Advocacy for Policy Change, LGLS 161b
Spring 2017, Monday and Wednesday 2:00-3:20
Melissa Stimell, 781-736-3027,
Office Hours: Mondays and Wednesdays 12:00-2:00 Brown 311
Supervisor, Benjamin Kreider, 610-952-8684,
Course Description
A society’s laws will generally reflect widely accepted notions of what is ethical behavior and what will best protect the public good. Sometimes, there is wide disagreement about the ethical or moral value of a particular law. Recent examples include the heated debates surrounding the legalization of gay marriage, the abolition of the juvenile death penalty, and the right to die. More historic examples include challenges to women’s suffrage and the legality of racial segregation laws, the overturning of which now seem to our society as unquestionably right.
This course combines an investigation of the ethical dilemmas that arise in the process of lawmaking with hands-on advocacy work. Students will be encouraged to think deeply about the complexities of shaping laws for constituents who hold diverse viewpoints about what is right and good for society and how to best progress through the legislative process.
This course will begin by exploring a number of situations where lawmaking and ethical beliefs of some sector of the U.S. public have been in conflict. What has been the role of lawmakers as well as the greater public in the promotion of new laws that redress perceived wrongs or shortcomings? Should democracy always rule or is there a role for enlightened leaders to take charge of social progress in the face of broad public disapproval? What role does advocacy play in enacting social change through legislation?
Learning Goals
This course will help students meet the following learning goals:
Knowledge: develop critical awareness of the gap between the actual legislative process and theoretical or popular descriptions; distinguish legislative perspectives from related concerns; identify the complex roles of the citizen advocate.
Skills: increase oral and written facility in expressing arguments under political constraints; synthesize and evaluate information from diverse sources in competing philosophies; create models of solving challenging problems of social justice through legislative advocacy.
Justice: grasp the challenges of achieving justice through legislation; test one's own justice commitments against current state and national problems; compare justice arguments over time; contribute to the creation of a just society through legislative advocacy.
Legislative Advocacy Projects
The professor and students will choose a proposed bill to redress a perceived wrong. Working in small teams, students will design and implement a legislative advocacy project, researching the issues and interviewing those holding different viewpoints. Students will work with a member of the Legislature, a Legislative Mentor, and/or an advocacy organization, an Advocacy Mentor, to help them understand the lawmaking process, to connect them with colleagues working on the issues, and to set realistic goals for their advocacy projects. In addition, the teams will write a detailed analysis on the law that takes into account its pros and cons and answers its critics intelligently and persuasively. The teams will make an oral and written presentation to the class and the broader Brandeis community at the end of the semester. The Award for Advocacy for Policy Change will be presented to interested students to pursue a related project over the following summer and fall.
Each year, the possible projects will change based on the legislative agenda and student interests. This year, students can choose from a range of projects, including, health care; low-income workers; immigration; and criminal justice reform.
Reading Materials
The following two books should be purchased:
The Dance of Legislation, Eric Redman, paperback edition (2001) [Dance]
Lobbying on a Shoestring, 3rd edition, Judith Meredith[Shoestring]
The State House News Service will be emailed to you daily. You will be required regularly to read the service [SHNS].
LATTE Materials:
Court Cases: Goodridge
Articles
Requirements
Students will work individually and in teams to create an oral and written legislative advocacy project. The project is broken down into parts described in the Schedule of Assignments. Class participation is extremely important and will be equivalent to one assignment. Each assignment will be weighted equally for the purposes of grading. The final project will consist of a written paper and a presentation to both the class and the broader Brandeis community.
This is an experiential learning course. A significant amount of work outside of the classroom is required. Such work includes meeting with staff and legislators at the State House, attending community and coalition meetings, and discussing advocacy strategies with the Professor and the teaching supervisor
Your work in the class, Advocacy for Policy Change, is part of a larger initiative to engage undergraduate students with the state legislative process. ENACT, The Educational Network for Active Civic Transformation, provides an online network for students across the country to connect on legislative issues. To access relevant resources and to connect with change makers in different states, log onto, enactnetwork.slack.com.
Success in this 4 credit hour course is based on the expectation that students will spend a minimum of 9 hours of study time per week in preparation for class (readings, assignments, and meetings).
Disability: If you are a student with a documented disability on record at Brandeis University and wish to have a reasonable accommodation made for you in this class, please see me immediately.
Academic Integrity
You are expected to be honest in all your academic work. The University policy on academic honesty is Section 5 of the Rights and Responsibilities Handbook. Instances of alleged dishonesty will be forwarded to the Office of Campus Life for possible referral to the Student Judicial System. Potential sanctions include failure in the course and suspension from the University. If you have any questions about my expectations, please ask.
Academic integrity is central to the mission of educational excellence at Brandeis University. Each student is expected to turn in work completed independently, except when assignments specifically authorize collaborative effort. It is not acceptable to use the works or ideas of another person-be it a world-class philosopher or your lab partner-without proper acknowledgment of that source. This means that you must use footnotes and quotation marks to indicate the source of any phrase, sentences, paragraphs or ideas found in published volumes, on the internet, or created by another student.
Violations of University policies on academic integrity, described in Section 3 of Rights and Responsibilities, may result in failure in the course or on the assignment, and could end in suspension from the University. If you are in doubt about the instructions for any assignment in this course, you must ask for clarification.
Course Outline
Wed. Jan. 18 Introduction: The Role of the Citizen Advocate and The Advocacy Power Prism
Mon. Jan. 23 Introduction to the Massachusetts Gay Marriage Campaign
Read Goodridge: read majority opinion and choose one dissent.
Wed. Jan. 25 The Gay Marriage Constituency. Arline Isaacson, Co-Chair of the Massachusetts Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus
Read Dance 7-72
Mon. Jan. 30 The Massachusetts Gay Marriage Campaign:Motivations and Challenges of the Legislature. Massachusetts Representative Jay Kaufman (D)
Read Dance 73-137
Wed. Feb. 1Introduction to Legislative Advocacy Projects
Please bring your computer and cell phone to class. In class, please obtain the bill, the fact sheet, and section-by-section summary of your bill. Collect the contact information and description of two potential coalition organizations and the contact information and background of two legislative sponsors supportive of your legislation.
Read Dance 138-186
Mon. Feb. 6Rules for Influencing Policymakers
Read Dance 187-259
Wed. Feb. 8. Working with a Coalition
Read Dance 260-308
Mon. Feb. 13 Discuss Next Steps and Lessons Learned from The Dance of Legislation
Present Draft of Stories for Storybook
Wed. Feb. 15 Develop a Compelling Message.
Read LATTE Articles on Developing a Compelling Message by Gilliam, Bostrom, and Bales on Education Reform
Assignment A, Legislative Research Report, due on Friday, Feb. 17 at noon. Email copy to your supervisor. Hardcopy in Professor Stimell’s box outside of Legal Studies Office, Brown 325.
Feb. 20-Feb. 24 Vacation.
Mon. Feb. 27 Present Advocacy Speeches to class.
Wed. Mar. 1Meet Bill Sponsors at State House
Leave main entrance at 9:00am and return at 12:00. No afternoon class.
Read Shoestring 1-72
Mon. Mar. 6 Video Activism
Read Shoestring 73-142
Assignment B, Legislative Storybook, due in class.
Wed. Mar. 8State House Lobbying Session
Assignment C, Advocacy Speeches and Letter to Legislator, due in class.
Mon. Mar. 13Introduction to Budget Projects
Read introduction to governor’s budget at mass.gov/budget/governor
Wed. Mar. 15State House Lobbying Session
Read Shoestring 143-194
Mon. Mar. 20 The Budget Process
Mass.Budget and Policy Center.
Read analysis of governor’s budget by Mass Budget and Policy Center at massbudget.org.
Wed. Mar. 22 Meet with Rev. Jeffrey Brown,Cofounder of Boston’s Ten Point Coalition andfounder of RECAP, Rebuilding Every Community Around Peace.
Watch his TED talk at tinyurl.com/revjb. See web sites: btpc.org and recapevents.org
Mon. Mar. 27 Policy-making through the Budget Process: The Legislator’s Perspective. Representative Jonathan Hecht(D)
Read section on budget development in governor’s budget at mass.gov/budget/governor
Wed. Mar. 29 The Budget Campaign
Matt Noyes, Youth Village and Health Care for All.
Read Develop a Compelling Message, Bales on Framing Budgets and Taxes.
Present Budget Speeches to Class.
Mon. Apr. 3 Media Advocacy: The OpEd
Bring to class 1 actual media activity on the general topic of your bill or line-item, OpEds preferred
Read OpEds from this past Sunday’s NY Times and Boston Globe
Wed. Apr. 5 State House Lobbying Session
Assignment D, Budget Project, due in class.
Mon. Apr 10-Tues. Apr. 18 Vacation
Wed. Apr. 19 The Dance of Legislation in Massachusetts
Assignment E1, Media Advocacy OpEd, due in class.
Mon. Apr. 24 Video Presentations
Assignment E2, Media Advocacy Video for Bill, due in class.
Wed. Apr. 26 Prepare for Present and Defend Legislative Advocacy Project
Assignment F, Campaign Journal, Application for Advocacy for Policy Change Award, and Travel Reimbursement Form due in class.
Mon. May 1 Present and Defend, Alumni Lounge Usdan
Celebration after class in Mandell Atrium
Assignment G, Final Legislative Advocacy Project, due in class.
Award for Advocacy for Policy Change announced.
Wed. May 3 Final papers returned
Legislative Advocacy Project
Schedule of Assignments
No late or emailed papers accepted
A.Friday, February 17 at noon, The Legislative Research Report
Team Assignment
The report is a 10-page document in support of your bill. It should contain detailed arguments and counterarguments with facts, figures, analyses, and relevant studies explaining the rationale and consequences of the bill. It might be helpful to examine similar legislation in other states. The report should clearly cite relevant research and contain a bibliography. This report is especially helpful to the staff or few legislators who wish to become experts on this bill; or as a training document for coalition staff and grassroots leaders.
Your report will be graded on the following criteria:
analysis of legislation,
arguments and research in support of legislation,
response to counterarguments,
quality and breath of works cited, and
quality of writing.
B.Present Draft of Stories for Storybook on Monday, Feb. 13
Final Storybook Due Monday, March 6
Team Assignment
For elected and appointed policymakers a book of good stories about a critical mass of constituents with a fixable policy problem, the campaign storybook, is an invitation to be a hero. We all like a good story. There is something about real stories of real people with real problems that makes us want to help-especially when we are in a place with the expertise and the power to fix the problem.
In this assignment, you and your team will create a campaign storybook consisting of, at a minimum, two separate stories. These stories must originate from real people through personal interviews, testimony at hearings that you attended, or informal meetings. The final product should include: a distilled version of the full interview, stating the compelling essence of the story presented in a visually pleasing manner. The storybook also should include the bill’s title, its essence in layperson’s language, the problem it seeks to fix, and your contact info for people who want to get more information.It will be important to ask the participant’s name, contact information, the participant's willingness to talk to policymakers, and the participant's willingness to talk to the media.It also will be important to give yourself adequate time to identify people to include in your storybook, to obtain the story, and to present it in an effective manner.
Your storybook will be graded on the following criteria:
relevance of interview, hearing, or meeting;
quality of substance presented, and
quality of visual presentation.
C.Wednesday, March 8, Advocacy Speeches and Letter to Legislator
Team Assignment
1. Script for the Elevator Speech
All workers on your campaign need to handle short telephone or face-to face conversations about the campaign. This 30-second rap, known as the elevator speech, is important in quickly getting the essence of the campaign out to potential recruits, staff, and legislators you “bump into on the elevator.” Write the script for your campaign's elevator speech. This script should not be longer than one page. Samples can be found in the readings. Be prepared to make your elevator speech to the class on the
Monday, February, 27and to answer brief questions.
Your elevator speech will be graded on the following criteria:
engaged the legislator/staffer,
succinctly described the problem,
illustrated the solution, and
made a call to action.
2.Script for in-depth meeting with House Ways and Means Legislative Staff
The Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee and his legislative staff have put you on his meeting schedule. As always, the Chair is concerned about finances. You have 5 minutes to get your points across and to convince the Chair of Ways and Means to vote the way you wish. Write the script for that speech. The script should not be longer than three pages. For simplicity, imagine that you have already done the introductions. The script essentially can be written as a monologue of what you and/or your teammates would say during the inform-and-persuade portion of the meeting. Please be prepared to give your 5-minute speech onMonday, February, 27.
Your script for your meeting with the Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee and his staff will be graded on the following criteria:
engaged this specific legislator with a common value and a specific connection,
succinctly described the problem,
illustrated the solution, addressing the Chair’s financial concerns,
made a specific request of the Chair,
addressed counterarguments to the bill, addressing financial concerns.
3.Letter to the Legislator
A one-page personal letter communicating a genuine response to a problem is very effective with policymakers. Write the letter in support of your campaign issue to your State Representative or State Senator. Type in your address at to determine your elected officials, those that represent your current place of residence. Use a standard business letter format. Samples can be found in the readings.
Your letter will be graded on the following criteria:
engaged this legislator with a common value and a specific connection,
succinctly described the problem,
illustrated the solution,
addressed counterarguments to the bill, and
made a specific request.
D.Wednesday, April 5, Budget Project
Individual Assignment
1.Budget Research Report.
Your 5-page report will be graded on the following criteria:
description of line-item,
historical funding analysis,
arguments and supporting data on behalf of position,
response to counterarguments,
quality and breath of works cited, and
quality of writing.
2.Elevator Speech. Follow guidelines in assignment C1.
3. Oral Presentation. Be prepared to make your elevator speech to the class and to answer brief questions on Wednesday, March 29.
E.Media Advocacy
Create a media advocacy campaign consisting of two media activities.
1.Monday, April 24, The Video for Bill
Team Assignment
Video is a forum for instant political commentary through such sites as Facebook and YouTube. Such videos can be created through original film or a combination of original film and a remixing of existing video clips into mash-ups-with-messages. They might borrow from the most popular videos on YouTube, marrying serious substance with lighthearted style. While serious in purpose, video activism can draw on the approach pioneered by entertainment-oriented videos. Create your voice in video. The video should not be longer than five minutes. Short and powerful can be the best approach.
Your video with be evaluated on its ability to
engage the audience,
present the problem,
illustrate a solution;
call the audience to action,
create emotional impact, and
originality.
Remember to identify relevant speakers and cite the source of existing video clips.
2.Wednesday, April 19, The Oped for Bill or Budget
Individual Assignment
Oped (literally, opposite the editorial page) represents the views of individual writers. This page is designed to present a broad array of views from members of Greater Boston. The Boston Globe is interested in featuring your perspective in an Oped piece. The written piece should contain not more than 750 words. Below are some suggestions:
Focus tightly on one issue or idea in your first paragraph. Be brief.
Express your opinion, then base it on factual, researched, or first-hand information.
Be timely, controversial, but not outrageous. Be the voice of reason.