The Art of Effective Politics on an Individual Level
is to invest your time working on issues that have a real potential for change. Sometimes, they're local issues. More rarely, they're statewide issues. Almost never are they major national issues.
For example, it's quite easy to make change in your own city or country, through elections and through personal activism on the behalf of issues that need attention. It's possible for an individual to affect elections at the local level, too. It's also possible to engage in personal activism to bring attention to injustices in a local area and find supporters who can help influence local authorities. It helps if your active politically and the people you talk to are aware of that. It took me only a week, for example, to get a stop sign placed at a dangerous intersection near my home. One call to the city councilman for my Ward got it done. He knows me, because I helped him get elected twice.
State legislative races, too, are far easier to influence, than any others. Those legislators are elected in small districts, where activity to influence people's votes can be very productive. Your local state legislator is also available to you for direct conversation. You can make your case directly to a person who will be voting on any issue. If you have helped that legislator get elected, your access is increased. My wife and I lobbied hard for a statewide bill that required laboratories to release experimental animals for adoption instead of euthanizing them. We have such an animal, and the law was passed. We were not alone in this effort, by any means, but our ability to arrange a meeting with our state representative played a role. Our dog went with us to the meeting. We also lobbied for our state's marriage equality bill, which successfully passed. Many others did, as well, so credit goes to the group effort.
If you are actively involved in your local Democratic organization, it's very easy to get acquainted with your Congressional representative, as well. There are many opportunities to meet these people, and working on a successful campaign for your representative also gives you access. Again, you can make your case, because that representative knows who you are. If you're not active in campaigns and other political activities in their district, it will be much more difficult. I get a chance to talk to my representative a few times a year, and my emails to her get actual answers.
Beyond those people, it's very difficult to gain access. Senators are more difficult, although you can meet them and become directly involved in their campaigns. They represent an entire state, though, so you're just one of many who wants to influence a Senator. Beyond sending emails, etc., there's not much chance here. I've met both Senators Franken and Klobuchar a couple of times, but briefly. They don't know me by name.
Beyond that, you have zero influence, really. Nationally and internationally, an individual with no particular wealth or influence is invisible. It's a waste of time, really. The best you can do is to vote for Democrats to those offices and hope for the best.
Individuals can do the most at the local and district level. If you want change, I strongly encourage working locally. You can actually accomplish real things. They may not be earthshaking, individually, but every good result feeds the system.
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