Assignment task:
Topic: Calfresh (food Stamps) in California
If your team was in charge of developing an overall legislative strategy for your policy reform, what would it look like? Examine each of the following elements, being as specific as you can. Use the following questions as your guide:
Testifying: Would it be important to testify on this issue? Why or why not? If so, what would you hope to gain? Who would you choose to deliver the testimony? Why? Who would you be trying to influence? What would you seek to get across?
Coalition building: Would it be important to work in coalition? Why or why not? Who would you seek to partner with? Why? What would you have the coalition do?
Face-to-face lobbying: How important would face-to-face lobbying be? Who should actually make these visits? Why? Who would you target? Why? Which arguments would be most effective? How would you frame them? What kinds of written tools would be most helpful? What role, if any, do you see for clients/consumers in your lobbying effort? Explain.
Field organizing: Is an active field presence important? Why or why not? If so, who would you mobilize? How? With what message? What would you ask them to do?
Media campaign: Would you use the media as part of your action campaign? Why or why not? What media resources would you use? What message would you seek to convey? Who would your audience be? How would you coordinate this effort with other parts of your legislative campaign?
Finally, which of these activities do you see as the centerpiece of your legislative campaign? Why?