The Point

One way to convince policy makers that they won’t be hurt if they support your proposal—or even that they might be hurt if they do not support it—is to show widespread support for the proposal from constituents. This is most important if your board is a political body, like a city council or a state legislature. There are two ways to show constituent support: by having people present at public events in support of the proposal, or by having people contact the members to say they support the proposal.

Defining Terms

Both protests and civil disobedience (“c.d.”) involve people getting together in public to express an opinion about something. “Protest” is used here to mean an event at which people obey whatever laws a city or a campus might have for demonstrations. For example, most places have laws about obstructing sidewalks or getting permits. “C.D.” is used to mean events at which people disregard those laws, or others.

Basic Research on the Process

Your basic research should include getting information on how your board operates. You need to find out about the structure of the process and its rules, both written and unwritten. With legislatures and most other boards, it is particularly worthwhile to sit in on a few meetings at the start of your research. The advice you get from observers will make more sense when you can put it in context, and you are likely to pick up some of the subtle dynamics yourself. Friendly members of the body are apt to be your best source for practical information about who would make a good sponsor, which members are likely to support you, which are effective as committee chairs, etc.

This section covers how to organize public hearings. The following section covers picking and preparing witnesses.