Writing a letter is one of the most direct ways to contact a legislator and express your opinion on important issues. As social workers, we have a unique perspective gained from our professional experience working with those directly impacted by oppressive structures in our society and the commitment to enhancing the wellbeing of others. This perspective is extremely valuable to share when trying to influence a legislator on a certain issue as it can provide informed reasoning and express importance behind why they should take certain action that they otherwise do not know.
However, over 200 million letters are sent to legislators each year. Writing an effective letter is key to impacting a legislator and help get your opinion heard. If you need help doing this, no need to worry- we have collected tips to help guide you through the letter writing process so that you can write the most effective letter possible! We have also created a printable flyer that you can locate HERE, so you can have this as a quick reference whenever you need it.
Tip #1: Address the letter properly
Certain political positions get addressed in different ways. For example, United States Senators and Representatives are addressed as “The Honorable (name)” or by their title (Senator ____, Representative ____”. Using the proper title not only demonstrates respect, but also makes your letter more formal and official. We have included a list of proper ways to address different legislators HERE.
Tip #2: Write to who represents you When you write, direct your letters towards legislators that represent the district you live or work in. It’s important for the legislator to know that you have a connection with them and the fact that you are a voter in their district will persuade them to take your opinion seriously. The legislators are more likely to vote in favor of bills and policies that reflect the opinion of the voters in their district, so writing to who represents you will help them understand the opinions of their constituents and impact the actions they make. Tip #3: Identify yourself
Make sure you include your name, address, and identify yourself as a social worker. Your name and address will help the legislator locate you as a voter in their specific district and track your position on a topic. Identifying as a social worker will also assist in making your letter more personal and identify you as a professional on the topic being spoken about. It will give your experience and opinions more credit since you will have firsthand professional experience and training on what you are speaking about in your letter.
Tip #4: Identify the issue
Be specific on what issue you are speaking about, right in the beginning of your letter. This will help with identifying the purpose of the letter quickly for the reader. If you are speaking about a specific bill or policy, identify it by name. Also be sure to stick to one issue per letter so that it is clear as possible. Whatever you do address within your letter, make sure you also back it up with facts. This will demonstrate that you are informed on the issue and will make your arguments more convincing.
Tip #5: Be Respectful
Even if you did not vote for the legislator you are writing to or if you disagree with their position on certain topics, it is important that you remain respectful throughout the letter. If your tone or language used is disrespectful, inappropriate, or threatening, chances are your letter will not be completely read and your message will not be heard. You can be firm on your stance without crossing the line of being disrespectful. Instead, use facts and your experience to support your statements and describe the importance of the topic at hand.
Tip #6: Personalize it
Support your position with personal or professional anecdotes from working as a social worker. Describe to the legislator how the issue you are writing about affects you or your clients. It’s these personal touches that will make your letter stronger and helps the legislator understand why they should agree to support your position on the manner. Let them know why what you are writing about is important and how it is affecting you as well as others. The more personal the better- which is also why you should not write the same letter to multiple legislators. Personalize every letter you write because they will have more impact. Tip #7: Be clear and concise
Legislators receive a lot of mail- over 200 million letters are sent annually in the United States. It’s important to keep your letter concise so that it’s purpose can be received. If your letter is too long, it may overshadow the purpose of the letter and your message may be missed. For these reasons, it is important to keep it clear and concise. Be explicit about what you are writing about and keep your letter to one page maximum. You can do this by creating a list of your points and choose 1-3 of your strongest to focus on for the letter.
Tip #8: Ask for Action
Make sure you include the action you would want the legislator to take. Focus in on what your goal is for writing the letter. If you goal is for the legislator to vote yes/no on a certain upcoming bill, make sure you say that is what you asking them to do. Being specific as possible is key and if speaking about a bill, you should identify bills by their name or number. One thing that might be difficult to ask for though is a response to your letter. Do not expect a response since it is not often that the legislators have the time to respond to each and every letter they receive. Instead, focus on the actions they can take within their position.
Tip #9: Proofread
You do not want anything to distract from your message. A letter with grammatical or spelling errors can do just that.. as well as make your letter appear less credible. Proofread your letter before mailing or sending it. Also try reading your letter out loud to make sure it makes sense before you send!
Tip #10: Sign the letter personally
Lastly, sign your letter personally if you can. This will make your letter look more personal and authentic than just a boilerplate message. It can portray to the reader that you put thought and effort into the letter.
Good luck and happy writing!
Sources:
Bergan, D. E. & Cole, R. T. (2015). Call your legislator: A field experimental study of the impact of a constituency mobilization campaign on legislative voting. Political Behavior, 37(1), 27-42.
Butler, D. M. & Nickerson, D.W. (2011). Can learning constituency opinion affect how legislators vote? Results from a field experiment. Quarterly Journal of Political Sciences, 6(1), 55-83.
Center for Lobbying in the Public Interest. (2007). Writing a letter to your legislator. Center for Lobby in the Public Interest. www.CLPI.org
Hertel-Fernandez, A., Mildenberger, M., & Stokes, L. C. (2019) Legislative staff and representation in congress. American Political Science Review, 113(1), 1-18.
Library of Congress. (n.d.). Retrieved October 6, 2022, from https://www.congress.gov/
Longley, Robert. (2022, July 13). Tips for Writing Effective Letters to Congress. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/write-effective-letters-to-congress-3322301
Florida Senate. (n.d.). Effective communication with a legislator. Retrieved October 6, 2022, from https://www.flsenate.gov/About/EffectiveCommunication
Center for Applied Second Language Studies. (n.d.). Tips for effectively writing legislators. The Oregon State University. Retrieved from https://casls.uoregon.edu/roadmap/resources/data/TipsForWritingLegislators.pdf
The National Association for Court Reporters and Captioners. (n.d.). Writing effective letters to your legislators. Retrieved from https://www.ncra.org/home/get- involved/advocacy/Grassroots-Lobbying/Writing-Effective-Letters-to-Your-Legislators