What Is Public Policy Advocacy? Types and Examples

Advocacy is a critical part of society. As an advocate, you can change how your local or national government works. However, before you can undertake this work, you will need to understand what policy advocacy is exactly.

Briefly, it is making policy makers consider your concerns. Depending on your resources and skills, there are various ways to go about advocating for policy change. From advising politicians directly to working with your neighbors, we will explore these tactics and show you how successful they can be with examples. With this knowledge, you will know how to make effective changes in your society.

To get you started, let us delve deeper into policy advocacy.

What Is Policy Advocacy?

First, we need to explain the terms that make up “public policy advocacy”. Public policy refers to the laws and regulations set up at a governmental level. They affect everything from the quality of the air you breathe to the medical treatments you have access to. Meanwhile, advocacy refers to activities you do to promote or argue against a policy. 

Furthermore, you can advocate for public policies at different levels. So, “What is a policy advocate?” An advocate can be anyone who puts forward a policy, including concerned citizens, lobbyists, members of non-profit organizations, or government employees. As such, this profession could earn you no salary or a very high one. In fact, the median annual salary for this role is $31,000.

Actually, there is no formal education required to become an advocate. Understanding your cause thoroughly and having good communication and organizational skills will help you be more effective.

The Importance of Policy Advocacy

Advocacy is critical to bettering your life and that of your community. Through advocacy, you can bring attention to matters that are important to you. So, it is one of the ways you can gain and protect your rights. It does so by allowing your concerns to be heard by policy makers who will eventually decide the policies that will affect your life. 

Without advocacy, your effect on public policy becomes minimal. This is because your government is either not aware of your concerns or feels no pressure to act in the way you desire.

Types of Public Policy Advocacy with Examples

As a policy advocate, there are different tactics you can use to create a change in your life. These types of policy advocacy are best used in combination. Moreover, they are often interwoven. For instance, a grassroots mobilization could occur after you have done a phone campaign.

The following are the main types of policy advocacy:

Grassroots Mobilization

As its name implies, grassroots mobilization is a bottom-up advocacy tactic. It involves gathering citizens in a community and getting them to promote a policy. As a community, you will then organize yourselves to inform the rest of the public about your concerns, gain the attention of policy makers, and create change. This may involve the following strategies such as protest/demonstration and petition signing drives.

A successful example of grassroots mobilization is the March for Our Lives group. This is a student-led group that uses marches to draw attention to the dangers of guns. As a community of youths affected by gun violence, its members have promoted gun restriction policies. Since their first march, they claim that the government has passed over 250 gun safety laws.

Phone and Mail Campaigns

Another popular type of advocacy is making a campaign via phone, mail, or email. This advocacy requires a team of advocates who will send out or discuss your policy. The campaign may target the population in hopes of changing their minds on upcoming referendums. Alternatively, the campaign could target politicians to inform them of your concerns.

This advocacy is decades old and remains a powerful way to advocate. According to reports, the National Alliance on Mental Illness used an email campaign in 2017 to defend the Affordable Care Act. Through this campaign, they educated the public on the importance of this act and motivated them to act to preserve it. As a result, the Senate rejected the proposal to repeal the act.

Lobbying

Lobbying is a type of advocacy that greatly influences politics. Often, companies contract lobbyists to promote policies that will improve their business and argue against those that would affect them negatively. This has affected the lobbying profession's reputation among average citizens since these policies may be detrimental to them.

Nevertheless, lobbying can be very effective. Its success comes from the fact that it relies on persuading politicians directly. Lobbyists offer politicians information to convince them to enact policies that suit them. 

One group famous for their lobbying efforts is the National Rifle Association. Reports indicate that with millions of advocates, this association has promoted the right to bear arms and raised $97 million in just 2022. Since 1871, they have opposed gun restrictions and funded politicians who promote their beliefs and vote accordingly.

Activism

Lastly, activism is yet another critical type of advocacy. Activism is a broad umbrella term that includes boycotts, walk-outs, sit-ins, and even illegal activities such as property damage. These activities directly disrupt concerned parties such as politicians, the population, or the target of their concerns. Depending on the way you choose to do your activism, you can reach your aim of promoting your policies.

For instance, activists boycotted the G4S to get the company to stop doing business with Israel over its treatment of Palestinians. This was an effort to get foreign companies to divest from Israel. According to reports, G4S chose to divest of their assets in the country in 2016. 

All in All

As we have demonstrated, a policy advocate is anyone who speaks or otherwise acts to communicate their desired public policies. They are lobbyists, government workers, and the average citizen. Through grassroots mobilization, phone and mail campaigns, lobbying, and activism, advocates make their voices heard. Each tactic has its own benefits and can be especially powerful when you pair them together. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How to advocate for a policy?

To advocate for a policy, you will need to contact concerned groups to understand their needs and opinions. After you have spoken to the necessary parties, you should gather more information on the topic. Then, you will craft together with concerned individuals a goal and the activities you need to undertake to accomplish it. All the while, you should engage the community and build support for your policy.

What are the various levels of policy advocacy?

The levels of policy advocacy are Micro, mezzo, and macro. To start with, micro advocacy refers to the activities you can do to influence the life of an individual, family, or other small group. Meanwhile, mezzo advocacy is at a group level, such as a neighborhood. Finally, macro refers to the work you will do at a governmental level.

What is the golden rule of policy advocacy?

The golden rule of policy advocacy is to be respectful and polite. By remaining polite with even those you disagree with, others are less likely to dismiss you immediately. In addition, respectful behavior can help you gain the support of others.