Debate • Debate, Discuss, Amend, Vote • LOBBYING!!!! • Other House – Repeat the Process • CONFERENCE COMMITTEE • Compromise – revote both houses • Presidential Consideration • Sign, Veto, “Pocket Veto”

4. Groups • You will get into groups of 3 • Each group will take one topic and read that section in the book • Make notes of the important points • #1 - Lobbying (p.31-32) • #2 - Voting (p. 34-36) • #3 - Campaign Finance Reform (p. 38-39) • Mix with people from other groups and share your information • Return to your group and inform them of the highlights of your topic

5. Advocacy • Active support of a cause • Art of persuading others to support your cause • Includes gathering facts, developing communication skills and creating an effective plan and timeline • High school students have been VERY EFFECTIVE advocates for causes important to them at the local, state and national level • EX – working with PETA to get a store chain to quit selling furs by protesting, stuffing envelopes, creating a web page with information, etc

6. Guidelines for Advocates • Identify an Issue • Set a goal • Become an expert on the issue • Recruit allies/Identify Roadblocks • Identify strategies • Plan for success • Work the media • Create a resource pool

7. Advocacy ExampleMoney for Schools • Identify Problem: Legislature cutting money for schools • Set a Goal: Increase the amount of money to schools • Become an Expert: Research the issue • Recruit Allies/Identify Roadblocks • Convince people to join your cause – • Figure out the biggest “roadblocks” to success • Budget problems at state/federal level • Revenue source for public schools • Identify Strategies: Come up with ideas to overcome roadblocks • Identify a steady source of dedicated funds for public education (lotto, % of sales tax) • Plan for Success: Make a specific plan to reach your goals • Work the Media: Make the local/state media aware of your efforts • Create a Resource Pool: Identify sources of money, people you can rely on (donations, contributions, etc)

8. Advocacy Activity • In groups of 3-4, you will determine how you will advocate for one of the topics below: • A Skatepark in Belfair • More/better jobs for teens • Lower voting age (16 years old) • Legalizing Marijuana • Lowering the Drinking Age (18 years old) • Other (an issue you come up with and clear with Ms. Copp)

9. Lobbying • Lobbying is a way to influence the lawmaking process by convincing lawmakers to vote as you want them to • Anyone can be a lobbyist • Individuals • On issues that effect their lives • Letter writing, petitions, phone calls, email • Professional Lobbyists • Contributions, ads, favors, letter writing campaigns, other techniques • Special Interest Groups • Hire professional lobbyists to advance their cause • Lobby on behalf of a specific issue or group • Businesses and organizations lobby to get laws that favor them • Grassroots Lobbyists • Not Professionals – just plain folks fighting for a cause • When large enough, grassroots lobbyists are hugely effective

10. Voting • Initiative and Referendum • People can vote directly on proposed laws • INITIATIVE: Citizen proposed laws directly to the ballot (signatures required) • REFERENDUM: Citizens approve/reject a law passed by the Legislature • Who Can Vote? • Any Citizen who is 18 years old and registered to vote • Voter registration is handled by each state (Motor Voter, Internet Registration) • A “Fair Election” is guaranteed • Our history is not good on voting rights, but now have “UNIVERSAL SUFFRAGE” • Participating in Elections • In 2004, 72% were registered to vote and 46% actually voted in the Presidential election • Turnout for state and off-year elections much lower

11. 2012 Ballot Measures in Washington State • Initiative 1185TaxesWould require either two-thirds legislative approval or a vote by the people in order to raise taxes. • Initiative 1240EducationAllow 40 public charter schools in the state over five years. • Referendum 74MarriageWould ask if same-sex marriage should be legalized in the state. • Initiative 502MarijuanaWould legalize and regulate the sale of small amounts of marijuana to people 21 and older • SJR 8221BudgetsTo include the recommendations of the commission on state debt. This would be a constitutional amendment lowering the state debt limit • SJR 8223EducationProvide authority to state research universities to invest funds. • Advisory Vote 1TaxesDeclares an intent to improve the long-term sustainability of the state budget. This would allow a state vote on recommended raises of taxes • Advisory Vote 2InsuranceDelays the expiration of the pollution liability insurance agency's funding.

12. Reasons People DON’T Vote • My vote doesn’t count • Too busy • Don’t know about the issues/candidates • Don’t care about the issues/candidates • Don’t have a stamp to mail it in • Forgot • ?Other?

13. Voting Activity • Make 2 lists: one of all the reasons for voting, and another of all the reasons for not voting. • The following proposals have been made to encourage more people to vote. Do you favor or oppose each proposal? Explain your answers • Levying a $20 fine on a person who is eligible to vote but does not do so and has no good excuse • Allowing people to register and vote on the same day • Lowering the voting age to 16 so students in high school can vote • Keeping the polls open for a week instead of just a day • Holding all elections on weekends • Reducing people’s taxes by $10 each if they vote • Allowing people to vote not just for representatives, but directly for or against issues on the ballot that they care about • Prohibiting the media from reporting poll results or projections until all polls are closed • Automatically registering everyone with a driver’s license

14. Campaign Finance Reform • Money has a HUGE impact on who gets elected and was issues are dealt with in the legislature • EX – Gay Marriage in Washington state • Campaign Finance Reform try to level the playing field in elections • Current Problems • People of low-middle income cannot run for office because they can’t afford to • Special Interests receive favors in exchange for substantial campaign contributions • Elected officials spend too much time raising money and not time doing their jobs • Attempts at reforms are challenged as unconstitutional limits on free speech

15. CFR Questionaire • Do you agree or disagree? WHY • The only way to take money out of politics is to have full federal funding of presidential and congressional elections • In a free country, it makes no sense to try to limit how much voters and candidate can give to an election. If people have the money and want to spend it on campaigns, they should be able to. • We have to balance the rights of those that want to contribute money to campaigns against the need to fight corruption and undue influence. The best way to do this through disclosure laws-let everyone see who is giving money to candidates. If the candidates vote for the special interests that fund them, the voters can then vote that candidate out of office.

16. Ch 2 – General Review • Name the three branches of government. • Which branch of the government writes the laws? • What is this called in our federal gov’t? • What is a proposed law called? • Which is more powerful, federal or state law • What is the difference between “legislative intent” and “letter of the law”? • Which branch of government enforces the laws/puts them into action? • What are AGENCIES? What do they do? • How do they decide what to do? • Which branch of government interprets the laws/determines if laws were broken? • What do the courts do? • What is “international law”? • Who/How are they made? • How are they enforced? Are they enforced?

17. Ch 2-3 - General Review • Lawmaking VOCAB • Legislatures Appellate Court • Drafting a Bill Bill • Agencies Legislative Intent • International Law Legislature • Advocacy Precedent • The Art of Advocacy Public Hearing • Lobbying Statutes • Voting Supremacy Clause • Campaign Finance Reform Treaty Trials

18. Essay Questions for Ch 2/3 Test(choose one from each pair) • Which part of the government does what when it comes to laws? (name the branch and what it is responsible) • Explain the process that a bill goes through to become a law **************************************************** • Name the three ways we talked about in class on how you can be involved in the political process • Voting is a key to a functioning democracy. Why is it so important? Give 2 ways you think might encourage more people to vote.