Legislative Analysis Lobbying for Legislation

Legislative and Political Activities for Social Workers Examining how current legislation helps or hurts our clients, our organization, communities, or social workers. Examining how proposed legislation helps or hurts clients, etc. Looking at how people or organizations will be affected by funding increases or cutbacks. Proposing legislation. Lobbying for legislation proposed by others. Lobbying for funding for social service or health programs. Researching what politicians or interest groups support or oppose legislation that could help or hurt our constituents; understanding their vested interests and motivation. Targeting politicians/decision-makers who can be influenced. Campaigning for politicians who support the interests of clients, social workers, etc.

Legislative Analysis looks at either the content of legislation or legislative processes Content Analysis: What is in legislation – how will the legislation affect clients –how will it affect what social workers can do? Process analysis: Examine the development of the policy. Where is the legislation pending in the legislative process (committee, Assembly, State Senate, Governor’s desk, etc)? Who supports; who opposes; what power do they have?

We often use policy (content models) to analyze the content of legislation. What problem is addressed? What are the policy goals? Will the policy meet specific criteria? Common criteria incorporate value statements: equity, equality, adequacy, self-determination, efficiency, etc? Who will be effected by the legislation? How will the legislation be implemented? How should the policy be evaluated?

Major components of process analysis are: Interest groups involved in the process. Status and authority of decision-makers (bureaucrats and elected politicians) Amount of power held by interest groups and decision- makers. Vested interests and motives of decision-makers and interest groups Strategies used by all participants to influence results. Rules of the game – how does the legislative process work Alliances among participants

Research is commonly done by: Observations of process Interviews with decision-makers Media accounts and analysis Industry ties and other types of affiliations of participants Campaign donations Obvious inferences about vested interests based on background information about participants and pending legislation or policy options Looking at voting patterns and election turnout; timing of elections; composition of electorate.

Lobbying Legislators Requires engagement skills for face to face lobbying. (Set up meetings with individual legislators) Requires knowledge of the issues. Requires knowing about the legislator’s past voting record. Requires knowing about the legislator’s vested interest in the issue.

Sources of Information about Legislators Newspapers and television Legislator’s own web pages. Information put together by different advocacy organizations or organizations that study the legislative process. Information on government web site (voting records; status of legislation) Other political operatives

Rationale for Lobbying Letting your legislator know you are interested in an issue and that it can affect how you vote. Strength or power in numbers. Responsibility as a social worker and a citizen or resident of the country. According to Robert Putnam (a sociologist who writes on civic participation) communities in which people actively participate in politics and nonprofit organizations are healthier, more stable, and have better access to resources than communities in which people do not participate!

Approaches for Lobbying Face to face meetings. Calling legislative offices. Sending letters or s. Media coverage/press releases on issues Publishing reports on issues. Giving testimony at public hearings. Holding rallies or protests. Supporting or opposing the election of candidates.

Election campaigns attempt to: Identify likely new voters. Identify who is already likely to vote for the candidate. Target appeals to specific ethnic groups. Initiate voter registration and get out the vote efforts.

Communities of Color and Low Income People: Vote at lower rates that middle or upper income or white Americans. Encounter barriers to voting. Sometimes feel that voting won’t make a difference!

Recent issues in voting Translation. Identification requirements. Ballot layout. Electronic voting machines and paper trails. Students voting in college towns. Charges of vote fraud Law enforcement presence in polling places Concern about Federal requirements that states maintain a centralized voting list

Social workers can: Volunteer on election campaigns Run for office Help people register to vote (Motor Voter legislation requires some social service organizations to do this) Help inform people about candidates and about individual voting rights. Be a poll watcher or election judge. Monitor impact of the Help American Vote Act.