What It Is and Why It's Important
The importance of grass roots programs has grown tremendously over the past two decades. Extensive grass roots efforts are undertaken by almost every major association or group seeking to achieve a legislative goal.
The days are long gone when crucial legislative decisions were made by a few key legislators meeting with lobbyists behind closed doors in "smoke filled rooms." Today, legislators base most of their decisions on what they hear from their constituents. Those groups able to generate large scale grass roots pressure are the most effective at implementing their legislative agenda.
So, what is a grass roots program? What are grass roots activities and what impact do they have on legislators?
- A grass roots program seeks to convince elected officials that there is significant local constituent support for a given policy objective. Elected officials care about what their constituents think, especially those who take the time to communicate their views. Lawmakers need the votes of their constituents to get re-elected.
- Grass roots efforts may involve all or some of the following activities aimed at influencing elected officials:
- One-on-one and small group meetings with Members of Congress. Meetings can be scheduled at the lawmaker's home state or Washington DC office.
- Generating large numbers of letters and/or phone calls to the lawmaker. This demonstrates mass support for the policy objective.
- Phone calls and letters from influential constituents. These constituents can be personal friends, political supporters, major employers or other respected members of the community.
- Informal contact with a legislator at social gatherings like political events, town meetings, and fundraisers.
- Endorsements and other demonstrations of support from prominent members of the community such as academics and respected local political activists.
- Generating favorable media coverage such as news stories, editorials, and letters to the editor from leaders of business, professional and civic groups.
- A successful grass roots program mobilizes both a "high quality" and a "significant quantity" of support. This shows lawmakers that:
- Influential constituents care a great deal about the issue.
- A significant cross section of the community and a large number of voters support the issue.