Communicating with Policymakers: Having an Effective Visit

The document outlines a comprehensive approach to legislative visits, divided into preparation, conduct during the meeting, and follow-up actions. It emphasizes the importance of clear messaging, local connections, and maintaining credibility through honesty and professional attire. The guide also provides tips for researching legislators' backgrounds and managing potential pitfalls, such as meeting with staff instead of the elected official or dealing with agenda diversions.

• Effective preparation for a legislative visit involves identifying a main message, such as requesting leadership in reducing global warming or supporting bills to lower heat-trapping gas emissions, and assigning specific roles to participants to ensure the meeting remains focused.
• During the meeting, advocates should establish credibility by introducing their professional field or organizational affiliation, mentioning their status as a constituent, and using a brief 'leave-behind' fact sheet of one to two pages to outline their position.
• To maximize impact, the guide recommends making a local connection by explaining how the issue affects the legislator's specific district or state and asking a direct 'yes' or 'no' question to secure a commitment.
• Advocates are encouraged to research the legislator's background, including their constituency type (rural, urban, or suburban), campaign contributions, and previous election margins, to better tailor their approach.
• The guide notes that meeting with legislative aides can be as productive as meeting with the legislator themselves, as staff often possess more detailed knowledge of legislation and significant influence over the member.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2008). Communicating with Policymakers: Having an Effective Visit. https://www.ucs.org/resources/communicating-policymakers-having-effective-visit

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. Communicating with Policymakers: Having an Effective Visit. 2008. https://www.ucs.org/resources/communicating-policymakers-having-effective-visit.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=Communicating with Policymakers: Having an Effective Visit |date=21 July 2008 |url=https://www.ucs.org/resources/communicating-policymakers-having-effective-visit |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2008communicating, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{Communicating with Policymakers: Having an Effective Visit}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2008}, month = jul, url = {https://www.ucs.org/resources/communicating-policymakers-having-effective-visit}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }