Citizen’s Handbook for Influencing Elected Officials

Overview

The Citizen’s Handbook for Influencing Elected Officials is a practical, research-driven guide for anyone who wants to understand how government really works-and how to make their voice heard in it.This newly expanded second edition is more than twice the length of the original. It draws on the author’s forty years of experience working in and around the United States Congress, including his tenure at the nonpartisan Congressional Management Foundation. It offers a rare insider’s view of how legislators make decisions and what kinds of advocacy actually influence them.Blending novel research, interviews with dozens of current and former members of Congress and their staff, and lessons learned from years of direct experience, this handbook demystifies the policymaking process and arms readers with the tools to make an impact. Inside it you’ll find:Proven strategies for influencing lawmakers face-to-faceBest practices for communicating with Congress and state legislaturesGuidance for writing compelling emails, letters, and op-edsA practical overview of congressional culture and decision-makingInsights from off-the-record interviews with elected officials and staffNewly updated appendices with core civic texts and advocacy resourcesWhether you’re preparing to meet with an elected official, writing a persuasive letter to the editor, or simply trying to understand the levers of power in Washington and your state capital, this book offers clear, actionable strategies to be an effective citizen-advocate.

Author Biography

Bradford Fitch is the former CEO of the Congressional Management Foundation. He has spent 40 years in Washington as a journalist, congressional aide, consultant, college instructor, Internet entrepreneur, and writer/researcher. He is a leading trainer of citizen-advocates in the U.S., with more than 50,000 Americans participating in one of his programs.Fitch got his start in communications as a DJ for his local AM radio station in Upstate NY at the age of 16. He is a former radio and television reporter, and worked on Capitol Hill for 13 years as press secretary, legislative director, and chief of staff. From 2001-2005 he served as Deputy Director of CMF. He left CMF in 2006 to form a new company, Knowlegis, now a part of FiscalNote. He returned to CMF in 2010, where he served 14 as CEO.Fitch also is the author of Citizen’s Handbook to Influencing Elected Officials and Media Relations Handbook for Agencies, Associations, Nonprofits and Congress. His work and interviews have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, CBC News, NPR, among others. He taught journalism and public communications at American University in Washington, D.C, where he served an adjunct Associate Professor of Communications.