General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWhich Phrases Are More Effective When Communicating with Elected Officials?
Letting elected officials know our opinions on issues is extremely important. Even if your communication with them is merely tallied and the totals reported to the person you addressed it to, it counts. But, really well-written emails and paper letters can do more, and may actually be seen by that legislator or other elected official. How you write your communication really does matter. If the actual elected person reads your communication, it obviously has a greater impact. Below are some pairs of ways of saying similar things. Which of each pair do you think is the more likely to help get your communication directly to the person addressed?
You are a complete moron!
or
I disagree with your position on this issue, and here are reasons why.
I will never vote for you again! You are worthless!
or
If you continue to support this issue, I will have to reconsider who to support in the primary election next year.
You can just forget about any contribution from me!
or
I have limited funds for campaign contributions, and select the candidates I support very carefully.
If you vote for this proposal, you are a fucking idiot!
or
Your vote on this proposal is important to me, and will affect my support for you in the future.
You're just another DINO! I'm not even going to vote next year.
or
I'm disappointed in what appears to be a shift toward the right on your part. I urge you to rethink your position on these issues.
You fucking Republicans are all alike!
or
I am a Democratic voter, and plan to work very hard to replace you in the next election. Please reconsider your vote.
In all of those cases, the first way of expressing a point will lead to your communication being tallied, at best. The second way of expressing the point will help your communication reach the person to whom you wrote it. Think about it, the next time you write that email or letter. It's important.
Arctic Dave
(13,812 posts)You think they actually read ANYTHING you send them?
That's what the staffers are for.
The only thing they hear is, MONEY.
MineralMan
(146,190 posts)If you have been active in your support of your legislator, and you write a letter that makes its point well, it will get read by that legislator in many cases. I've been communicating with Congress members for almost 50 years. I've also been working on campaigns for the same period of time as a volunteer. Wherever I've lived, I've met and spoken to whomever is representing my district. I never miss an occasion where I can do that.
When I do talk with those legislators, letters I have sent them are frequently mentioned. It's all part of being active in politics. Money is not the only thing that gets the attention of legislators.
It's clearly more difficult if your legislator has no idea who you are. No question about it. It's difficult, to with Senators, since they represent an entire state. And you shouldn't expect any President to see anything you write, although it does happen occasionally. But your local representatives, both State and Federal, do read letters. Getting those letters to them depends on how well they're written. Staffers decide which letters go to the actual elected official. Most legislators read selected letters.
Clearly, it's more likely that yours will be read if you're an active supporter of that elected person. But, it's not absolutely essential.
enlightenment
(8,830 posts)I was sending missives to Harry Reid (he's one of MY senators) through his website - which is the way he wants his constituents to communicate with him.
You've seen the "forms" - choose your issue from a drop-down box; indicate if you are writing to praise or complain; fill in your personal information and write your message in the little box.
Every time I wrote I received a reply. Not a real reply, just a canned reply with an auto-signature that more or less addressed the issue I had chosen. It was frustrating - so one day I decided to see if anyone (an aide, since I know Reid doesn't read his mail) actually read what I was writing.
I selected my issue from the drop-down box - and then wrote about something else. Twice. The first time I indicated I was praising; the second time indicating I was complaining . . . but what I wrote each time very clearly said that I was pretty much convinced that no one was reading my messages and would like some acknowledgement that I was wrong.
I received two letters. Each addressed the issue I had selected in the drop-down box; neither even hinted that what I had written was read.
It wouldn't have mattered what kind of language I was using (and I am always polite) - no one, and I mean NO ONE was reading what I wrote.
I don't disagree that you catch more flies with honey, MM - but when an elected official can't even be bothered to tell his staff (and he's got plenty of staff both in DC and in Nevada) to glance at the messages attached to the undoubtedly automatic sorting of the "issues" and "praise/criticize" options, there's a problem that no amount of polite language will solve. Could I call him? Sure - and maybe talk to an aide whose job is to vet and sort phone calls. Could I write an actual letter? Sure - and I would be willing to bet I'd get the same canned responses. They have neither the time nor the interest to be bothered.
Frankly, I don't think it really matters what you say - beyond indicating if you agree or disagree with whatever issue you are addressing. Constituent messages are sorted by issue and position. Individual opinion beyond that is irrelevant to our elected officials.
MineralMan
(146,190 posts)That's true anywhere. Most people, for example, never look at the "Other" box in their Facebook mail. That's where the posts from people you don't know go. They don't check their spam folders, either. For elected officials, those website message things are one of the things that doesn't much get noticed. They're all set up to create automated responses, based on the issue you selected from the drop down list. You are correct. Nobody reads those messages.
You have to approach messaging your elected officials differently. You can find out where to sent a letter really easily. Finding email addresses is more difficult, but you can. Call the contact number and ask for a real email address. Look up the address online. Better yet, send a snail mail.
Getting your message read means hunting for an effective way to deliver it. If you do that, you'll be taken more seriously. Truly, those automated website message systems are pretty much useless. The number of messages is counted, of course, but unless there's a check box for opposition or support on an issue, all that gets counted is the number of messages.
Dig further for ways to make contact. You'll find them.
creativebliss
(69 posts)But that's just the problem..."dig further." Why is the onous on us? These people are supposedly representing "We the People," but it's near to impossible to speak to them in person or simply reach them by phone or mail. I agree that it can be done, but requires a lot of effort...effort most people simply don't have time for these days because they are too busy working long hours with families at home depending on them for food, clothing, security and a place to live. And, these necessities' prices continue to rise and so that person has to work harder and longer. The cycle is viscious and endless. I guess this is the whole point. Keep us too busy to inform ourselves, motivate one another and ultimately organize in ways that our representatives cannot avoid.
MineralMan
(146,190 posts)between 500,000 and 800,000 people in his or her district. You are one of those. Depending on the district, more or less people will want to communicate with their representative during any given time period. Automated messaging and automatic responses are necessary to deal with the number of communications each receives.
Some people will not be satisfied with those responses. For them, some digging is required to find a better way to communicate. It's a filter. Only those serious enough about actually getting a message through will do the digging. Even then, the numbers are too large for a personal response to every communication by the representative. More filtering is needed to whittle the number down until it is manageable. What filters are used to do that depend on the individual representative. For many, it involves whether the person has contributed or volunteered during the previous campaign. Right or wrong, those are the people the representative doesn't want to piss off.
In this filtering process, lots of computer power is employed. That leads to errors, as always. So, you get a form letter about the wrong subject sometimes, or they have your phone number connected to the wrong address. Stuff happens that way. Much of the filtering is done automatically, using whatever algorithms that are available. Other filtering is done by junior staff members, many of them unpaid interns. What gets by the algorithms and low-level staff gets passed along to more senior staff. Eventually, a certain percentage of the communications actually reach the representative. Some of those get a personal response. Most get a one or two word note, and a staff member sends some appropriate pre-fab letter.
The problem is numbers and time. Half a million or more people to represent and not much time to devote the the task of answering letters and emails. So, there's a system. I can tell you absolutely that quality of content in any communication you send is one of the criteria. If your communication manages to get to the senior staff level, whether the representative sees it or not can depend on how well it is written. And yes, neatness, grammar, spelling, and punctuation count, as they always do.
creativebliss
(69 posts)I had considered shortly after writing how many of "them" there are and how many of "us." The numbers certainly slant in our favor...and there certainly is not enough time to answer every phone call or mailing. I do wonder, however, with such staggering numbers in our favor and the fact that certain issues important to us make up bulk of our attempts to reach out, that more is not done to address our concerns. Do you have any thoughts on how the system can be changed to accomodate a population that is supposed to be democratic? More volunteers to go through emails and phone calls, politicians dedicating "x" amount of hours a day to emails and phone calls as part of their job description, more (free) town halls, internet Q&A hangouts...?
MineralMan
(146,190 posts)the average number of communications a typical congressional representative receives a day. That's the crucial number, really, and would be the number that would control the number of staff members needed to process them on an average day. I'll see if I can find some reference to it.
creativebliss
(69 posts)Repeating what you said, the numbers are daunting...wow! That certainly requires a lot of man power! You know, random thought, pay some unemployed people $10/hour to sort the emails, letters and phone calls. Gets the less informed, informed and gets them working...which is key. I digress...but can't blame me for dreaming...
MineralMan
(146,190 posts)number of constituent communications (all types) from Congressman Dan Benisheck from Michigan CD-1. According to a report from the entire year of 2012, his office received 55,238 individual communications over the year. That comes to 4603 per month, or 153 per day. That's a lot of mail.
http://benishek.house.gov/sites/benishek.house.gov/files/documents/VI%20%20Constituent%20Correspondence.pdf
enlightenment
(8,830 posts)The presumption that I wasn't aware of what you said is slightly condescending - something you might want to be aware of since you are discussing the best way to get people to listen to what one has to say.
I appreciate that you are trying to be helpful, but as you posted, words matter. When discussing this sort of thing with adults, it is often better to politely inquire as to what they know and what they have tried, rather than assume they they need instruction.
Flies and honey and all that.
MineralMan
(146,190 posts)if I did know you. In addition, this is a public forum, and many others are reading our exchange. I'm not condescending, because I do not have any idea what you know or who you are. It's detailed explanation, due to that.
I'm not writing solely to you on DU, even when I'm replying to a post you wrote. I'm sorry you felt annoyed by that.
enlightenment
(8,830 posts)Public forums are treacherous ground, I agree.
MindPilot
(12,693 posts)I seriously doubt if any of our messages to elected officials are read, and those that are, are passed around for amusement value.
Obama, Pelosi, Boner, Reid, Rove probably sit around the oval office snorting coke and entertaining themselves with our pleas for governance. "Hey look at this one Karl, they actually think we give a shit about them!"
MineralMan
(146,190 posts)Whether yours is one of those that gets read depends on how you say what you have to say. Truly.
Accusing an elected official of "sitting around the oval office snorting coke" probably isn't an effective strategy, though.
MindPilot
(12,693 posts)I have been writing and calling elected officials for decades (been married twice too; I'm a slow learner) and very rarely gotten any more than a canned auto-response. Those few times I have been able to talk to a rep in person (a damn near impossible feat if one is saddled with having to spend 8+ hours a day earning a living.) I've gotten a nice pat on the head and I'm certain my concerns were summarily dismissed a few moments later.
If I sound bitter and cynical that is only because I am.
MineralMan
(146,190 posts)Those who have replaced hope with cynicism are not my target audience in any way.
If you truly believe that your communications are not read, then there's no real reason to write them at all, frankly. I know that at least some of mine have been read, so I know that you're incorrect in assuming that none are read. I continue to write them, because I can write them and because I feel strongly about many issues.
Tierra_y_Libertad
(50,414 posts)MineralMan
(146,190 posts)Some of the things I included as things best left unsaid are probably not things people would normally write, but I wonder, sometimes, given what is posted here.
It never hurts to reminded people who hold elected office that you are a voter and that you make decisions based on the actions of those who are elected.
Beyond that, it's basic business letter style. Getting to the point is the point, and providing clear, concise explanations for your opinions is essential. Shorter is always better than longer, and observing the etiquette of letter writing is clearly important.
I'm sure your letters are excellent, based on what I've seen of your posts here. We sometimes disagree, but you are good at expressing your point of view.
Tierra_y_Libertad
(50,414 posts)Unfortunately, much of that power is deflected into the belief that we need "leaders" rather than representatives and public servants. That "not as bad" policies must be supported simply because the alternative is worse. As long as we guarantee them our votes we give the politicians no reason to become more than "not as bad".
I am a Democrat, and have been since 1965. I vote for Democrats most of the time. But, I believe that, as a Democrat, I'm obliged to hold the party accountable when it strays from what it allegedly stands for. I am also a realist that has little trust that politicians will choose to do what is right simply because it is right but will do what is politically expedient to preserve their power. They will "move left" (or, right) when they think it will enhance or, at least, not harm their chances of keeping their seats. When they become uneasy about losing votes because of what they stand for, or worse, do, they will act to reclaim those votes.
I firmly believe, that in a democracy, it is the responsibility of the people to hold their public servants accountable. No matter which party they belong to.
I disagree with a lot of people here on a variety of issues and try to maintain some civility in the discourse. I've found you to be one who usually stays on topic and presents reasonable arguments in favor of your positions.
"Differences of opinion are what make horse races." Mark Twain
forestpath
(3,102 posts)I asked her how they would do that, since she had never asked for my name and phone number. She said don't you live at _______ and rattled off an address that isn't mine.
Apparently they had my phone number associated with somebody else's address.
This is the same office that on more than one occasion sent me replies on a completely different subject than the one I contacted them on.
This is a liberal Democratic congressman in northern VA. Not only do they not care what you think, they don't even bother to keep track of who sent them what.
MineralMan
(146,190 posts)Go to the next meet and greet for your congressman and talk to him. Tell him what happened to you and that you don't appreciate the cavalier way you were treated. Call the local office in your area for the congressman. They all have them. Tell them your issue. Or go there and tell them. They'll flag your phone number for special attention. Works every time.
Finally, get active in campaigns. That works better than anything, unless you have thousands to donate.
forestpath
(3,102 posts)I got an apologetic email and then it happened again.
If he ever has a meet and greet during the day (I can't drive at night) and is free (last one cost money!) I will attend!
MineralMan
(146,190 posts)Yes, those meet & greet things are fundraisers. Call his office and tell them you want to attend, but financial issues prevent a donation at this time. That almost always works. You'll always be asked for a donation, anyhow. I donate at some point to candidates I support, but not multiple times. What I do is to work somehow on the campaign, as a volunteer. Sometimes, that's canvassing. Sometimes, I contribute content for the campaign's website. These days, the second thing is the most often requested, since I do that professionally. However, volunteering in lieu of monetary donations will get you in the door. There are never enough volunteers.
forestpath
(3,102 posts)whatchamacallit
(15,558 posts)MineralMan
(146,190 posts)Some stuff works. Other stuff doesn't.
Octafish
(55,745 posts)That will get most of our elected representatives' attention.
datasuspect
(26,591 posts)don't resist
GET ON THE GROUND NOW
stop resisting
you're under arrest
demwing
(16,916 posts)Though not as well as "And my friend Benjamin Franklin agrees!"
Jamastiene
(38,187 posts)quicker than all of the above that you mentioned. Money can whisper and be heard above even the most powerful PA system or megaphone.
HereSince1628
(36,063 posts)You'd merely drop the envelope and say "I'm $ure you'll do the right thing'.
mercuryblues
(14,491 posts)I fill in the date, dollar amount and sign my name in the bottom rght hand corner. that is the only 'letter' they read or understand.
Comrade_McKenzie
(2,526 posts)I'd probably retaliate by voting the opposite way.
rustydog
(9,186 posts)STOP IT OR WE'LL PRIMARY YOUR SORRY ASS.