The UMass Public Engagement Project (PEP) held another great event on Wednesday, October 28, 2009. Approximately 25 faculty, students and staff gathered in the Campus Center to hear Chris Hellman and Cheryl L. Dukes talk about “How to Make Friends and Influence Policy: Working with State and Federal Policymakers.”
Chris Hellman is the Director of Research at the National Priorities Project (NPP), a nonprofit based in Northampton, MA, that works to make the public aware of federal spending and policy priorities. Chris visits frequently with policymakers and analysts in Washington, D.C., especially those at the Departments of Defense and State, about U.S. security policy and spending. He also spent 10 years as a Congressional staffer working on national security and foreign policy issues.
Cheryl L. Dukes is Associate Director of State Government Relations at UMass Amherst. She regularly works with state legislators on university issues, including the annual budget process, and assists with UMass Amherst’s legislative agenda, advocacy on behalf of campus priorities, and efforts by faculty, students, parents and alumni to connect with state policymakers.
Both Chris and Cheryl stressed the importance of recognizing that “all politics is local.” This has important implications when considering how one’s scholarship can make a difference in the world.
Chris noted that although testifying before Congress can be prestigious for faculty and their institutions, it can sometimes serve as validation for policy perspectives that are already formed. Faculty research can make an authentic difference, though, when Congressional staff are still searching for data or analysis to craft effective legislation. Connecting with local or regional NGOs who work on issues related to one’s research—but who also have connections at the national level—can be a good strategy for getting on the federal radar.
Cheryl affirmed the importance of networking at the local and regional level, and offered numerous strategies for becoming more informed about and involved in state politics. Her website, UMass Amherst Advocacy, provides links to a range of useful resources, including bills that have been filed before the General Court (aka the Massachusetts state legislature) and legislator committee assignments. She reminded the audience that Massachusetts is one of the few states to allow its citizens (working through one’s local representative or senator) to file new legislation with the Court. Written testimony or attendance at public hearings on bills is also a good way to make policymakers aware of one’s data or research.
Chris and Cheryl both confirmed the importance of “messaging”—making your research relevant to lawmakers through writing that is accessible, brief, concise, and direct. Chris offered a fact sheet produced by UMass Amherst faculty member Robert Pollin and PERI Research Fellow Heidi Garrett-Peltier on the employment impact of military expenditures as a good example.
PEP is jointly sponsored by CPPA, the Center for Research on Families, the Psychology of Peace and Violence Program, and the Department of Sociology at UMass Amherst. Watch for new PEP events and the debut of a website devoted to public engagement resources in the spring of 2010.