Lobbying for Social Change

This step-by-step guide to lobbying covers it all-from the basics for beginners to specific techniques for experienced lobbyists

“You and I may never achieve major public office, but we do not need to in order to affect public policy.”
-Author Willard C. Richan

To effect social change, any lobbyist’s case must be presented with skill, knowledge, and confidence. This reader-friendly book shows the way. It assumes no prior knowledge of the subject and provides the nuts and bolts of public policy advocacy (lobbying) in non-technical language. Lobbying for Social Change, Third Edition is organized in a way that easily lends itself to use in the classroom as well as by individual or group advocates, and it is packed with clearly presented case material that illustrates the lobbying process in action. This new edition provides updated case material, expanded coverage of electronic media, and two new chapters; one focusing on direct action for fundamental change, and the other presenting a case history of a grassroots lobbying campaign.

Part I of Lobbying for Social Change, Third Edition, entitled “The Basics,” will show you how to:

• assess your political resources

• set an agenda for action

• understand whom to lobby-and how to gauge their power, motivation, and ability to effect or impede social change

• gather and use evidence to support your position

Part II, “Practical Applications,” gives you nuts-and-bolts information about how lobbying is done. You’ll learn:

• how to work directly with policymakers-face-to-face, by mail, by telephone, etc.

• effective rules for to testifying in a public hearing

• how to make use of the mass media-writing news releases, participating in panel discussions, what to do when being interviewed (and how to increase your chances of being a repeat guest on talk and news shows), and how to effectively work with print and electronic media, including the Internet

• ways to take on the system through direct action

Part III, “Case History of a Grassroots Lobbying Campaign,” takes you inside an actual campaign (in this case, to amend the impending-at the time-welfare reform bill). You’ll see how a group of five Philadelphia area social workers and one feminist activist started the Delaware County Coalition to Save Our Safety Net-a coalition that would make a substantial impact on the specifics of welfare in the state of Pennsylvania.

This new edition of the classic manual for lobbyists is packed with vital information for lobbying in the new millennium. We urge you to consider making it a part of your personal or teaching collection today!