Use these tactics to jump in the legislative mud-pit and start swinging! “It’s hopeless, the whip count shows us down 11 votes and we’re just a week out from the vote.” This was the text message I received last year from our bill sponsor in the legislature in Missouri, eight days before the one-day veto Read more about It’s Not Over Until It’s Over — When They Threaten Your Bill, It’s Time to Fight Back[…]
If you have been absorbing the information on this website, you will hopefully have realized that most of your time needs to be spent in identifying and mobilizing your supporters in support of, or in opposition to, legislation. They are the ones who pressure their legislators, as it should be — after all, they are Read more about The Diamond Formation: Holding Politicians Accountable to Their Face![…]
Don’t lose sight of the forest for the trees! For political activists looking to change public policy in the statehouse or the county courthouse, the beginning of the year is the time to really hone in on your legislative program to make sure you accomplish your goals. Yep, you close your eyes and envision lofty Read more about It is About to Get Busy – Don’t Forget the Big Picture[…]
If they knock you down, you’d better come up swinging On election night in 2016, the Republican Party took control of thirty-two state legislatures, with twenty- four of those having a Republican governor as well. For many of us who’ve battled for years against Democratic majorities, now is a time of unparalleled opportunity. And to Read more about You Have Not Because You Ask Not – No Deal and No Surrender[…]
Why you need one and a step-by-step how to guide One of the questions I am asked by activists repeatedly is whether or not they should file papers to form their organization into a 501c4 non-profit entity. The short answer, in most cases, is yes. The process of getting from where you are to that Read more about 7 Easy Steps to Obtain Your 501c4 Non-Profit[…]
If you’re serious about fighting for freedom in your area, you must get serious about tracking your organization’s progress too. Having been involved in extremely long legislative sessions for years, I know that there comes a point when you just about don’t care about what happens to your bill anymore and you just want the Read more about Written Evaluations – How Do You Know if You Are Improving?[…]
If you know what to expect in advance, it will be easier to deal with it with it happens to you. If you and your organization are following the tools that you are learning from this website, you are likely quickly growing your grassroots organization into a statewide powerhouse. That is great. But your political Read more about You’re Going to Make Them Mad – Political Threats and How to Deal With Them[…]
If you work in confrontational politics at a high level for any length of time, you will lose friends. Expect it. People get involved in politics for different reasons. Maybe a legislator angered them or perhaps there was an issue that really fired them up, so they got involved in local or state politics for Read more about People Come and They Go –- So What?[…]
The top 5 shortcuts activists make trying to solve problems in the statehouse (Viral videos, hiring contract lobbyists, billboards, stupid emails with 15 topics, giving books to politicians) “But you don’t understand, this celebrity speaker will make this video go viral and the people are going to come to the Capitol in droves! This will Read more about There Is No Shortcut to Building Grassroots Pressure — But Nothing is More Effective for Public Policy Change[…]
Effective Grassroots Organizations Need Effective Leadership, Tactics for Leading from the Front If you’ve been following the tools and training offered on this website, then hopefully your organization is adding people to your lists rapidly. Hopefully, some of the new names are donors. Others are more inclined to be volunteers at events while others are Read more about Get Out in Front![…]