Tips for Writing Effective Letters to Congress

People who think members of the U.S. Congress pay little or no attention to constituent mail are just plain wrong. Concise, well thought out personal letters are one of the most effective ways Americans have of influencing the lawmakers they elect.   Members of Congress get hundreds of letters and emails every day, so you will want your letter stand out. Whether you choose to use the U.S. Postal Service or email, here are some tips that will help you write a letter to Congress that has an impact. Letter or Email? Always send a traditional letter. While it is easier to send an email, and all Senators and Representatives now have email addresses, written letters get more attention and have more impact. The Senators and Representatives and their staffs get literally hundreds of emails every day. Emails from their constituents are mixed in with emails from fellow lawmakers and staff members and are thus easily overlooked or disregarded. In addition, taking the time to send a traditional, handwritten letter is the best way to show you â€Å"really care† about the issues you are addressing. Think Locally Its usually best to send letters to the representative from your local congressional district or the senators from your state. Your vote helps elect them—or not—and that fact alone carries a lot of weight. It also helps personalize your letter. Sending the same cookie-cutter message to every member of Congress may grab attention but rarely much consideration. Its also a good idea to think about the effectiveness of all of your communication options. For instance, a face-to-face meeting at an event, town hall, or the representatives local office can often leave the biggest impression. That is not always an option though. Your next best bet for expressing your opinion is a formal letter, then a phone call to their office. While email is convenient and quick, it may not have the same influence as the other, more traditional, routes. Finding Your Legislators Address There are a few ways that you can find the addresses of all of your representatives in Congress. The U.S. Senate is easy because each state has two Senators. Senate.gov has an easy to navigate directory of all current Senators. You will find links to their website, their email and phone number, as well as the address to their office in Washington D.C. The House of Representatives is a little trickier because you need to search for the person representing your particular district within the state. The easiest way to do so is to type in your zip code under Find Your Representative at House.gov. This will narrow down your options but you may need to refine it based on your physical address because zip codes and Congressional districts do not coincide. In both houses of Congress, the representatives official website will also have all the contact information you need. This includes the locations of their local offices. Keep Your Letter Simple Your letter will be more effective if you address a single topic or issue rather than a variety of issues you may feel passionate about. Typed, one-page letters are best. Many Political Action Committees (PACs)  recommend a three-paragraph letter structured like this: Say why you are writing and who you are. List your credentials and state that you are a constituent. It also doesnt hurt to mention if you voted for or donated to them. If you want a response, you must include your name and address, even when using email.Provide more detail. Be factual and not emotional. Provide specific rather than general information about how the topic affects you and others. If a certain bill is involved, cite the correct title or number whenever possible.Close by requesting the action you want to be taken. It might be a vote for or against a bill, a change in general policy, or some other action, but be specific. The best letters are courteous, to the point, and include specific supporting examples. Proofread Your Letter Always proofread your letter before mailing it. Read over it at least twice, checking for spelling, punctuation, and grammar errors. Make sure you have not repeated yourself, failed to make your points clearly, or left anything out. An error-free letter adds to your credibility.   Identifying Legislation Members of Congress have a lot of items on their agendas, so its best to be as specific as possible regarding your issue. When writing about a particular bill or piece of legislation, include the official number so they know exactly what youre referring to (it also helps your credibility). If you need help in finding the number of a bill, use the  Thomas Legislative Information System. Cite these  legislation  identifiers: House Bills:  H.R._____House Resolutions:  H.RES._____House Joint Resolutions:  H.J.RES._____Senate Bills:  S._____Senate Resolutions:  S.RES._____Senate Joint Resolutions:  S.J.RES._____ Addressing Members of Congress There is also a formal way to address members of Congress. Use these headers to begin your letter, filling in the appropriate name and addresses for your Congressperson. Also, its best to include the header in an email message. To Your Senator: The Honorable (full name)(room #) (name) Senate Office BuildingUnited States SenateWashington, DC 20510Dear Senator (last name): To Your Representative: The Honorable (full name)(room #) (name) House Office BuildingUnited States House of RepresentativesWashington, DC 20515Dear Representative (last name): Contact the U.S. Supreme Court The Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court do not have email addresses, but they do read letters from citizens. You can mail letters using the address found on the SupremeCourt.gov website. Key Things to Remember Here are some key things you should always and never do when writing to your elected representatives. Be courteous and respectful without gushing.Clearly and simply state the purpose of your letter. If its about a certain bill, identify it correctly.  Say who you are. Anonymous letters go nowhere. Even in email, include your correct name, address, phone number, and email address. If you dont include at least your name and address, you will not get a response.State any professional credentials or personal experience you may have, especially those pertaining to the subject of your letter.Keep your letter short—one page is best.Use specific examples or evidence to support your position.State what it is you want to be done or recommend a course of action.Thank the member for taking the time to read your letter. What Not to Do Just because they represent the voters does not mean that members of Congress are subject to abuse or belittlement. As impassioned as you may be about an issue, your letter will be more effective if its written from a calm, logical perspective. If youre angry about something, write your letter then edit the next day to ensure youre conveying a courteous, professional tone. Also, make sure to avoid these pitfalls. Do not use vulgarity, profanity, or threats. The first two are just plain rude and the third one can get you a visit from the Secret Service. Simply stated, dont let your passion get in the way of making your point. Do not fail to include your name and address, even in email letters. Many representatives prioritize comments from their constituents and a letter in the mail may be the only way you receive a response. Do not demand a response. You may not get one no matter what and demand is simply another rude gesture that does little for your case. Do not use boilerplate text. Many grassroots organizations will send out a prepared text to people interested in their issue, but try not to simply copy and paste this into your letter. Use it as a guide to help you make the point and write the letter in your own words with your personal perspective. Getting thousands of letters that say the exact same thing can diminish the impact.

John McCain Modern Progressivism Essay - 655 Words

John McCain: Modern Progressivism? nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Presidential hopeful John McCain seems to want to revive the Progressive Republican Party. With the elections around the corner, McCain’s campaign is off the ground. And the comparisons to former progressive president Theodore Roosevelt are endless. The divide between him and the other major Republican candidate, George W. Bush are increasingly obvious on most of the issues. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;John McCain promises to expand and improve the United States’ Armed Forces for better military preparedness. He believes that it is our duty as a powerful free nation to ensure and protect the†¦show more content†¦McCain wants to do away with this use of loopholes in the law, saying that â€Å"keeping money out of politics† is the best way to develop a government that works more for the interests of the people than for its own interests. Roosevelt did some of his own reforms in his day, with the setting up of the merit system, where government workers where appointed in accordance to performance and competence instead of the previously used spoils system, in which those who where loyal members of their party and helped the campaigns were given the jobs. Though McCain has taken some heat for using the system he is now trying to reform to increase his personal wealth, Roosevelt also had some contradictions in his administration. Roosevelt was a firm believer in capitalism and abhorred socialism, but he did advocate government control over some business. He was known for breaking up major business trusts and monopolies, but he didn’t look down upon all trusts, he was in favor of some and was reluctant to interfere too much in business. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Both politicians are known for excitable temperaments. Some of McCain’s critics raise questions about McCain’s ability to be a capable president with his assertive attitudesShow MoreRelatedPre-Columbian Period9302 Words   |  38 PagesUnited States are thought to have arrived in Alaska by crossing the Bering land bridge, at least 14,000 30,000 years ago.[10] Some of these groups migrated south and east, and over time spread throughout the Americas. These were the ancestors to modern Native Americans in the United States and Alaskan Native peoples, as well as all indigenous peoples of the Americas. Many indigenous peoples were semi-nomadic tribes of hunter-gatherers; others were sedentary and agricultural civilizations. Many

Postmodernism Marketing Free Essays

Due to its profound effect on individualistic side of consumer and consumption, it is inevitable hat marketing is also affected deeply by postmodernism. Hence, those who would like to make a long run and satisfying profit have to develop at least a basic understanding of the terms â€Å"postmodern† and â€Å"postmodern marketing†. It would be more convenient to give some basic knowledge about postmodernism before explaining its huge effect on the discipline of marketing. We will write a custom essay sample on Postmodernism Marketing or any similar topic only for you Order Now According to Encyclopedia Britannica postmodernism is defined as a â€Å"late 20th-century movement characterized by broad skepticism, subjectivism, or relativism; a general suspicion of reason; and an acute sensitivity to the role of ideology in asserting and maintaining lattice and economic power†. Postmodernism can be viewed as a criticism to 20th century modernism. It is a resistance to modernist ideas such as freedom, progress and liberty. It is much more about destruction of old theories, criticizing the modern and its values rather than proposing a solution to give order or something new. As First, Sherry and Venerates argue postmodernist looks for a universally accepted or agreed upon principle; that of tolerance and acceptance of difference. To sum up, while modernism has designed the grand projects to prevent failure, postmodernism as recognized such projects as failures themselves. After a brief explanation about postmodernism, it would be reasonable to give a marketing oriented definition of postmodernism before starting to discuss its huge influence on the discipline of marketing. According to Gerri Van Iraqi (1998) postmodernism can be defined as † a cultural episode, characterized by a pluralism of styles (of consumption) and ideologies, a need for hyperthermia and self-expression through consumption†. After contemplating on this brief definition, it would not be hard to conclude that postmodernism has had a profound effect on the consumption tatters of individuals. Therefore, companies have been forced to take individualistic differences into account and develop strategies based on their own target customer group. However, the influence of postmodernism on marketing and businesses is not limited to the change in consumer preferences or the change in consumption patterns. The structure of an organization, and the organization’s relationship with its employees are also affected by the birth and extensive usage of the term postmodernism. To begin with the effect of the term â€Å"postmodernism† on the customer side, it can be argued that it has brought a new phenomenon of postmodern marketing. In the modern marketing, a company generally makes some standardization in terms of what a customer needs, wants or desires by evaluating the society as a whole. In the evaluation process, a majority of them focus on the shared characteristics or personalities of customers and begin to make production and even customization according to a common, shared perspective. Naturally, they have a tendency to ignore customers who have a very different worldview, personality, preference or choice. Thus, those who make production do not have to worry about the diversity of customers in terms of attitudes, perception, personality etc. Since they produce goods and services in massive amounts and then advertise these goods and services to masses. Then, they expect their products to be consumed without any challenge by different consumer demands. This situation is partly a result of homogeneity and masculinity concepts of modernism. However, with postmodernism all these approaches have been affected. Unless having an understanding about the diversity of consumer behavior, a firm might not be able to hose its target customer group correctly, which is a situation that makes its production meaningless, since in the end the product or service might end up with appealing to no one. Also, in today’s world companies have to give much importance to different groups such as gays, lesbians, gypsies etc. Since they have become to constitute a portion of the society that is not negligible. In fact those who took a quicker action than others to offer production or services appealing totally to such groups have made enormous profit. Moreover, the masculine culture has been placed by a more feminine culture in many areas of business due to the change in consumption patterns. For example, during ass Marlboro was using fancy letters. Then, it turned out that Marlboro was started being cited as women’s cigarette. With this unintended impression, Marlboro immediately changed its letter type and started to use its famous masculine cowboy commercials. If this situation occurred in postmodernist era, most probably a majority of people would criticize Marlboro and stop buying, since Marlboro implicitly suggests that it does not give much value to its women customers. When considering all these, it can be clearly defended that due to the profound influence of postmodernism on marketing, a vast amount of companies have shifted from forbids, mass consumption based approaches to post-forbids, individualistic based approaches. To continue with the structure of organizations, it might be asserted that before the birth of the term â€Å"postmodernist’ most of the companies had adopted the principles of forbids. Believing the quality of stability, homogeneity and control and they followed the rules of a masculine culture. Their organization structures were strictly hierarchical. Hence, there was a significant rower distance among different levels of management. However, after postmodernism came to scene, the effectiveness of the bureaucratic organization culture during turbulent, unpredictable or complex times has been questioned. Many new beneficial concepts such as employee empowerment, flat organization structure have been created and emphasized. Afterwards, organizational design becomes more flat, since it is widely believed that one of the most significant factors carrying a company to success is the active participation of employees. As the organization becomes more flat, the communication link among different levels of management gets stronger which contributes to the creation of new innovative ideas. Moreover, companies’ culture has been changed dramatically with postmodernism. During the ass, ass company environment was homogeneous, outer directed, and factory based, since at those times a majority of firms believed the strength of stability. On the other hand with the postmodernism, company environment has been shifted to heterogeneous, self centered and participatory business culture. The motivation behind this situation is that companies have become to experience that creation of unique ideas in terms of production of goods or services is very much elated with the diversity of employees. Within an organization where everybody has a different personality, preference, perception etc. T would be more likely to make production that fits customers well. Therefore, in today’s world those who can manage disorder and variety more effectively have a better chance to serve well and make sufficient profit. To conclude, with the rise of postmodernist ideas, as Stephen (1992) put forward that firms have been forced to prefer disorder to order, surface to dept h, past to present, present to future, heterogeneity to homogeneity, plurality to nonsense, differences to similarities, complexity to simplification, rhetoric to logic and individuality to universality. All in all, the term â€Å"postmodern† has profoundly affected the discipline of marketing as it has a deep influence on almost all social and intellectual endeavors such as sociology, philosophy, politics, history, economics etc. With the rise of postmodern marketing, companies have started to give careful consideration not only to the customer differences but also to their own organizational and cultural structure. While constructing a more friendly and participatory organizational environment, impasses have started to offer a variety of solutions and answers to the demand of different customer groups. 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