Getting involved in public affairs is a responsibility of citizenship in our American democracy.� If you don�t do it, no one else will!
A wealth of information on the issues that concern you is no more than a short phone call or web site visit away.� Take a few minutes to contact the sources listed below and make your voice heard!
- Contact government officials by phone or e-mail.
- Contact government agencies.
- Obtain information from non-governmental sources.
Contact government officials by phone or e-mail.
Don�t hesitate to contact government officials.� Remember, they work for you, and can�t meet your needs unless they hear from you.
Use your zip code to identify candidates and elected officials in your area and find out how to contact them at Project Vote Smart.
Identify and contact many of your state and local officials through the Library of Congress� State and Local Government Resource Page .
FirstGov.gov is the U.S. government's official web portal, and provides information and links to officials in the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the federal government.
You can also identify and contact many federal officials through the Library of Congress web site, which maintains links to the President and all executive agencies, Congress , and the federal courts.
Find phone numbers for most elected officials in the "Government" section of your phone book and call their offices.
Government agencies (departments of public works, police departments, welfare agencies, to name a few) are responsible for carrying out the government�s day-to-day responsibilities. Find agency phone numbers in the "Government" section of the phone book, or search for the agency at one of the larger search engines, such as Yahoo, Google, or Excite. The Library of Congress also maintains links to many federal, state and local agencies.
FirstGov.gov provides links and contact information for federal government agencies.
Obtain information from non-governmental sources.
Here are a few sources to get you started:
The New York Times
Reporting "All The News That's Fit to Print" since 1851, the Times provides in-depth coverage of national and international affairs. Available at your newstand, by subscription, or for free on the web registration is required) at nytimes.com .Project Vote Smart
"The Last Trusted Source for Political Information" � using just your zip code, identify candidates and elected officials in your area and learn where they stand on important issues. Visit Project Vote Smart�s site at vote-smart.org.
League of Women Voters
A "nonpartisan political organization" which "encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy." Visit the League of Women Voters at lwv.org .