How to Write a Letter to a Government Official

Between the United States Government and the average citizen, there sometimes seems to be a sizeable disconnect. But this does not have to be the case. Through active participation and correspondence with appropriate government agencies, it is possible for one's voice to be heard in government. Most often, the best method of communication is a letter to a government official or agency regarding a specific topic. By writing a respectful, yet persuasive letter to a government official, one can often bridge the gap between politics and society.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Paper
• Writing utensil
• Computer and word processing program (if typed)
• Internet connection

Organizing ideas and addresses

1. Determine the topic on which you will write to the government official.

2. Make an outline of your ideas, making sure that they follow each other in a logical pattern. You do not want your ideas to appear disjointed.

3. Locate on the Internet the complete government address of the official to whom you will be writing.

Creating the heading of the letter

4. Type the date of the letter at the top of the page.

5. Add the official's address below the date, leaving two blank lines between the date and the address.

6. Write the subject of the letter below the address, leaving one blank line between the address and subject. Write "Subject," followed by the actual subject of the letter.

Writing the body and conclusion of the letter

7. Begin the letter with a salutation such as "Dear Assemblyman" or "Dear Congresswoman," depending on the title of the official to whom you are writing. Regardless, begin the letter with "Dear."

8. Type the body of the letter, following the outline of the letter you created earlier. This is the section that includes information about the subject of the letter; it is the reason you are writing.

9. End the letter with "Sincerely," followed by your name typed two lines beneath it.

10. In the space between "Sincerely" and your typed name, personally sign your name with a black or blue ballpoint pen to end the letter.

11. Fold the letter into three equal, vertical sections, such that it fits in a standard envelope. Place the letter in an envelope.

12. Address the envelope the same way you addressed the letter itself. Use appropriate postage in the top-right corner of the envelope and write the return address (your address) in the top-left corner of the envelope.

Tips & Warnings

• When addressing both the letter and the envelope, be sure to use respectful titles, such as "The Honorable" before the official's name.
• Leave appropriate space between the date, address, body and signature in your letter.
• Avoid writing more than one page in a letter to a government official. Be concise in your writing, or your argument may be overlooked due to the length of time necessary to read it. Many government officials do not a lot of time to give to your letter.

Resources

• Assistance in Writing Political Letters