January 6, 2006

IDEAS INTO ACTION: GRASSROOTS ORGANIZING

A principle activity of the Center for Global Economic Growth is to undertake those programs which are effective in turning sound economic principles into government policy.

Studies of the most effective movements for social change show the same dynamic at work: a small minority of people overcomes the opposition or indifference of most people to achieve change. The minority succeeds because of their dedication, leadership and organization.

Identifying, recruiting, and educating those that will teach others the basic principles of economic freedom will help promote economic literacy and arm citizens with the right ideas. However, the teaching of others is insufficient to achieve constructive changes in economic policy. In order to do this, individuals must be taught how to form an effective cadre and put ideas into action through direct political pressure.

In any representative democracy, elected officials that dictate policy must answer to constituents who put them in office and consequently have the power to either keep them there or remove them. As a result, even a small number of citizens can exert significant influence over the policy making process by creating the perception that a large portion of a certain elected official’s constituency feels passionately about an issue. “Grassroots” tactics are employed to help create this perception. Such tactics include letter writing, email, and phone call-in campaigns, as well as organized demonstrations (legislator office visits, rallies, etc.). These activities must be well organized and carefully orchestrated to create the impression of a serious effort that will convince a targeted elected official (or group of elected officials) to act. In the U.S., groups on the left, such as The Sierra Club and organized labor, as well as groups on the right, such as the NRA and FreedomWorks, have perfected this model of grassroots issue advocacy to apply political pressure and used it to affect legislation on behalf of policies supported by their respective issue agendas.

To effectively train citizens to apply this kind of pressure on behalf of economic freedom, in any country, a cadre of free market missionaries (FMMs) is crucial. This group provides volunteer leaders who have already demonstrated that they are passionate and well-versed in the principles of economic freedom, and who are frustrated that current policies do not reflect their ideals. They know what needs to be done and are eager to learn “how” to get it done.

CGEG, working through FreedomWorks, hosts “free market grassroots training seminars” for this elite group. The leaders are specifically instructed on the necessary tactics involved in grassroots issue advocacy and also on how to effectively organize and lead a cohesive effort on behalf of a certain issue – which empower the free market missionaries to truly put ideas into action. Components of the seminars include: tactical instruction (i.e., how to write to an elected official, how to arrange an office visit, etc.); using the media to advance your cause (i.e., how to write a letter to the editor, issue a press release, effectively communicate with the media, etc.); organizational building/recruitment (i.e., signing up others to join in an effort, gathering signatures on a petition, holding an informational meeting, organizing a rally, etc.); coalition building (i.e., how to effectively partner with like-minded groups and individuals); and organizing a mock-campaign (i.e., tying all components together).

After their initial training, free market missionaries are specifically charged with relaying this knowledge to recruit activist networks in their respective communities. This further promotes economic literacy and the principles of economic freedom, thus forming the backbone of grassroots efforts to be engaged in issue advocacy campaigns (e.g., lower tax rates, tax competition, regulatory cost-benefit analysis, financial privacy, protection of intellectual property, privatization of state operated pension schemes, etc.).

Contact: Rob Jordan, Grassroots Director (rjordan@freedomworks.org)