Why is it important for citizens to contact their representatives to have their voices be heard?

What Will I Learn

• The following information and activities will help you to understand how citizens can become involved and engaged with our democratic system
• You will learn how you can make your ideas and views heard

Working democracy needs citizen involvement and open compromise. 

Democracy requires participation and responsibility within our system of governance. It is our responsibility to make our voices heard and that we question the policies and decisions of the Government and keep the Government accountable. Listening to different perspectives and views makes democracy stronger.

We must exercise our power and civic responsibility directly and/or through freely elected representatives. Citizens are the source of all government power. 

Checks and balances within the parliamentary system and the principle of the  separation of powers keep governments accountable and ensure that they do only those things that the people have given it power to do.

The rule of law  requires governments to be accountable to the people and reflect society’s values to make ”good law” for the people. No person or government is above the law, and no government or official can enforce an unjust or unfair law.

• Constitutional order: the structure and powers of the Australian Parliament, Government and the Courts are part of our written Commonwealth Constitution which cannot be amended without a referendum. 
• Representative democracy: eligible citizens elect members of parliament to make decisions and laws on their behalf. If citizens do not think their representatives are doing a good job, they can vote for new ones at the next election.
• Responsible government: to be in government, a party or coalition of parties must have the support of the majority of members in the Lower House, in NSW this is the Legislative Assembly. The Leader of the Government and Ministers are elected representatives and chosen from this group. This makes sure the NSW Government is accountable to the NSW Parliament which represents the NSW people.

Australia generally enjoys a peaceful and harmonious society with a successful democracy. Its many benefits include:

• The ability to resolve different views and conflicts peacefully. 
• The freedom to act, speak and think freely (as long as it does not stop others doing the same). 
• Equality before the law. 
• Safe and secure community.
• Good government that is efficient, transparent, responsive and accountable to citizens.
• Ability to hold elected representatives accountable.

Rights and liberties are guarantees and freedoms enjoyed by citizens in liberal democracies. In some countries such as the USA, Canada and New Zealand they are listed in a Bill of Rights. In other nations such as Australia they are enshrined in the Australian Constitution.

Every citizen has the right and opportunity to play an active part in the decision-making processes of government and the Parliament. 

Voting for Parliament at state, federal and local elections and in referendums keeps the people at the centre of the democratic system. Through this process, citizens freely exercise their choice and give the authority to their elected members to represent them in parliament and to form governments based on the majority decision of the people. 

But how can we influence our elected members’ decisions and actions during their term in office? In this section you can trace a number of methods that you can engage in to improve outcomes on the issues you find of primary concern.

Your local member, Ministers or Government departments can assist with problems, take action or refer the issue to someone who can assist. They will often pass the concern on to an appropriate minister or officer. In some cases, they will raise these concerns in the parliament. All members of Parliament are listed here. 

Parliamentary Committees 

Expressing our views to a committee, either in writing or in person, is a direct way of having a case taken into account as new legislation, policies or decisions are being developed. Committees investigate complex issues in society and their reports can influence government and parliament decisions. Most committees invite community submissions.

Petitions

Petitions are a traditional way of mobilising change, by presenting a petition to parliament through a member. Petitions have a set format which should be followed.

Recently the Legislative Assembly has introduced ePetitions which allow petitions to be signed and submitted online! 

Lobbying

Individuals, groups or organisations attempt to make their views known to politicians in order to influence political decisions. It is an accepted practice within a democratic system that must operate within the law. There are many worker, employer and particular interest organisations that represent their interests to the government and the media. Some individuals or firms operate as professional lobbyists, offering their skills and knowledge to organisations which want their case put effectively. 

Key to making change and taking effective action is accessing information. Freedom of information laws promote and enhance the processes of democracy and representative government by increasing access to government information.

Citizens can use the Freedom of Information Act to get access to certain information held by the  Commonwealth Government or the Government Information (Public Access) (GIPPA) Act at the state level in NSW.

Learn more by reading this background paper Freedom of Information and Open Government.  

Using the Media 

Newspapers, radio and television can play a significant role in publicising issues or exposing problems. The media can be used to reflect or promote public opinion and influence decisions of the government. Today the internet offers new opportunities to generate support and action on issues and to influence others.

Direct action such as: 

• demonstrations
• public speechmaking
• street marches
• public meetings
•  use of signs and banners
•  handing out pamphlets to the public

can be legal ways of attempting to generate and demonstrate public support for an issue and influence decision-makers.

More Americans are trying to make their voices heard these days.

Approximately one in five Americans participated in a protest or rally between early 2016 and early 2018, according to a Washington Post-Kaiser Family Foundation poll. A similar proportion reported they expected to become more involved in political causes in the next year.

Similarly, the number of women running for state and federal offices soared during the 2018 midterm elections. The ease of using social media appears to be ramping up virtual protesting too.

In addition to making your objections heard in the streets or with tweets, there are many other ways you can influence public policies.

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In our book “Citizen Participation in the Age of Contracting,” we identify several things anyone can do to make their community a better place.

1. Talk to your leaders

One approach is telling government officials what you think about public policies and services. Ordinary people can do this many different ways.

You can write letters to your local paper, serve on task forces, email elected representatives or provide input on proposed new policies.

You can also speak up at public events like school board and county board meetings. In some cases, this feedback can make a real difference.

For example, a group of Baltimore teens formed a group called Free Your Voice when they learned of plans to build the nation’s largest trash-burning incinerator less than a mile from their high school.

The local school system, other city agencies and local nonprofits had already signed contracts to buy energy from the incinerator. But once members of the group made a passionate plea at a school board meeting about their concerns regarding the potential pollution in an already contaminated neighborhood, those officials reversed their decision. Other organizations soon followed the school district’s lead.

Members of Free Your Voice succeeded following years of hard work and countless more meetings, mobilizations and innovative attempts to make their case. The company planning to build the incinerator eventually lost its permit.

2. Partner with the authorities

Another approach is to get involved at the grassroots level by helping local governments and nonprofits solve problems. Establishing and caring for community gardens is one way to do this in a country where roughly one in eight lack regular access to affordable, nutritious food.

To address this problem, community activists in New York City founded BLK ProjeK – one of dozens of such projects involving partnerships between nonprofits and local authorities formed since 1978 through the city’s Green Thumb program. The New Yorkers who plant, till and harvest more than 500 community gardens are producing 87,000 pounds of food each year.

With about 18,000 community gardens planted across North America, there are opportunities everywhere to get involved.

3. DIY nonprofit

A third alternative is to join a nonprofit board or even start your own organization.

There are more than 1.5 million U.S. nonprofits, including thousands that are working hard to make communities better by helping vulnerable groups like the disabled, victims of domestic violence and at-risk youth.

All of them must have a board of directors that helps guide the nonprofits’ goals and programs. In most cases, the people serving on these boards are unpaid volunteers. Another option is to form a new nonprofit to address unmet needs.

As the Baltimore battle against the incinerator suggests, even kids can do this.

In 2007, Mackenzie Bearup of Alpharetta, Georgia, found out that a local residential treatment facility was trying to start a library because the children there did not have books. Bearup, a 13-year-old suffering from an incurable disease, organized a children’s book drive and collected books from friends and neighbors to donate to the library.

The project quickly grew. Along with her brothers Alex and Benjamin, she founded Sheltering Books. By March 2015, the nonprofit had donated 460,000 books to shelters.

Do your homework

Whatever strategy suits you best, get your facts straight before getting started. Managers at public and nonprofit agencies told us that members of their communities sometimes made suggestions that were unrealistic or would violate current policies or regulations.

Learn as much as you can about the issues you are passionate about, whether it is the environment, education or the opioid crisis. Just as importantly, do your best to understand what the local needs are and what services are already available in your community.

That way, you can ask better questions about what is missing, and your feedback and recommendations will be more helpful.

Local authorities often dismiss engagement and activism as NIMBYism – a reflexive not-in-my-back-yard response to any local construction project.

But we believe these voices can be legitimate. This quieter kind of activism, in our view, is at least as important as mass protests.

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