How to Understand an Issue Before Contacting Your Politicians.

How to spark the conversation so that sustainable bills can be passed.

For any issue that you see in your community, you need to deeply understand everything about it before taking action at the governmental level. So, what do you need to know to understand the issue?

1) Who, what, when, where, why, how? Understand all the basics of the issue and do thorough research on the issue at hand. Make sure to understand the issue so well that if someone where to ask you a question about the topic, you'd be able to give a general answer.

2) Understand the intersectionalities within the issue. What are other issues that have an influence on this issue? How does that other issue affect this one and to what extent? How can combating one of these issues combat the other? If you can answer these questions, you are one step closer.

3) Research organizations that are tackling the issue. Find a niche that is combating what you are passionate about. Contact them and join their mission. If you cannot find an organization like that, create your own! Mobilize your community and your friends. Use social media to find people who are as passionate or make the people around you passionate about the problem.

Using these three easy steps, you are closer to seeing policy being passed. After having a good understanding of the issue on hand, while also having your community and people to back you up, you will be able to pass legislation that helps your community.