Chapter Overview
Chapter 3: Advocacy

Advocacy involves strategies aimed at influencing the creation and implementation of laws and policy. In addition to using their voting power, citizens in a democracy can organize to alert elected officials to problems in their communities, states, and country and work to promote solutions.

The Art of Advocacy  Advocacy is the active support of a cause and the attempt to persuade others. Successful advocates must be organized, use effective methods of communication, and choose the appropriate level of government to which to address their particular issue.

Lobbying  Lobbying is an attempt to influence the law by convincing lawmakers to vote a certain way. Lobbying is protected by the U.S. Constitution because it involves the right to free speech and other First Amendment protections. Anyone can be a lobbyist and try to convince lawmakers to vote for or against a particular issue. Some businesses and organizations hire professional lobbyists to advocate their positions. Some people are concerned that individuals and special interest groups use the lobbying process to buy the laws they want. However, others say that lobbying is an effective strategy for groups to make their voices heard.

Voting  Voting is a basic constitutional right. In general, eligible citizens in a democracy elect representatives to act on their behalf when making and enforcing laws. However, some procedures allow voters to directly determine particular laws. An initiative allows voters to petition to propose a new law. A referendum allows voters to decide whether or not a proposed law should be passed. Some people believe that initiatives and referenda allow voters to be more involved in the democratic process. However, others fear that these tools are inefficient for a variety of reasons.

To vote in the United States, you must be at least 18 years old, a U.S. citizen, and a resident of the district in which you want to register. Federal laws prohibit voting by non-eligible voters or registering in more than one district. It is also important for voters to be informed about the candidates and their positions in order to make wise decisions.

Today, registering to vote is easy, but this was not always the case. In the past, African Americans, women, Native Americans, and people below the age of 21 were prevented from voting. In 1971, the Twenty-sixth Amendment to the Constitution lowered the official voting age from 21 to 18. In many states, people who have committed serious crimes are prevented from voting, even after release from jail. Many Americans who are eligible to vote do not register or participate in elections.

Campaign Finance Reform  Some people believe that the process of raising money for campaigning must be reformed to limit the influence of money on politics. The goal of campaign finance reform is to prevent corruption in the election process. Campaign finance reform remains a complicated and controversial issue.