How to Change Policy Quotas

Make your policy connect with people.

Policy is the bedrock of political campaigns. Specifically, policies are the hallmark of political platforms -- the practical means of carrying out political ideas. Policy quotas target the demographics of political districts and help shape what policies will move forward or how they must be adjusted. Getting to know who resides in your political district and what the needs are of various communities' guides you in shaping policy and meeting the needs of your constituency.

Things You'll Need

• Surveys
• Demographic data
• District maps

Instructions

1. Visit with your constituency. Get to know the people and communities in your district. Talk with residents to get their point of view on what works in the district and what does not. A Hasidic Jewish neighborhood in your district, for example, may have fallen on hard economic times. Explore the neighborhood and talk with residents to discover their needs. Visiting with residents one on one is essential for creating a policy that is in touch with the desires of your district.

2. Survey your constituency. Ask residents what they need and, specifically, what each community requires to help it thrive and grow. Use staff members to call residents and conduct polls. Polls involve key sets of questions. Staff members ask the same set of questions to targeted groups of people and analyze their collective answers to assess how a community feels about one issue or another. Surveying a community under economic strain, for instance, may lead you to discover that soup kitchens are having a difficult time determining how they will provide meals on a daily basis.

3. Adjust your policy. Use the results of your discussions and surveys of district residents to shape your platform. Your platform may need to press for an increase in subsidies to soup kitchens to meet the quota -- or minimum needs -- of the community. Analyze district maps to identify the exact borders of your district and where current soup kitchens are located. Ask yourself and your policy advisors if more soup kitchens are needed in this area and -- more importantly -- how your platform can address the larger issue of economic disparity in the district. Asking such questions and developing answers will lead you to a strong and compelling policy.

References

• "New York Times"; A Kosher Soup Kitchen Offers a Dignified Place to Eat, and Steak for One Day; Corey Kilgannon; May 12, 2008