Doomscrolling or watching the news and feeling hopeless and/or angry? You aren’t alone. Millions of us are watching the growing threats to our democracy with a sense of dread and uncertainty. Authoritarians thrive in environments where citizens shrink back and refrain from pushing back. Now, more than ever, each of us must act to stop the grab for power, destruction of democratic norms, and outright indecency of the MAGA movement.
In this and upcoming newsletters, we will share ways for you to let your voice be heard and ways for you to replace doomscrolling with action. We will outline the what, why, and how of each along with a doable goal for you to achieve. This week, we start with the most effective way to influence change with elected officials: Personal Contact. This is a two-parter. Part One is Why Calls Matter; Part Two is Flooding the Zone. Let’s jump in.
What: Phone Calls to Elected Officials
Why: Personal Contacts Get More Attention
Congressional staffers are hired to listen to constituents’ concerns and record these for the elected official. Personal phone calls are cited as the most influential way to get an elected’s attention and desired future action. Postcards, emails, and letters take time to process and be tallied. Calls are tallied right away.
Since Trump returned to office, phone call volume to DC was reported at 40x the normal. Staffers stated that it was difficult to keep up with the voicemails and calls coming in. Two things are a given when dealing with electeds:
1) They want to be re-elected; and 2) The squeaky wheel gets the attention.
Translation – The issues that constituents are lighting them up about creates situations in which the elected will receive spotlighted attention on their actions. Knowing that their actions may alienate a segment of their constituents becomes a dilemma and often can push them to make a stance or decision that they could not have otherwise.
Calling is the number one way you can exert influence on an elected. It’s quick and easy. It works on all levels from school board to your DC officials.
How: Begin with the End in Mind
Chances are, when you call an official you won’t speak to them directly. Someone is going to translate your call for the official. The goal is to have a clear and succinct message that the aide can translate to the official or staff member assigned to gather constituent feedback on issues. If you call often enough, you will encounter all types of staffers or aides and will get used to being sent to voicemail. Most staffers are polite and just want to quickly get your message. A few staffers may be a bit more prickly to deal with, but it’s a small price to pay in our efforts to preserve democracy.
We have prepared a resource page that you can use when reaching out to your elected officials. Remember, in the end, your message is most likely going to be translated to a short note with the issue you called about and your stance on it. Keeping that end in mind helps shape how your call should be crafted. Hopefully, our resource page becomes a useful guide for you.
Challenge: You Can Do This!
Replace five minutes of social media or tv time with phone calls to your elected officials. Save the phone numbers of your elected officials to your contacts. Use the 5 Calls script if you need help organizing your thoughts. Then, start calling. Daily or weekly, make it a top priority of your Fighting Fascism action plan. We also encourage you to share this resource with others.
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