Advocating for Yourself and Your Passions

Political advocacy is a popular buzzword that you’ll hear thrown around on college applications, in government classrooms, and on the streets of Washington, DC. But what really comprises political advocacy, and how can you get involved as a constituent in grassroots organizing and campaigning?

Political advocacy is doing a tangible action to speak up or work for a policy, issue area, or candidate. Policies can be specific or very wide and generic. You may hear discussion about “economic policy,” which could span the entirety of how money is used and spent in the free market and government in the entire United States, or you might hear about something specific under that issue area, like the minimum age to receive Social Security benefits. No matter how expansive the issue is, if you have an opinion on it, you can be a political advocate for it!

You probably already advocate for different issues every day even if you don’t realize it. Wearing a t-shirt of your favorite band promotes their music, and it might encourage someone else to check out their music. Selling fundraising cookies for school or Scouts helps raise money for a non-profit organization. Helping out with the food bank at your religious institution or food pantry is supporting a mission to resolve food insecurity in the community. Understanding your political opinions allows you to advocate in any capacity for these causes.

The first step is to understand your opinions about different issues. You might start by taking a political affiliation quiz online. However, it is critical to note that your opinions might not all align with a political party’s platform. This is totally okay and allows you to think critically about a party and its candidates when you vote or petition! Another way you might start is to research on our website about different policy areas. There are several ways that policies impact your day to day life, and if you don’t see a policy that we should be covering, fill out our contact form HERE.

Informal/Passive Advocacy

From this point, you can very competently start informal advocacy, or passive advocacy. This includes having conversations with your friends and family members about your opinions. When talking to someone, be prepared for them to disagree with you. A disagreement is not an opportunity to yell at or dismiss someone for their opinion. It is especially not a chance to become violent. Rather, take the time to listen and understand WHY they believe what they do and why your opinions may differ. Did they grow up in an environment where something was not an issue, where it was in your environment? Do you have different understandings and knowledge about the facts of an issue? Is there a difference in values between you two?

Having this conversation allows both of you to understand the other perspectives and practice mature debates, something that will carry over as a skill in many, if not all, of your future endeavors. Another way to do passive advocacy is to post on social media or share petitions or information. It is critical to ensure that any media you share is truthful, honest, and told from an unbiased perspective. By missing one of these three checks, you can lose credibility. Sharing honest information, however, can spark conversations and help others gain insight about timely and relevant policy being passed in their area.

Passive advocacy is easy to do and can be as simple as wearing a shirt in support of a cause or reposting on social media. Be sure to understand the causes you are advocating for to converse with others who may have different viewpoints on the topic.

Formal/Active Advocacy

Formal, or active, advocacy is the act of taking tangible steps to further the mission of a cause or policy. It typically is defined by money, time, or talent in an organized institution or platform. For example, creating a donation page or crowdfunding site recruits money from several donors for a certain cause. When it comes to political and civic engagement, this cause is usually to fund donations for an agency or nonprofit, a candidate’s campaign, travel expenses for lobbyists or advocates, or a relief fund for people in need. Whether organizing the donation drive or simply donating money you can spare, you are taking part in formal advocacy.

Formal advocacy can also involve time spent protesting or meeting with stakeholders. Protests were a key aspect of 2020, with marches for advancing civil rights and justice, particularly for Black Americans. This echos the work of civil rights activists in the mid-1900s who conducted sit-ins to protest segregation in American restaurants, schools, and transportation. Protests can be short marches with signs and chants, or they can be silent or strategically placed for a greater impact. They can range in scale from one park or store to a network of protests throughout several cities and countries.

Another form of formal advocacy is lobbying and advocating to lawmakers. It is every US citizen’s right to petition their legislators and government. This can involve writing a letter about a cause important to you or scheduling a meeting with a staffer at your local Congressperson’s office. If you chose to become a professional lobbyist for a career, you would be working as a representative of a corporation or interest group to encourage lawmakers to vote or pass legislation that would support your line of work or cause. There is a great deal of controversy regarding formal lobbying because interest groups oftentimes have millions (or billions) of dollars that they may use to provide gifts, trips, or meals to Congresspeople to encourage them to vote in their direction. These votes may not be representative of the opinions of constituents.

Advocacy can also revolve around doing a direct volunteer or grassroots effort to support a cause. Several schools and religious institutions work to collect food, gently used clothing, holiday gifts, or other supplies for local families in need. Volunteering as an individual can look like getting involved with an established agency or nonprofit, or you may opt to organize your own volunteering or service event. In civic engagement, you may see individuals on your campus registering students to vote, making calls for a political candidate, or working in service clubs to pick up trash, volunteer at a food pantry or make toys for animals at a shelter.

Political advocacy typically relates to a policy area or a direct candidate, party or campaign. However, using your own research and talents, you can develop your own grassroots initiatives to support candidates and causes in your community and build followings for them. If you need help finding local political and civic engagement agencies, be sure to message us on the bottom of the page!