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Building Your Policymaking Muscle

A collection of 30 issues

If You Want to Know the Future

If you want to really wow folks at parties, tell them you can predict the future...of your town! This doesn't require a Magic 8 Ball, though that's quite wonderful to have. All it requires is getting familiar with an easy-to-miss local government document called the

An Alternative to Calling Our Member of Congress

One year is 8,760 hours. And of those many hours, let's pull out just four to six of them. Or 0.06 percent of a year. Now let's put that figure on the shelf for a moment. First, I want to talk about The Question

The Second Most Important Question in Policy Change

The heartbreaking phone calls came to the D. C. office often. "Can the Congressman vote against this Supreme Court nominee?" "Can the Congressman expedite the friggin' DMV wait time?" "Can the Congressman get these numbskulls to stop hunting in my backyard?" "Can

A Terrific Must-Read Document for 2024

This is part of a short series on navigating 2024. A few other ideas here and here, you'll know what options feel right to you. Every so often, I treat myself to a romp through my city's budget. This juicy read is filled with a language

A Useful Spot to Place Our Attention in 2024

This is part of a short series on how to navigate 2024. There are plenty of ideas to share, you'll know which lands for you. There was no wait to vote at the American Legion. Pretty quiet all morning, the woman at the folding card table told me

The Thing to Know About State Legislatures

Budgets, they say, are moral documents. Governments spend on what they - ideally we citizens - value. The same is not said about calendars. But it's an interesting idea to noddle on: How governments spend their time is a reflection of what matters most to them. And that

Why A Few Bills Become Law & Most Don't

"Teamwork makes the dream work!" is not a common refrain in the halls of Congress. Capitol Hill is 535 small businesses (100 Senators and 435 Congresspeople) that each have - with few exceptions - one main political motivation: reelection. The reason meaningful gun control is so hard to

How to Call a Politician's Bluff

A great many politicians are in the business of introducing bills. A much smaller number of politicians are in the business of passing them. Last Congress, 17,817 bills were introduced. Congress has two-year sessions that start the January after an election. Each session is called - and they brought

Two Minutes for a Healthier Democracy

A few months ago, I was out for a walk with a buddy of mine who's a State Representative. We were talking shop and I asked him how many phone calls he got from constituents on issues. He represents about 9,000 folks, not exactly small potatoes here

Understanding a Politician's Mind

Should you find yourself with a spare moment one afternoon. And should you think to yourself, I will use this spare moment to watch a bit of C-SPAN. And should you happen to turn it on when there is a Tough Vote on the floor of the House of Representatives,