Product Description

Lobbying and Advocacy is the comprehensive guide for lobbyists and Washington advocates. * Top strategies for winning as an effective lobbyist or Washington advocate. * Practical resources and methods for maintaining compliance and staying abreast of ethical and legal requirements. * Practical tips, research based methods, and step-by-step guides for communicating with policymakers in every venue most effectively, including telephone calls, emails, Congressional meetings, testifying before Congress, building coalitions, and working with the press. * Extensive list of Lobbying and Advocacy Resources. Table of Contents Preface Ch. 1 The True Nature of Lobbying Ch. 2 Legal and Ethical Considerations Ch. 3 Position Drivers: Forces That Shape Legislation Ch. 4 Understanding Governmental Institutions and Processes Ch. 5 Know Your Issue (Well Enough for the Toughest Questions) Ch. 6 Build the Right Plan Ch. 7 Develop, Never Devalue, Grassroots Ch. 8 Communicate Effectively with Policymakers: Personal Meetings, Letters, Phone Calls, and Electronic Communications Ch. 9 Multiply Your Influence: Coalitions and Partners Ch. 10 Media Engagement and Testimony: Perfect Your Public Presence Ch. 11 Managing and Maintaining a High Performance Governmental Affairs Program Appendices App. 1. Checklist of Basic Lobbying Techniques and Strategies and Key Factors Influencing Legislative Actions App. 2. How to Monitor and Influence Policy at the Federal Level App. 3. A Practical Guide To Working The Hill And Guiding Congressional Witnesses / Hill Visitors, including Capitol Hill Map with parking indicated (online see Capitol Hill: Map, Parking, Buildings, Hotels, Restaurants) App. 4. Select Glossary of Lobbying Terms, Abbreviations, and Acronyms App. 5. The Lobbyist's Annual Calendar: Key Dates And Activities Template With Annual Schedule Highlights App. 6. American League of Lobbyists (ALL) Code of Ethics App. 7. Amendments to the Lobbying Disclosure Act, the Foreign Agents Registration Act, and the Federal Election Campaign Act, by Showing Changes to Previous Law made by The Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007 [HLOGA], prepared by William V. Luneburg, Jr., Professor of Law, University of Pittsburgh School of Law (available online from the ABA as a 30-page pdf ) Index

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #247169 in Books
• Published on: 2008-12-10
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 516 pages

Customer Reviews

A solid, in-depth manual highly recommended for anyone seeking to lobby governmental officials
Lobbying and Advocacy is a solid, in-depth manual highly recommended for anyone seeking to lobby governmental officials or advocate public policy. Packed cover to cover with tips, checklists, and examples, Lobbying and Advocacy is intended to be a thorough reference and resource for lobbyists of all skill and experience levels. Major topics covered include "Legal and Ethical Considerations", "Develop, Never Devalue, Grassroots", "Multiply Your Influence: Coalitions and Partners" and much more. A wealth of appendices and an index round out this absolute "must-have" for any professional in the field. "Members of Congress and staff may never solicit a gift, or accept a gift that is linked to any action they have taken or are being asked to take. Members of Congress, their staff, and congressional officers are generally not permitted to accept gifts or meals from lobbyists, foreign agents, or their employing organizations, with certain exceptions... Do not offer any gifts or meals, plan congressional events, negotiate employment or arrange trips with policymakers unless you are absolutely certain that no rules are being violated."

An Essential Resource on Lobbying
Lobbying and Advocacy by Deanna Gelak is a comprehensive resource to help American citizens understand and exercise their Constitutional right to lobby their legislators. Gelak's book contains all of the essentials for successful lobbying, including a step-by-step process of lobbying, chapter summaries, lobbying tips and facts, charts and graphs, and recommended resources. The book contains strategies for lobbying Congress, the executive branch, and state officials and can be a useful media guide for working with the press.

In the first chapter, "The True Nature of Lobbying," Gelak not only provides general information about the history, basis, and significance for lobbying, she also debunks the ascribed origin of the term "to lobby" coined at the Willard Hotel.

The book's major sections deal with crafting the issue and strategies for making it effective. Also, there is a helpful guidance for providing testimony, forming coalitions, and avoiding problems with ethics laws. Gelak's "30 Laws of Lobbying" promotes integrity in public service and puts lobbying in perspective for advocates at all levels.

Given that Lobbying and Advocacy explains effective ways to contact policymakers and addresses ethical advocacy, it will benefit both the legislative novice as well as the experienced lobbyist in managing and advancing advocacy issues. I would highly recommend the book for anyone actively involved in legislative campaigns or interested in issue advocacy. Gelak's book makes lobbying interesting, and her non-technical style makes for easy reading.

Comprehensive Resource
I wrote a cover recommendation for this book, and bought an extra copy for work.

As a public interest lobbyist who is interested in empowering participation from all citizens, I can't recommend this book enough. As lobbying has become a specialized career, undertaken by teams of highly paid lawyers, accessible explanations and primary source materials are an absolute necessity for citizen advocates. While we can't all have teams of experts drafting our emails or testimony, they can still be formed with an understanding of how influence works in DC. That's what this book provides.

-John Wonderlich
Policy Director
The Sunlight Foundation