In addition to being an advocate on the outside of government, staffer in a DC deputy mayor's office, and blogger, I'm a citizen (in the citizenry sense). As one, I use government services and believe services access should be seamless and information accessible and open.
One important note: What's most important are the four buckets. The details are simply examples.
One important note: What's most important are the four buckets. The details are simply examples.
Consume information
- Talk with neighbors
- Attend meetings
- Reading local newspapers, listening to the radio, watching tv
- Reading electronic discussion lists/boards (Yahoo, Google groups; Reddit)
- Reading blogs and discussion boards
- Following group activity on Facebook
- Following journalists, other electeds, bloggers, policy wonks, advocates, community leaders on Twitter
Share your views with elected and appointed officials and staff
- Attend public meetings
- Write letters and emails, make phone calls
- Testify at public hearings
- Schedule a one-on-one or group meeting with public officials
Engage with and use the media
- Get to know the journalists covering the issues about which you are concerned.
- Be helpful, be a resource. If there is information you think they should have, give it to them; it doesn’t have to be about "your" issue.
- Write letters to the editor.
- If you follow journalists on social media, tell them when they did a particularly good job on a story. If not on social media, email or mail a note with the same message.
Know the policy landscape
- Who else is interested in the issue? Get to know them, their work, their positions.
- How can the government or quasi-government organization be held accountable?
- Is this simply a local issue or is it related to state or federal law?