19 October 2007 Southwest Student Leadership Conference Tempe, AZ

1. Tactics for Winning at the Capitol Nicole Allen The Student PIRGs Southwest Student Leadership Conference October 11, 2008

2. Influencing Politicians There are two ways to influence politicians: Money People

3. Students Are Powerful A LOT of people (+ parents) Relatively easy to activate Higher education is in the public interest

4. How to Plan A Victory Decide on your goal Choose your targets Outline what influences your targets Develop strategies to influence your targets Develop tactics to implement those strategies

5. 1. Decide on your goal

6. 2. Select your targets Which legislators have the power to pass your bill? Which legislators will you need to influence? Which legislators can you influence?

7. 3. Outline what influences your target Look at their voting record/history. Party lines? Specific issues? Sponsored legislation? What is their constituency? Demographics? Political leaning? Industry? Up for reelection? In danger? Other politicians. Seatmates? Leadership? Lunch buddies?

8. 4. Develop strategies Direct lobbying. Meet with the target and people who influence the target. Build coalitions. Combine power with groups with similar interests. Think outside of the box Grassroots. Mobilize individual students and coalition constituencies to pressure the target. Media. Hold the target accountable in the public spotlight.

9. 5. Tactics: Lobbying Constituent meetings Meet with other politicians to ask for their help Stakeholder meetings

10. 5. Tactics: Coalition Reach out to major groups in the target constituency Combine resources with other groups with a common interest Paper tiger coalition

11. 5. Tactics: Grassroots Call in days Letters/Emails/Petitions Rallies Lobby Days Be creative!

12. 5. Tactics: Media Create a championship opportunity Press conferences/releases Invite the media to all grassroots events Letters to the editor Editorial board meetings

13. How to Plan A Victory Decide on your goal Choose your targets Outline what influences your targets Develop strategies to influence your targets Develop tactics to implement those strategies

14. Your Turn You are trying to pass a bill that requires textbook publishers to disclose pricing information to faculty Your target is the sponsor of the bill, who has just decided to support all of the changes the publishing industry asked for. He is the junior Representative from Flagstaff, a first term republican with a party-lines voting record.