Lawmaking and Advocacy

1. Lawmaking and Advocacy

2. Laws and Courts • Agencies – government groups that create rules and regulations to make laws more specific (TSA, DOT, OSHA) • Courts help enforce laws but they also help make them • Trial – conducted by a court to determine a person’s innocence or guilt • A person who loses a trial can sometimes ask a higher court to review and change the result of a trial – this is an appeals or appellate court • If the appeals court changes a lower court’s decision, it sets a precedent for similar future cases

3. International Lawmaking • Laws that apply to the conduct of countries • Usually is made when national governments make treaties with one another • Treaty – agreement or contract between countries • Major international lawmaking bodies – UN, European Union

4. Advocacy • Advocacy – the active support of a cause • This is based on collecting information, developing great communication skills, and creating effective plans and timelines • What to advocate for? Important issues! Things that affect your daily life and should be changed

5. Lobbying • Lobbyist – someone who tries to convince a lawmaker to vote for or against a particular issue • Lobbying is a right guaranteed by our Constitution • Anyone can be a lobbyist, but some people are professional lobbyists • Lobbying has been criticized because it allows some people and businesses to “buy legislation”

6. Voting • This is one of our basic constitutional rights • While lawmakers vote on most laws, people can sometimes vote on laws directly • Initiative – allows people to propose a law by petition, usually have to gain a minimum number of signatures to put it on the ballot • Referendum – occurs when voters must give final approval for a legislative act (gun control, environmental protection, school funding) • Recall – voters sometimes have the ability to vote an official out of office

7. Settling Disputes Informal Talk, Negotiation, Mediation, and Arbitration

8. The Stages of Conflict Resolution • Conflict is a part of everyday life and should be managed responsibly • 1. informal • talk • Always start with this whenever possible – people work with each other quickly work to resolve a conflict, nobody else gets involved • 2. negotiation • Involves three phases • Clearly identify the problem that has caused the conflict • Separate individual demands and desires to create a list of possible solutions (must be realistic) • Both sides make a few final decisions to resolve the dispute

9. Conflict Resolution (cont.) • 3. Mediation • Is used when negotiations break down or a solution cannot be reached • A third person helps the disputing parties talk about their problem and settle their differences • A mediator cannot impose his decision on anyone – the parties involved must act on his decision voluntarily

10. Conflict Resolution (cont.) • 4. Arbitration • When mediation does not work, people can move to this step to solve disputes • Arbitrator – like a judge, has the authority to make a final decision that both parties must follow • The process is similar to mediation, but it is more formal – it is not as formal as a trial, however