Beating the Bureaucracy A Citizen's Guide to Influencing the Administration _________________________________________________________________ Congress may write the laws, but it is up to the Administration, the President and its agencies, to execute the policies that affect every citizen." - White House staff member The White House Introduction __________ 20/20 Vision Education Fund has produced a resource for grassroots activists across the country on how citizens can most effectively influence the Administration. The Administration, or Executive branch, is made up of federal agencies which include departments with Secretaries who sit on the President's cabinet, agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the White House offices. In preparation for this report, 20/20 Vision staff interviewed over 25 Administration employees to gain insight from their experience and observations. Staff met with representatives from the White House, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Defense, Department of Energy, Department of State, and Department of the Interior. Sample questions included: * What happens to letters sent to the White House or other agencies? * Does the Administration pay attention to letters to the editor published in newspapers? * What number of letters or calls gets the Administration's attention? * Is it better as a citizen to affiliate yourself with a national organization? * Which actions are the most effective: phone calls, letters, editorials? * What is the role of members of Congress in influencing Administration officials? 20/20 Vision subscribers and other citizen lobbyists have become skilled in lobbying Congress. Influencing the Administration, however, proves more difficult than influencing Congress. There are several inherent difficulties in targeting the Administration on current issues. Some of the differences include: * Administration agencies are highly bureaucratic and complex. The Administration is comprised of a constantly changing set of actors, and Administration staff directories are subject to changes right after publication. Not only do positions change from Administration to Administration, but during a President's term, political appointees resign or are reassigned. Thus, it is much harder to identify the appropriate Administration officials to whom you should direct your actions. Often it is unclear who is actually making the decisions and who is involved in the decision making process. * In addition, each agency is a separate entity operating independently of each other. Much like an individual business enterprise, each agency has its own hierarchy and methods for getting work accomplished. We found the agencies to be so compartmentalized that employees often do not interact with colleagues down the hall or know what tasks each division is responsible for. Because of this, responses to citizen requests take much longer to process in an agency than within a congressional office. * Administration agencies have no true constituency. Unlike members of Congress, who are accountable to the citizens who elected them, agencies do not have a public constituency. As a staff member pointed out, the Secretary of Defense has a constituency of one, the President. Therefore, Administration staff are not under the same political pressure to respond to inquiries or appeals. * Administration agencies' tracking systems for letters and phone calls differ widely. Unlike Congress, where correspondence is tracked, tallied, and responded to, most agencies are not equipped to handle large volumes of mail or phone calls. Because of this, phone calls are often not returned and letters may not be answered. These factors make contacting and communicating with the Administration extremely challenging, but not impossible. Throughout our research we were repeatedly told that the Administration needs to hear from concerned citizens. "Tell citizens to keep writing. The Administration needs to hear what the public is saying," said an EPA staff member. This guide is designed to help citizens overcome the challenges and determine the most effective ways to communicate with and influence the Administration. Several common themes emerged from 20/20 Vision Education Fund interviews with different Administration employees. Although the agencies varied widely, all agreed that the most effective means for attracting the attention of the Administration are to: * Work with your members of Congress; * Take advantage of regional offices; * Use the media; and * Utilize channels unique to the Administration. _________________________________________________________________ - Department of Energy staff member Letters and calls from a member of Congress, especially a member on a committee or subcommittee with jurisdiction related to the particular Administration agency (e.g., responsible for funding the particular agency), carry a great deal of clout. "A letter from a member of Congress with seniority is best," said one Department of Energy staff member. * Ask Your Member to Contact the Administration. As a Department of State staff member said, "Calls from members who say 'I've gotten 100 letters from my constituents on this' are extremely effective." Citizens should ask their member of Congress to contact the Administration in support of a timely issue. For example, have your Senator write the President to urge his leadership in seeking to negotiate an international treaty. If it is not possible to ask your member to write directly, try one of the following. * Citizen Letters Forwarded. Letters carry more weight if forwarded to the Administration from a member of Congress. For example, you can make an inquiry or request that pertains to the work of a particular agency and your member of Congress will pass on your letter with a cover memo highlighting the request. This method catches the attention of the agency. "A congressperson or his/her staff interested in an issue gets your letter on top of the pile," commented a Department of the Interior staff member. * Double Duty. Citizens should write a letter to an Administration agency and send a copy of their letter to their member of Congress. Citizens should alert their member of Congress that they have written the Administration and hope that he/she will follow up with a phone call or letter. * Think Politically. "Letters from key political areas are more important; they get more attention," remarked a Department of Energy staff member. The Administration considers the viewpoints of constituents in politically sensitive states with large populations (such as California, Illinois, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas) when forming policy. The Administration pays attention to citizens in these states because they could be political "hot buttons" and have an impact on the primary races and/or the national election. _________________________________________________________________ Take Advantage of Regional Offices __________ "A vast majority of issues are formed on the ground. Regional directors and field office directors have a sense of what's important to the community." - Department of the Interior staff member Some of the Administration agencies have regional offices or field facilities to cover specific areas of the country. Citizens can take advantage of regional offices of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of the Interior when addressing an issue specific to their locality, such as a landfill or pollution problem. The Environmental Protection Agency has nine regional offices with administrators working on community outreach. The Department of the Interior has regional public liaison offices to deal with inquiries and comments. Many day to day decisions are resolved in the field while overall policy and direction is funneled from Washington, D.C. Regional office staff are often more accessible. Although the Department of Energy has regional operations offices, citizens are recommended to contact the head office in Washington, D.C. To find out about regional offices, citizens should contact the department or agency public affairs office. When calling, state the issue you are concerned about and ask for the regional office that covers this issue, usually based on where you live. For example, the Department of the Interior has different regional offices for the National Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Minerals Management Service. _________________________________________________________________ Use the Media __________ "This Administration is sensitive to what's in the news." - Department of Defense staff member Another means for citizens to influence the Administration and its policies is strategic use of the media to catch the Administration's attention and convey public opinion. Agencies clip newspapers daily for articles, letters to the editor, and editorials. Agencies look for any mention of their agency or the issues their agency addresses. Agencies with regional offices or facilities clip corresponding local papers. Although each agency has it own system, daily clippings are regularly circulated throughout all agencies. "We are aware of media pieces that affect the department. All of us read the clips everyday," said a Department of the Interior staff member. Citizens should take advantage of the following media tools: * Letters to the Editor "Letters to the editor serve as a very important tool to gauge the mood of the public." - Department of the Interior staff member "A good letter in the right newspaper will be read in Washington," remarked a State Department staff member. Letters to the editor are an easy way to voice your opinion to Administration policy makers and are impossible to overuse. Letters can be used to correct or interpret facts in response to an inaccurate or biased article which has appeared, to explain the connection between a news item and an issue, or to praise or criticize a recent article or editorial. Such letters provide a vehicle for showing how Administration policies impact a local community or region. In your letter you should mention a specific Administration official or agency to increase the likelihood of your letter landing on the right desk. Letters to the editor are sometimes used by a department to further its position on Capitol Hill. For example, the State Department used a favorable letter to the editor to support the Administration's request for funding peacekeeping efforts. * Op-Eds & Editorials "Op-eds and editorials are an important way to communicate policy and influence the Administration." - Department of Defense staff member Op-eds and editorials can serve to build support for or against an initiative. For example, editorials in newspapers have served to gain the Administration's support for a particular policy, such as declaring a nuclear testing moratorium. "Political people are educated by editorials and op-eds. They cause awareness of an issue," commented a White House staff member. On the other hand, critical op-eds and editorials printed about a President's political appointment nominee have worked against candidates. Such pieces were seen to reflect a tide of negative reaction to the nomination. * Events "Citizens should take advantage of media events which get a lot of attention and make a difference." - Department of Energy staff member Administration staff members encouraged citizens to use media events to get the Administration's attention. For example, press conferences and televised town meetings help shape Administration policy. Furthermore, "With over 60 percent of the American population tuning in to talk radio, the Administration is aware of how the media mirrors public opinion," remarked a campaign consultant. _________________________________________________________________ Utilize Channels Unique to the Administration __________ In influencing the Administration, citizens must keep in mind that not all policy decisions have to be run past and/or approved by Congress. In fact, the Administration has powers restricted to the office of President as well as the entire Executive branch. In determining how to lobby the Administration, citizens should look at a variety of vehicles that set policy. * Agency Decisions "Citizens can influence how regulations are written." - Department of Defense staff member Rather than pass highly detailed laws, Congress legislates in broad language, setting certain goals and instructing Administration personnel to hammer out technical matters, regulatory procedures, and rules that meet those goals. Agency rule makings (i.e. regulations) are the process by which laws are implemented and are not subject to congressional approval. They usually involve a public comment period. Citizens can write and submit comments to the public docket or write to the policy maker within the department. Public comment periods may also be accompanied by open meetings at which citizens can testify or attend. Information about rule makings and public comment periods is listed in the Federal Register, the official U.S. government record published each weekday of all Executive branch announcements, proposals, and regulations. Copies of the Federal Register may be found in major libraries or purchased from the Government Printing Office at (202) 512-1800. For example, a public comment period was opened when the EPA was determining whether or not to adopt stringent car emission standards in the 12 northeastern states. * Presidential Veto. When Congress passes legislation the President has the power to sign the bill into law, or to refuse to sign it: a veto. The President must veto a bill within ten days after it is submitted and return it to Congress with a message stating his reasons. Congress may try to override his veto and enact the bill into law. The override of a veto requires a recorded vote with a two-thirds majority voting in both the House and Senate. Citizens can write to the President encouraging him to veto a piece of legislation that is coming to him for a signature. In addition, citizens can contact their member of Congress to vote for or against the override of a veto. * Executive Orders. This critical instrument of active presidential power is nowhere defined in the Constitution, but generally is construed as a directive that becomes law without prior congressional approval. Executive orders usually pertain specifically to government agencies and officials, but their effects often reach to the average citizen. For example, Lyndon Johnson in 1965 required firms that win federal government contracts to create programs for hiring more minorities, thus significantly affecting private sector employment practices. There are no specific constitutional procedures for issuing executive orders, but the text of all executive orders must be published in the Federal Register. An executive order addresses the Executive branch across the board, is long term (may carry over from one Administration to the next), and is public. For example, such executive orders have included: + requiring the federal government to use recycled paper, to convert 11,000 federal vehicles from gasoline to alternative fuels, and to utilize energy efficient computers. + promoting "environmental justice," aimed at controlling hazardous substances in communities regardless of race or economic circumstances. Proposed executive orders can originate from almost anywhere in the Executive branch. A few are composed directly in the White House, but most emanate from various agencies. Some orders, such as those affecting another nation, may be written at the explicit instruction of the President, but most are composed by career staff personnel in the agencies to implement federal regulations or propose new rules or procedures. Executive orders by nature exclude Congress from the process of decision making, often leaving the legislature to catch up after the fact. Citizens can contact the President and request an executive order to be produced. Another instrument, which usually deals with national security issues, is called a Presidential Decision Directive (PDD) and gives specific instructions to a limited number of agencies. Although classified, often the language of presidential directives gets leaked to the press prior to being officially approved and signed by the President. Citizens can write the Administration during the period when a PDD is being debated. For example, when the Administration reviewed its arms transfer policy, citizens wrote to the President to express an alternative position. "People on the ground writing letters provide a highly valuable tool for getting the word out to policy makers." - Department of the Interior staff member Keep in mind letters can be used as reinforcement to back up or determine an agency policy. For example, if an agency has not yet determined its internal position, stacks of citizen letters may be used to show public opinion or support and persuade department personnel to select the public stance exhibited in the letters. A Department of Energy staff member recalled, "When the department was undecided on its position, a stack of citizen letters helped the secretary reach a decision." When you write keep in mind: * Format. Unlike sending handwritten notes to Congress, letters should be typed (if possible), include full name, phone number and address, and a specific request or questions regarding the Administration's policy or position. Your message should be clear, focused, thoughtful, and concise. * Influential Author. A letter from an organization or well known individual carries more clout than a letter from an average citizen. Also, a letter from an unlikely supporter of a position will get noticed. For example, a letter from a retired army general in favor of reducing the military budget will get noticed, because this viewpoint is unexpected. * Give Praise. When the Administration has listened to citizen input or has taken a position that you agree with, let the Administration know. "When people write they are usually complaining about something. The President needs to get positive mail too to show support of his policies. People should write to support him as well as complain or comment," explained a White House staff member. * Raise New Issues. Write letters to the Administration in support of an issue and bring attention to something not currently being addressed. For example, citizens wrote to the Administration to highlight an upcoming international population conference asking for the Administration to become involved and make public its position. _________________________________________________________________ On Calls to the Administration __________ Unlike calling your member of Congress, Administration offices are not all equipped to deal with large volumes of phone calls. Staff members pointed out that they tend to get "overwhelmed" by calls. Within the bureaucracy of each agency there is not an assigned receptionist to field citizen phone calls. "We just don't have the secretarial support to cover calls," reported a Department of Defense staff member. Furthermore, it is often difficult to find the right person to speak with in Administration agencies. Calls to senior officials are not likely to be returned, unless a well known individual calls. The vast majority of Administration staff recommended writing rather than calling to increase the chances that your inquiry receives attention and generates a response. "Calls from citizens won't be returned; messages are taken," explained a Department of Energy staff member. The general practice in all agencies is to take messages. The EPA was the only agency that recommended phone calls from citizens. If you only have time to call, ask a specific question (such as the deadline for comments to a public docket) rather than trying to influence Administration decisions and policy. Identifying who your letter or call should be directed to is an important step in the process. When interviewing Administration staff, we consistently heard four themes: * Consider Politics. Many times political strategists are the decision makers versus technical policy people. Political people especially influence the President's position. Such people include the President's senior advisors, strategists, and the Chief of Staff. Citizens should look to newspaper articles and weekend talk shows to determine who is making policy decisions and providing input to the Administration's policy initiatives. Technical people for the most part do not rely on citizen input. For example, many of the issues covered by the Department of Defense are technical and complex in nature. It is difficult for citizens to provide valued input or opinion, unless a citizen has specific issue expertise. * Cast the Net Broadly. When targeting the Administration, citizens should "cast the net broadly" within each agency, pointed out a Department of Energy staff member. In other words, hit the worker bee level as well as the top level of management. Send a letter with copies to employees at various levels of the hierarchy. This ensures that your inquiry will get noticed by someone. * Potential Allies. Citizens should attempt to select target(s) who might be swayed or who are undecided on an issue and need to be persuaded. Just like targeting potential "swing voters" in Congress on a particular piece of legislation, citizens should try to identify undecided decision makers. Read the paper to gather useful information such as position changes and who is influencing the President on a particular issue. * Double Impact. Citizens may want to write to the Secretary of an agency as well as to the President. As one EPA staff member said, "both is better." When doing so, a citizen should send separately addressed letters. What happens to letters you send to the President? ___________________________________ "What's different about the Clinton Administration, is that they answer mail, unlike previous Administrations." - Volunteer, White House mailroom The White House told us that letters to the White House are sorted by topic, and are entered into a main computer. Answers have been previously formulated and approved by the President. However, if a letter details an unusual firsthand experience, that citizen will likely receive a personal answer. "The President receives between 40,000 to 60,000 letters per week," explained a staff member of the White House Office of Correspondence. Letter readers give the President 10-15 letters a week to read. Fifty percent of the letter readers in the White House are volunteers. If the White House receives form letters or campaign generated postcards, responses are not sent. If an individual writes several times on the same topic, he/she will receive only one response. Unlike Administration agencies, typed and handwritten letters addressed to the White House receive the same amount of attention. Citizens, if they are the leaders of a local organization or chapter of a national organization, should note their affiliated organization when addressing the President. Otherwise noting your organization is not recommended, as it will draw attention to the fact that your letter is part of an orchestrated letter writing campaign. Like Congress, the Administration may discount letters it believes are part of a manufactured campaign. However, it is effective for groups to band together when writing the President. Several may wish to write and sign a joint letter, thus showing broad support for the issue. The tracking of letters is very sophisticated at the White House. According to a Department of State staff member, when he attends meetings at the White House, "the staff members are aware of the number of letters they are receiving or not receiving on a particular issue." What happens when you e-mail the President? ___________________________________ Communicating by Computer * Electronic Mail (e-mail) You can e-mail the President at: president@whitehouse.gov You can e-mail the Vice President at: vicepresident@whitehouse.gov * Visit the White House on-line You can also access the White House using the World Wide Web. This site provides a graphical interface and allows your to send e-mail to the White House. "Welcome to the White House: An Interactive Citizens' Handbook" can be visited at: http://www2.whitehouse.gov/ This Web site or "home page" offers citizens the opportunity to direct comments to the President or Vice President. By selecting the "comments" item on the World Wide Web home page, a screen entitled "speak out" appears. The citizen is asked questions, such as his/her e-mail address and if he/she is writing on behalf of an organization. In addition, a citizen can choose to indicate the purpose, general topic (such as environment or defense), and major subject of the message. According to the Director of Correspondence for the President, the President has received thousands of messages from people all over the world since coming on-line in 1993. A detailed report is provided to both the President and Vice President based on the number and type of e-mail messages received. To facilitate contact with either the President or Vice President, try to write short and concise messages, address only one issue per message, and send only one copy of your message. Shortly after you send your message, you will receive an electronic acknowledgment that the message was successfully accepted and is being forwarded to the White House. You will not receive an electronic response to your inquiry. However, if you supply your standard mailing address, a reply to your comment will be sent via the U.S. Postal Service. What happens to your phone calls to the President? ___________________________________ "If you really want your opinion to get to the President, the White House comment line is an effective way to express your opinion." - White House staff member, Greetings Office The White House has a comment line available Monday - Friday, 9 am to 5 pm EST (202/456-1111). The comment line begins with a survey of recent topical issues, such as healthcare or gun control. Callers are given a choice of responding to the survey or bypassing it and simply leaving a message or speaking to an operator. The comment line receives over 2,000 calls every day. The calls are tallied and a summary is given to the President daily. _________________________________________________________________ 20/20 Vision Education Fund has additional materials including "Is Anyone Listening: A Search for Effective Lobbying Techniques" and fact sheets on "Writing Effective Letters to the Editor" and "Writing and Publishing an Op-Ed." For more information, contact 20/20 Vision Education Fund at (202) 833-2020. 20/20 Vision National Office 1828 Jefferson Place, NW Washington, DC 200036 (202) 833-2020 (202) 833-5307 (fax) (800) 669-1782 (info) vision@igc.apc.org Last Updated: Wednesday, February 14, 1996 .