Description
Book SynopsisAdvocating for the Common Good: People, Politics, Process, and Policy on Capitol Hill offers a rich and accessible guide to policy-making in the nation’s capital, beckoning us to get to the table, make our voices heard, and reinvigorate our policy making institutions. Jane West parts the curtains and brings us behind the scenes with a simple framework which enables both the novice and the experienced to deftly navigate the Washington maze. The 4 P’s—people, politics, process, and policy—are each examined with an eye toward what a successful advocate needs to know. Informed by her forty years of experience as part of the policy-making apparatus in education and disability, expert interviews with those in the room where it happens, a deep dive into congressional procedures and the scholarship on public policy, West delivers a powerful call to action. This affordable, jargon-free guide provides students and professionals with practical tools and a proven step-by-step process for analyzing past policies to understand how and why it became what it is, and then creating an advocacy strategy for a cause in order to change policy going forward.
Trade ReviewThis book empowers experts with the understanding of the process to impact policy and provides a bridge to collaborative partnerships between experts and policymakers.
-- Gloria Niles, University of Hawai'i
The author builds on the extant body of work on this critical topic, while also incorporating their deep experience in practice. This book thus in essence presents a practice-informed theory, which is much needed in the field of education and public policy.
-- Raquel Muñiz, Boston College, Lynch School of Education & Human Development and School of Law
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments
Author’s Note
Introduction
Chapter 1: People
The Iron Triangle
- Congress
- Congressional Staff and Congressional Committees
- Relationships Are Everything
- The Executive Branch
- Interest Groups
- Professional and Trade Associations
- Business or Corporation Associations
- Public Interest Groups
- Think Tanks
- What Do Interest Groups Do in Relation to Policy and Advocacy?
- Political Action Committees and 501 © (4)’s
- Coalitions
- Government Relations/Lobbying Firms
- Lobbying
Beyond the Iron Triangle
- The Courts
- Social Media and the Press
- Public Opinion
- Constituents
- Grass Roots Movements and Organizations
- Experts
The Culture of Policy Making vs. the Cultures of Other Sectors
Representation Matters
Take Aways: The People
References
Chapter 2: Politics
Majorities and Minorities in Congress
The White House
Election Cycles
Participating in Election Campaigns
Transitions after Winning an Election
Bipartisanship
Tale Aways: The Politics
References
Chapter 3: Process
Part I: Summary of the Literature on Public Policy Making Processes
- Framework #1: the Cyclical Framework
- Problem Definition
- Agenda Setting
- Policy Formulation
- Policy Adoption
- Policy Implementation
- Policy Evaluation
- Framework #2: Policy Streams
Part II: Congressional Procedures
- How a Bill Becomes a Law: The Seven Steps of Regular Order
- Bill Introduction
- The Committee Receives the Bill
- Possible Referral to Subcommittee
- Hearings and Markups
- Floor Consideration
- Conference Committee
- President’s Signature
- Three Core Legislative Processes: Budget, Appropriations, Authorization
- Budget Process
- Reconciliation
- Deeming Resolutions
- Appropriations Process
- Mandatory and Discretionary Spending
- Earmarks
- Authorization Process
- Other Congressional Processes
- Oversight and Investigations
- Confirmations
- Senate and House Rules
- Committee on Rules of the House of Representatives
- Filibuster and Cloture in the Senate
Part 3: Executive Branch Processes
- Executive Orders
- Federal Rulemaking
- Before the Proposed Rule
- The Proposed Rule
- Before the Final Rule
- The Final Rule
- After the Final Rule
- Negotiated Rulemaking
- Other Key Federal Agency Functions Related to Policy Making
Take-Aways: The Processes
References
Chapter 4: Policy
Which Comes First: The Problem or the Solution?
Policy Tools
- Grants
- Appropriations
- Civil Rights
- Accountability
- Data Collection
- Enforcement Mechanisms
- Research
- Individual Benefits
- Tax Code
- Requirements Related to Implementation by Federal Agency
What is Good Policy?
- The Americans with Disabilities Act and the Use of Standardized Assessment in Federal Education Policy: Point/Counterpoint
- The ADA: A Remarkable Policy
- NCLB and Its Derivatives: The Use of Standardized Assessments in Federal Education Policy A Cautionary Tale
- Race to the Top 2009
- Teacher Preparation Regulations 2011-2017
- Lessons Learned
Take Aways: The Policy
Chapter 5: Advocacy: Putting It All Together
Advocating with Congressional Offices
- First and Foremost: Build a Relationship
- Prepare for Meetings
- Provide Background Information, Data, Stories
- Refine Your Message so it Will Be Heard by Your Audience
- Be Prepared with No More than Three “ASKS”
- Offer Invitations to Speak or Visit
- Don’t Get Mad or Argue or Talk Politics
- Always Follow Up
- Keep Showing Up
- Add Your Voice to a National Organization
Advocating with the Executive Branch
Artifacts for Advocacy
- Committee and Subcommittee Activities: Hearings, Markups, and More
- Other Statements from Members of Congress
- Status of Bills Introduced
- Reports from the Congressional Research Service
- Documents from the Government Accountability Office
- Developments from the White House and Federal Agencies
Connecting Research, Practice, and Policy
Participating in a Committee Hearing or a Town Hall Meeting
Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Advocacy Activities
Impact of January 6, 2021 Events at the Capitol on Security Measures
In Closing
Take Aways: Advocacy
Chapter 6: Wrapping Up: Being at the Table… Not on the Menu
References
Index
About the Interviewees
About the Author
