Communicating With U.S. Legislators- What Has The Greatest Impact (Faunalytics)

Directing advocacy efforts towards state legislators is key to achieving policy change. This 2004 study, conducted by the Humane Research Council (now Faunalytics) on behalf of the ASPCA, set out to determine the most effective communication methods with U.S. state legislators based on 77 interviews with legislative offices.

Key Findings:

Impact vs. Preference: While legislative offices preferred receiving emails and letters, they considered phone calls and in-person visits to have a greater impact. Letters were seen as more impactful than emails.
Constituency Matters: Messages from constituents were given the highest priority. Many offices discarded messages from non-constituents.
Mass Communication: The vast majority of offices were annoyed by form letters, emails, and blast faxes. However, they were sometimes still tallied, especially if sent from constituents.
Effective Messaging: Clear, succinct, fact-based messages were viewed more favorably than emotional appeals. Well-researched arguments were an asset, particularly for phone calls and visits.
Conclusion: To be effective, advocacy campaigns should encourage constituents to send individualized, targeted messages to their legislators and avoid impersonal mass communication.