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Engaging your Legislators

Building a Relationship with your Legislator
All change happens in relationships. It's human nature for us to want to help people we have relationships with—and legislators are no different. We build relationships with people in positions of power to advance our collective interests and ensure our elected officials are accountable to the communities they represent. Change in Illinois begins at home, as you reach out and engage your state senator and representative.

How Do You Build the Relationship?
You cultivate the relationship between you and a legislator in much the same way as you cultivate any relationship: by being cordial and helpful, by being a trustworthy source of sound information and insight, by sharing concerns and hopes, and by holding one another accountable. Your own party affiliation should not restrict you. Every elected officeholder represents a state, legislative district, or local government made up of diverse body of residents. You don't have to be a member of the legislator's political party to work together.

Relationship-building is a series of small steps that over time add up to make a significant impact on our state. All these steps will progressively build your credibility with the officeholder. How successfully your legislators will represent your interests depends on how successfully you and your community members can cultivate relationships with them. Though building relationships takes time and careful effort, it's the most effective way to shape the thinking of those who decide public policy.

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