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The days of business leaders passively accepting a regulatory environment created for them by distant elected officials are over. Today, nearly all major organizations are proactively engaging with leaders at the local, state and federal levels to create a regulatory environment that best suits their needs.
While business leaders have expertise in their respective fields, navigating an advocacy strategy to change regulatory policy can feel perplexing. One tactic that can swiftly enhance the likelihood of success in achieving legislative goals, however, is coalition building.
It is an often repeated saying: “There is strength in numbers.” From as early as childhood, individuals understand and utilize the power of team building to get what they want. Whether it be as simple as convincing a group to accept your restaurant suggestion on a night out or as complex as amassing 270 electoral votes to win a presidential election, building coalitions to promote an effort are known to bolster the chance of a successful outcome. But not all coalitions are inherently effective.
Coalitions exist to create additional buy-in that one person or entity alone could not achieve. Therefore, the most successful coalitions are those that appeal to the largest number of decisionmakers, ultimately generating the most widespread support for the coalition’s priorities. The key then to building a highly effective coalition is establishing a diverse membership that can utilize a vast array of relationships and knowledge to establish widespread support.
A prime example of effective coalition building can be seen in the organized lobbying effort for marijuana legalization. After years of stagnation on the issue at the state and federal levels, proponents of legalization have begun thinking outside the box in terms of who might join them in supporting such policies. As a result, stakeholders who have historically fallen on opposite sides of several issues have banded together in an effort to garner bipartisan and widespread support for legislation legalizing the substance in at least some form.
Just this past year in Indiana, we saw a uniquely diverse group of stakeholders advocate for the passage of House Bill 1297, which would have decriminalized the possession of 2 ounces or less of marijuana if passed. The right-leaning Indiana chapter of Americans for Prosperity joined several pro-marijuana groups, including the left-leaning American Civil Liberties Union, in lobbying lawmakers to support the proposal. Even legislators who frequently disagree on policy joined together in support of the bill, including several Republicans and Democrats from both urban and rural districts who found common ground in their support for the use of the substance as a medical treatment, the economic opportunity resulting from legalization and fulfilling the will of voters in their respective districts.
The purpose here is not to advocate for or against the passage of such legislation but to illustrate the undeniable effectiveness of coalition building in advocacy. Although ultimately unsuccessful in getting the bill passed, this diverse coalition induced progress not yet achieved in the fight for legalization in the state of Indiana—a feat virtually unthinkable just years ago. If the coalition of proponents continues to grow and diversify, spanning different backgrounds, political ideologies and socioeconomic statuses, the chance of legislative success will only continue to grow.
No matter the legislative pursuit, cultivating creative, strategic and sometimes unlikely partnerships will pay dividends in your efforts to achieve your goals—even if it takes additional time, effort and resources. For the alternative of going alone is seldom a winning strategy.
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Ritchie is vice president of government relations at RJL Solutions.
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