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Tips for Writing Effective Letters to Politicians
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Letter-writing
is one of the most effective tools for political action.
Fundamentally, however, it is a process of trying to influence a
person about whom you know very little. There are, therefore, no
hard and fast rules. Experience tells us, however, that some
techniques tend to be influential in conveying your point of view:
- Be respectful. Politicians have a difficult job. They
are more likely to listen to your point if it is not accompanied
by abuse.
- Tell them something about yourself. A simple phrase
such as “I have spent the last 60 years hiking and camping in
the Spray Valley” creates a mental image which brings you and
your point alive and off the paper.
- Be concise. Write on only one issue at a time, and
clearly state your point early on in the letter. Try to keep the
letter to one page.
- Make sure you are writing to the right person. Consider
whether the issue is a federal, provincial or civic one.
You can find more information in the Legislative
Contact section.
- Request that a particular action be taken. A request
such as “Please pass legislation immediately which will keep
oil wells out of our parks” has much more authority and is a
better guide to action than “Please bear in mind the potential
conflict between resource and natural values.”
- Aim for the public interest. Explain why you think your
request will benefit the public as a whole, not simply you and
your friends.
- Get the facts right. You don’t have to have all the
facts (much less recite them all), but the ones you put in your
letter must be correct. Don’t let the fact that you are not an
expert prevent you from voicing your opinion, however.
- Relax and express yourself naturally. Remember that
this is you expressing what’s on your mind. You
don’t have to sound like Churchill or Lincoln.
- Ask for a reply. The best closing sentence is: “I
look forward to receiving your response.”
- Consider if you should send a copy of the letter to anyone
else. Your local representative should always receive a copy
of a letter you send to the Prime Minister, Premier, or any
cabinet minister. Also, are there other cabinet ministers whose
portfolio bears upon the issue you are writing about? You many
want to consider sending a copy to a member of the opposition as
well.
Some Unproven Dictums
Through the years some "common knowledge" has grown up
around the art of political letter-writing. While there is no way to
prove the following points, they are often cited, and seem to make
sense.
 | “To a politician, a letter from one person is taken to speak
for a thousand other citizens who share the point of view but
did not get around to writing.”
| “A letter from a child carries special weight.”
| Theories on the hierarchy of weight given to different
formats:
 | “A handwritten letter carries more weight than a
typewritten one.”
| “A hard copy letter carries more weight than an
e-mail.”
| “An original letter carries more weight than a copied
one.” |
| “A letter carries more weight than a postcard or
signature on a petition.” |
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The common theme here seems to be that the more effort that went
into producing the letter, the more respect it will be accorded by
the recipient.
Now get writing! Remember, after all those pointers, the
biggest single impact from a letter is that you have taken the time
to send it. The fact that one citizen has put pen (or printer) to
paper on a given issue creates a far greater impression than the
details of the letter itself.
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