Ten percent doesn ’ t seem like much , and it isn ’ t . In our republic , we expect elected officials to act as our delegates , not as our trustees . They are supposed to do what we want , but they can only do so if they know what we want . I stress this because with so few Americans participating in policy matters , those who engage can have a profound impact with a blank stare . Again , how are our elected officials supposed to make policy choices on our behalf if they don ’ t get contacted by “ the boss ” about what to do ? This means that all of us who do participate have an outsized influence because so many choose to remain silent . Take advantage of their silence and kick in on issues that matter to you .
WHEN A BILL IS INTRODUCED , CHANGED , PASSED , DEFEATED OR ANY NUMBER OF OTHER MOVES DURING THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS , IT IS CONSTITUENTS DOING THE HEAVY LIFTING AND MAKING THIS HAPPEN .
Americans wield more power than most ever know or realize .
Remember how voter turnout in the 2020 presidential election was “ historic ?” Well , national turnout was almost 67 percent of the eligible population , which is historic compared to previous elections during the modern era . However , this doesn ’ t equate to two-thirds of the American public participating in politics generally . In fact , polls routinely show that a very small percentage of Americans — often less than 10 percent — call or write their elected officials on policy matters of importance to them . on legislative outcomes because elected officials will listen . Remember , officials want to win their next election , so they will make decisions based on the best evidence before them about how something will influence the next election , and direct contacts from constituents remain the gold standard .
It may be surprising , but I ’ ve witnessed major policy decisions made by elected officials who had only a handful of phone calls from their constituents on the matter . I can tell you that the 10 percent statistic I referred to earlier is exactly right , and in many cases , even a bit high . Ask friends and family how often they reach out to their state legislator on a particular bill . You ’ ll often get a blank stare in response . Or how about when they called a county commissioner about a problem . This , too , will be met
How do we protect sportsmen and -women long term ? That ’ s simple , but never easy : All of us must take advantage of the opportunities within our republican form of government to let our officials know what we want . Reach out , give them a call , write them a letter , an email or even pay them a visit !
With all this in mind , refer to Courtney Nicolson ’ s great article , “ Proactive Politics ,” ( page 30 ) on building a relationship with elected officials . Outside of direct contact , becoming a trusted source for office holders is “ taking things to the next level .” Become active to the greatest extent possible as you build experience in the legislative arena . If we all do our part , we can each earn ambassador status in protecting hunting , fishing and trapping now and for future generations .
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