Chapter 7: Systemic Change¶

Advocacy, organizing, and policy change for lasting impact

Beyond Band-Aids¶

Individual helping—volunteering at food banks, donating to charities, everyday kindness—is necessary and good. But it's not sufficient.

If people keep falling into a river, you can spend forever pulling them out. Or you can walk upstream and find out why they're falling in.

Systemic change addresses root causes. It asks: Why does this problem exist, and how do we prevent it at scale?

The Case for Systems Work¶

Leverage¶

One person tutoring students can help dozens. One person changing education policy can help millions. Systemic change multiplies impact.

Sustainability¶

Charity requires constant replenishment. Changed systems operate automatically. A minimum wage increase keeps working without ongoing donations.

Justice¶

Some problems can't be solved with charity. No amount of food bank volunteering will fix a food system that produces poverty. Justice requires changing structures, not just treating symptoms.

The Both/And Approach¶

This isn't either/or. The most effective helpers often: - Provide direct service (to understand problems firsthand) - Support individuals (because people need help now) - Work for systemic change (because lasting improvement requires it)

Understanding How Change Happens¶

Theories of Change¶

Inside game: Working within existing institutions (lobbying, electoral politics, policy reform)

Outside game: Building pressure from outside institutions (protests, organizing, public campaigns)

Cultural change: Shifting norms, narratives, and beliefs that underpin systems

Prefigurative politics: Building alternatives that demonstrate better possibilities (cooperatives, mutual aid, intentional communities)

Most movements use combinations of these approaches.

The Spectrum of Allies¶

Not everyone is your enemy or your ally. Most people are movable:

Active Allies → Passive Allies → Neutral → Passive Opposition → Active Opposition

Effective organizing focuses on moving people one step: - Activate passive allies - Win over neutrals - Neutralize passive opposition

You rarely convert active opponents, and trying wastes resources.

The Overton Window¶

The range of ideas considered "acceptable" in mainstream discourse shifts over time. Ideas move from:

Unthinkable → Radical → Acceptable → Sensible → Popular → Policy

Advocates work at different points: - Some push "radical" ideas to shift what seems "acceptable" - Some work to make "acceptable" ideas become "popular" - Some push "popular" ideas into actual policy

All roles are valuable.

Advocacy: Making Your Voice Heard¶

Contacting Elected Officials¶

Your representatives work for you. Contacting them actually matters:

Most effective: - Calls (especially to district offices) - In-person meetings - Town halls and public forums - Personal letters (handwritten > typed)

Moderately effective: - Emails (especially personalized ones) - Faxes - Social media (public pressure)

Least effective: - Form letters and petitions (they get counted, but don't persuade)

Tips for effective contact: - Be brief and specific (one issue per contact) - Share personal stories that connect you to the issue - Be polite and professional - State your ask clearly ("Please vote yes on HB 1234") - Mention that you're a constituent - Follow up and say thank you when they take good actions

Finding Your Issues¶

You can't work on everything. Focus where you can have impact:

Where expertise meets passion: - What do you know about from lived experience? - What have you studied or worked in? - What do you care about most deeply?

Where the moment is: - What's being decided right now? - Where is public attention focused? - What has momentum?

Where leverage exists: - What races/districts are competitive? - What decisions are coming to a head? - Where might a small push tip the balance?

Voter Mobilization¶

One of the most evidence-backed forms of political advocacy:

Proven effective: - Personal conversations about voting - Deep canvassing (extended discussions) - Friends reaching out to friends

Moderately effective: - Phone banking - Text banking - Postcards and letters

Organizations coordinating voter turnout: - Vote.org — Voter registration and information - When We All Vote — Participation in all elections - Rock the Vote — Youth voter engagement - Fair Fight — Voter access advocacy - Local organizations focused on your state/city

Organizing: Building Collective Power¶

While advocacy is about persuading decision-makers, organizing is about building power to pressure them.

Organizing vs. Mobilizing¶

Mobilizing: Getting people to take specific actions (attend a rally, make calls)

Organizing: Building relationships and developing leaders who can sustain action over time

Mobilization without organizing burns out. Organizing creates lasting infrastructure for change.

The One-on-One¶

The fundamental unit of organizing is the one-on-one conversation: - Build genuine relationship - Discover what the person cares about (their self-interest) - Identify connections between their concerns and collective action - Invite them into action that advances shared goals

Good organizers have hundreds of these conversations.

Campaign Development¶

Effective campaigns have:

A clear target: Who has the power to make the change you want?

A specific demand: What exactly are you asking for?

A deadline: By when?

Escalating tactics: A sequence of actions that increase pressure over time

Contingency plans: What if they say yes? What if they say no?

Tactics Spectrum¶

From lowest to highest pressure:

Personal requests and relationship-based asks
Public letters, petitions, public comment
Media campaigns and earned media
Rallies and demonstrations
Economic pressure (boycotts, divestment, strikes)
Direct action (civil disobedience)

Start with lower-pressure tactics; escalate if ignored.

Getting Trained¶

Organizing is a skill. Get trained:

Midwest Academy — midwestacademy.com — Classic organizing training
Training for Change — trainingforchange.org — Nonviolent direct action
People Power (ACLU) — Mass civic engagement training
Local unions — Many offer organizer training
Issue organizations — Many train their volunteers in organizing

Specific Levers for Change¶

Electoral Politics¶

Running for office: Even local positions (school board, city council, water district) have real power. Consider: - Do you have time and energy for a campaign? - Can you fundraise enough to be competitive? - Are you comfortable with public scrutiny? - What specific changes would you make if elected?

Organizations supporting first-time candidates: - Run for Something (progressive young candidates) - Arena (candidate training) - Emily's List (women candidates) - Victory Fund (LGBTQ+ candidates) - Various party committees and affiliated groups

Campaign volunteering: If you can't run yourself, support candidates who share your values: - Canvassing (door-to-door) - Phone and text banking - Voter registration - Fundraising - Poll watching (election protection)

Policy Advocacy¶

Beyond elections, policy advocacy shapes what government does:

Regulatory comments: Federal agencies accept public comments on proposed rules. These actually get read and can influence outcomes. Search Regulations.gov for open comment periods.

Testimony: Local, state, and federal legislative bodies hold hearings. Public testimony can influence legislators, especially at state and local levels.

Litigation: Strategic lawsuits can change policy when legislation fails. If you're a lawyer, consider pro bono work with legal advocacy organizations. If not, support them financially.

Corporate Campaigns¶

Companies respond to pressure:

Consumer pressure: - Boycotts (historically mixed results; work best when targeted and well-publicized) - Buycotts (supporting good actors) - Public campaigns naming companies

Shareholder activism: - Shareholder resolutions on ESG issues - Engagement by institutional investors - Proxy voting (if you own stock, use your votes)

Employee organizing: - Unions and collective bargaining - Internal advocacy groups - Walkouts and work actions

Coalition Building¶

The biggest changes come when groups work together:

Principles of effective coalition: - Clear, shared goals (you don't need to agree on everything) - Respect for different organizations' autonomy - Fair sharing of credit and resources - Regular communication - Acknowledgment of power dynamics within coalitions

Where to find coalitions: - State and local advocacy networks - Issue-specific national organizations - Labor councils - Faith-based advocacy groups

Sustaining the Work¶

Avoiding Burnout¶

Systemic change takes years. Pace yourself:

Set boundaries on time and emotional investment
Celebrate small wins (progress isn't always visible)
Take breaks without guilt
Build community with fellow advocates
Remember: The work will continue without you; you're not Atlas

When Progress Feels Impossible¶

Movements have long timescales. Consider: - Women's suffrage: 72 years from Seneca Falls to the 19th Amendment - Civil rights: Decades of organizing before major legislation - LGBTQ+ rights: Stonewall to marriage equality was 46 years - Labor movement: Ongoing since the 1800s

You're part of something larger than any individual lifetime.

The Long View¶

Ask: - What can I do today that moves us forward? - What can I build that outlasts me? - How can I develop others who will continue this work?

Plant trees whose shade you'll never sit in.

Taking Action¶

This Week¶

Low commitment: - Call your representatives about one issue you care about - Research one organization doing systemic change work in your issue area

Medium commitment: - Attend a local advocacy group meeting - Sign up for organizing training - Volunteer for a campaign (electoral or issue-based)

High commitment: - Join an organization as an active member - Consider running for local office - Commit to ongoing organizing work

Building a Practice¶

The best advocates: 1. Stay informed: Follow news in their issue areas 2. Build relationships: Know other advocates, develop allies 3. Take consistent action: Regular calls, regular organizing, regular showing up 4. Develop skills: Training, practice, reflection 5. Maintain sustainability: Balance urgency with longevity

Resources¶

Organizing training: - Midwest Academy - Training for Change - Beautiful Trouble (beautifultrouble.org) — Tactics database

Voter engagement: - Vote.org - Ballotpedia (research candidates and issues) - VoteSmart (candidate information)

Policy tracking: - Congress.gov (federal legislation) - Your state legislature's website - GovTrack (federal bill tracking) - Countable / Resistbot (action tools)

Issue-specific organizations: See Resources: Organizations for cause-specific groups doing systemic change work.

You've reached the end of the main chapters. Now explore our Resources section for specific organizations, tools, and templates to support your helping journey.