#19. Individuals and Group Roles in Shaping Policy

Lobbying is a common method used by organizations to engage government officials on public policy.

What is the main purpose of lobbying?

• to initiate the process of referendum

• to provide an interest group's perspective on a proposed law

• to nominate a political party's candidate for office

• to present oral arguments during judicial proceedings

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Your local Black Lives Matter group is concerned that the local officials are not taking police reform seriously and you want to seek out information and inform them of your organizations concerns. A good place to start may be to.

• Post attacks on social media on what you feel like is a snails-pace progress of the local PD

• attend police-community meetings where you can voice your concerns and receive more information

• Google the major news stories concerning the police in your area over the last 5 years.

• Stage an overwhelming protest at the front of the Justice Center

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To change a state policy on teachers salaries you might (choose all that apply)

• hold a demonstration at the capital

• lobby members of the legislature

• send an impact study to the U.S. Department of Education

• elect a new mayor

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Citizens need to understand how to engage the government properly at various stages of a bill’s passage.

Identify the appropriate branch and level of government to target in each scenario shown for a bill.

EX: The bill becomes law and the Governor of Ohio directs agencies to implement its provisions.

• executive, state

• executive, federal

• legislative, state

• legislative, federal

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You feel like Presidential Candidate Zlocki is the best person for the job in the General Election of 2028. You are a fan of his policies and understand that his brilliant intellect and charm are exactly what this country needs in its Executive leader. What actions can you take to ensure the policies you support will in fact be taken on and enacted by him ? (choose all that apply)

• support him as a candidate and convincing other to do so

• supporting the opposing candidate in an effort to see if that will push Zlocki into changing his ways

• work with interest groups to push the candidate to support your needs in exchange for support

• attack his critics on twitter for not being smart enough to support him

• work in the campaign and ensure that the issues you care about are not lost in favor of other issues

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To change a federal tax law, one should/could (choose all that apply)

• start a letter writing campaign to the governor

• start a letter writing campaign to the Congress

• run for mayor

• testify before congress as an expert or a person effected

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A student is upset with the proposal to have school begin an hour earlier. What would be the most effective means of having his or her voice heard to change the decision?

• write a letter to the editor

• take a case to the municipal court

• address the school board at a meeting

• write a letter to the General Assembly

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As a business owner of a small local store, you are concerned with the proposed federal legislation increasing the minimum wage to $15 an hour. You are barely making ends meet and are worried that a higher minimum wage will mean either increasing prices or laying off one or more employees. What could you do to try and make your voice heard and possibly influence the way the policy is written?

• You could voice your concerns to an interest group that represents business interests in Congress

• You could contact your federal House rep and/or senator and inform them of your opposition to the bill as written.

• You could just close your store and give up. This is too big of a problem for you to solve.

• You could work with other businesses to leverage social media trends and publicize your views to gain followers

• You could work with legislatures to try and negotiate that wage increase to a smaller level such as $11.50 an hour

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to change a local ordinance on parking fines, you might (choose all that apply)

• lobby the Ohio General Assembly

• Campaign for new city council members

• Speak at a public meeting

• Write to the governor

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A group of oil companies is extremely concerned with a new possible regulation capping the amount of oil they could drill for, believing that in order to keep competing with Russia or Saudi Arabia, they would need to keep utilizing the natural resources available to them. They believe that have to do something and believe the best way for them to leverage their power is to

• Lobby the government to reverse the possible regulation through studies and donations

• Move their corporations to a foreign country

• Keep drilling no matter what the government does, the fine is less than the profits would be anyways

• fire or layoff a large portion of the company to send a message of what would happen should the regulation get approved

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