Successful Advocacy Strategies for Government Affairs

Reviewed by Ric Kolenda, Associate Chair & Clinical Associate Professor of Public Administration

In all levels of government affairs, it’s crucial for professionals to use effective advocacy strategies that can lead to meaningful change. In our current political climate, where digital technology leads to misinformation and polarization is at an all-time high, successful advocacy is more important, and more difficult, than ever.

For future advocates who want to make a difference in the world, learning how to create strategies that work and implement them in a meaningful way are the most important skills you can have. We’ll provide an introduction to crucial advocacy strategies in this article, but the best way to learn comprehensive, real-world strategies is through a master’s degree related to government affairs, such as a Master of Public Administration.

What Is Advocacy in Government Relations?

Advocacy is a broad term that encompasses all activities related to supporting a change on a local, state or federal level. It is a crucial way of making change happen because it allows government officials to understand what matters to their constituents and how they should represent those matters with other government officials. 

For example, advocacy groups might advocate for safer bike lanes, better conditions for unhoused people, or expanded healthcare access. Or, government affairs professionals at private businesses or organizations may advocate for regulations that positively impact their business outcomes. While nonprofit advocacy groups and private organizations tend to have the funding and personnel to make a larger impact, anyone can be an advocate. 

Key Advocacy Strategies

Grassroots Mobilization

Grassroots advocacy involves gaining enough public support on an issue or project that it puts pressure on policymakers to enact change. Grassroots campaigns require dedicated, ongoing support to be effective, because these efforts don’t typically have the same financial backing that lobbying has.

Some grassroots strategies include:

• Engaging in door-to-door and street canvassing
• Creating and sending direct mail
• Calling representatives
• Developing social media campaigns 
• Hosting meetings, parties, and demonstrations
• Protesting
• Putting up posters
• Gathering signatures for petitions

Policymakers, especially elected officials in the public eye, tend to place a lot of weight on these types of efforts because they represent the direct opinions of actual constituents. Some of the most successful policy changes of all time started as grassroots campaigns. Occupy Wall Street, March for Our Lives, the Campaign for Female Education, and the Black Lives Matter movements all started as grassroots movements that have led to positive change on the policy level.

Lobbying 

Lobbying is an all-purpose term that encompasses any activity where individuals or groups attempt to influence government action. Different states provide different definitions of lobbying, but in all states (and on the federal level) there are laws dictating how lobbying can be done, who can participate in it, and what the penalties are for unethical behavior. 

Typically, lobbyists and lobbying is a business in which an organization, business, or group of people pay a lobbyist to advocate for an issue on their behalf. Professional lobbyists can be very influential on matters of policy and are responsible for influencing the government to align with the interests of their organizations.

While not inherently unethical (and in fact there are many regulations and laws around lobbying to maintain ethics), lobbying is a controversial tactic that has garnered a lot of criticism. By introducing money to the political equation, there is a possibility of conflicts of interest, bribery, and prioritizing profits and power over constituents. 

Two Techniques for Better Advocacy Outcomes

Grassroots mobilization and lobbying are two key ways for government affairs professionals to engage in successful advocacy projects, but it isn’t just about the big-picture methodology. You can enhance your grassroots or lobbying efforts through targeted techniques that are proven to result in more effective campaigns and better outcomes. 

Stakeholder Mapping for Relationship Building 

Stakeholder mapping is a way to visualize where you or your organization stand with a given stakeholder at any given time. It measures the stakeholder’s level of power or influence over your project as well as their level of interest in your project. 

Your stakeholder map should look a bit like this, with your various stakeholders mapped onto different positions in the four quadrants.

So, an individual or group with high power and low interest will need to be kept satisfied, while someone who is very interested but has little power will only need to be kept informed of progress.

When you engage in stakeholder mapping, you’re able to form more effective relationships with the various people who impact your project, including:

• Primary stakeholders: People who are directly affected by your projects
• Secondary stakeholders: People who are involved/affected by the project temporarily or indirectly related to the project
• Key stakeholders: People who can significantly influence the success or failure of your project
• Veto power: People who can shoot down your proposal if they don’t approve or participate

Targeted Messaging

Engaging in government advocacy is no small feat: Advocates tackle big challenges, address complicated issues, and can make an impact on individuals and communities. Given this, it’s important to craft communications that are engaging and clear to provoke the action you’re looking for.

Some ways to create strong messaging include: 

• Define your audience, including their needs, interests, and concerns.
• Choose communication channels that reflect your audience, whether that’s traditional news media, social media, or direct engagement.
• Create a message that focuses on the key issues of your project, as well as the way your project will benefit the audience.
• Customize the messaging based on the audience. Consider demographics, psychographics, motivations, concerns, etc. 
• Tip: Some audiences will prefer storytelling filled with emotion and passion, while others only care about the cold hard facts. Make sure you have messaging options that target both types of audiences.
• Amplify your message through digital channels, ongoing influencer/media engagement, and grassroots organizing and engagement.

One example of targeted messaging making a significant change on a policy level is the longstanding fight against tobacco in the United States. In the 1950s, evidence was published confirming the link between smoking and lung cancer. In the following 10 years, scientists and doctors served as critical advocates to policymakers. They crafted crucial messaging to policymakers at all levels, including President John F. Kennedy. 

Since that first report in 1954, 70 years of strong messaging to stakeholders has led to wins such as banning smoking on airplanes and in businesses, increasing taxes on tobacco products, and placing extensive restrictions on marketing tobacco products. 

How Can You Be a Better Advocate? 

Government relations and affairs are incredibly complex, so advocacy isn’t as simple as having a conversation and receiving your ideal outcome. However, harnessing effective strategies can support your advocacy goals. In addition, you can work to improve your own knowledge and skills so that you can harness more effective advocacy strategies. 

Gain Advanced Knowledge of Intergovernmental Relations

In government affairs or public administration careers, it isn’t enough to have good ideas and enthusiasm for public change. You also need to understand public policy if you’re hoping to effect change on the systemic level. 

Understanding how intergovernmental relations work and overlap in terms of local, state, and federal jurisdiction helps you understand how policy is developed and implemented. It also allows you to know what levels of government hold enforceable power over different aspects of life. 

If you know that congress will have more power over the issue you’re focused on, you don’t want to be having extensive conversations with members of the executive branch. By gaining this advanced knowledge, you’ll be better positioned to advocate to the right people at the right times. 

Stay Informed about Policy Change

Keeping up with the latest developments is critical in any field, and government affairs is no exception. Keeping up with the latest developments in policy, public sentiment, executive orders, and other important developments is a complicated matter, but it will position you to be a strong advocate for public policy and social issues. 

Understanding the sometimes rapidly changing environment can help you not only better understand the need for effective advocacy where it matters the most, but also to build your advocacy toolkit by taking into account the current landscape. 

How Can an MPA Support Your Advocacy Skills? 

An online Master of Public Administration degree offers the foundational knowledge frameworks you need to start creating advanced, effective advocacy strategies. Through a robust curriculum, an MPA will provide you with the skills to navigate intergovernmental coordination, analyze policies, and engage with local government structures. For example, the online MPA at Pace University offers courses such as:

• Intergovernmental Relations
• Policy Studies
• Municipal Management
• Applied Data Analysis
• Organization Theory and Management
• Health Policy Studies
• Environmental Science Policy
• Social Entrepreneurship

No matter where you’re looking to develop your advocacy career—whether that’s a nonprofit organization, private business, public institution, or directly in a government role—an MPA will prepare you to lead successful government affairs campaigns and advocate effectively for policy changes.

About the Online MPA Program at Pace University

The 100% online Master of Public Administration (MPA) program from Pace University Dyson College of Arts and Sciences prepares working professionals and aspiring administrators to lead in public service. 

Students can choose a general course of study or customize their curriculum with one of three tracks: government management, healthcare management, or nonprofit management. MPA graduates find a wide range of opportunities within federal, state, and local governments as well as advocacy and community organizations. 

Through flexible, hybrid, and cutting-edge learning environments, our students get the quality education they want and the upskilling they need to be successful in the changing world. Pace University also offers an on-campus option for the MPA.