| Cases and Resources
Chapter 3: Advocacy
The Art of Advocacy
Lobbying
Voting
Campaign Finance Reform
The Art of
Advocacy
Youth
Act!
Youth Act! is a program designed by Street Law to help young
people learn to identify issues they care about and take action
to speak out. You can act to change laws or policies in your
own community or seek to make a difference on an international
level!
Speak
Out!
This site is an excellent resource to explore numerous topics
for debate. Read about the issues that interest you and then
think about how you can act to advocate your position.
Basic
Tips for Writing Appeals
If you decide to write a letter to a government official to
urge a certain action or policy on an issue that is important
to you, following these basic tips will help you to present
yourself in the best way.
Kids
Making a Difference
You may think that it is hard for young people to make a difference.
Read stories about young people who have successfully impacted
others in their community. It is possible to advocate for
change!
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Lobbying
The
Basics of Lobbying
Learn the basic terms of lobbying and understand what steps
lobbyists take to effectively gain the attention of public officials.
Lobbying
Campaign Kit
Once you have learned about the basics of lobbying, explore
the actual plan of a group creating a lobbying campaign and
gather practical tips for organizing a campaign of your own.
Young
Lobbyists
Young people can be successful lobbyists. Read about youths
all over the world who have taken action and made a difference.
Groups that Lobby
Now that you understand how to advocate or lobby, read some
information advocating particular positions regarding gun
laws. Compare the Web sites for the National
Rifle Association and The
Brady Campaign. Which site has the most useful
information or the stronger argument? What would you change?
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Voting
MTV's
Rock the Vote
Voting is a constitutional right and a civic responsibility.
Read this site created for the young voter that helps you register
to vote, learn about current issues, and determine how to take
action.
Project
Vote Smart
Before deciding who to vote for or how to vote on an issue,
make sure you understand the candidates and the issues. Although
voting can seem complicated, it is worthwhile to take the time
to learn about what your vote will mean. Learn how to think
critically about the candidates and the issues without being
persuaded by advertisements.
Federal
Election Commission
Explore statistics—sorted by age, gender, or race—on
voter turnout for particular elections. Which group has the
highest percentage of voters that actually vote? Compare United
States statistics with international voting statistics. Do we
vote more or less than voters in other countries?
New
Millennium Young Voters Project
Many young people do not vote. This project is designed to reconnect
young voters with issues that matter to them and to encourage
young people to make a difference by voting. Your
Vote Counts
Some people do not vote because they do not believe that their
single vote really matters. Visit this Web site to read about
events in history in which one vote made all the difference.
Initiative and Referendum Institute at the University of Southern California
Learn about ballot initiatives and referendums. Explore the
history of ballot initiatives in your state by clicking on
this
map.
Voting
Rights
Review this collection of information
and articles concerning the history of voting in the United
States and an extensive amount of resources designed to research
current and past voting issues. Learn about campaign finance
reform to third party candidates or learn what really happened
in the election of 2000.
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Campaign
Finance Reform
The
Hoover Institution
This comprehensive site describes public policy issues and
campaign finance reform. Read important Supreme Court cases
about campaign finance as well as current bills dealing with
campaign finance reform.
The
League of Women Voters
Read the position of the League of Women Voters on campaign
finance reform. How is this position different from the Hoover
Institution? Read the position letter on this site and note
the organizations that have also signed this letter.
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