A Word About Specificity

So, you'd like your elected official to do something for you. What is it, exactly, you'd like this person to do? Your request will be specific, attainable, and compelling, or you will have wasted your time and theirs (we've talked about compelling before, we'll talk about attainable later.)

Nothing is more frustrating to an elected official than a pie in the sky request. When I worked for a Member of Congress, I staffed meetings in which constituents asked the elected to 'support peace in the Middle East,' or 'end discrimination,' or 'close the wage gap between men and women.' Laudable goals, all! But NOTHING HAPPENED as a result of these meetings. No phone calls were made, no bills were signed on to, no policy changes were looked into, no CRS reports were pulled. If you want your elected official to work for you, then put them to work.

Dream big, because dreaming big will help you figure out what, exactly, to ask for. Then be as specific as possible about an action you would like the elected official to take because at the end of the day, you want something done.