APSA’s members can make the strongest case for federal funding of political science research. By letting your member of Congress know about the grant you were awarded, you can clearly demonstrate how funding benefits his or her district or state directly. Use APSA's model letter to get started.

Find the appropriate time: When you are writing to request action on a specific bill, key your outreach to appropriate points in the legislative process, such as after a bill has been introduced (in the case of seeking co-sponsorship) or in the lead-up to a vote (when you want to request a "yes" or "no" vote on the bill).

APSA alerts its membership to critical junctures for outreach connected to political science funding and connects members to online portals that allow quick communication to Members of Congress.

Contact only your member of Congress: Members have electronic mail sorting systems that remove out-of-state e-mails. Find your representative here and visit her or his webpage for more information.

Write about only one topic at a time: Mail is sorted by topic.

Ask precisely for action: Be clear about what you want accomplished, whether it is a vote "yes" or "no" on a bill, or to sign on to a letter or piece of legislation.

Be brief and concise: Staffers may get hundreds of letters each day. You want to get their attention quickly.

Be courteous: Be positive and polite in your communication.

Include personal stories: Tell members of Congress how a program or grant helps you in the classroom or with your research. Members of Congress often use these stories as examples in their floor speeches.

Plan a Visit

Contact Your Government Relations Office: Not sure what to ask? See APSA's frequently asked questions here. 

Schedule the visit: Call or email the district office of your Member of Congress to set up an appointment with the Member of Congress or staff from the office. If you are in Washington, DC, schedule a visit there. (See House and Senate legislative calendars to determine the best timing.) Explain that you are a constituent who is interested in meeting with the Member or her staff to discuss the importance of federal support for political science. See COSSA's Advocacy Handbook for more specifics on requesting a meeting.

Have reasonable expectations: You may receive a short meeting with staff and not the Member. This is not a sign of disrespect; staffers are trained to take notes and communicate with the Member about the issues.

Prepare: You may need to inform the staffer or Member about the issues, so be prepared with concise talking points and relevant materials. Prepare your core message in advance. Use APSA's talking points for messages connected to political science funding and develop your own message connected to your specific research. A one-page handout that is easy to read is also helpful. Be sure to bring business cards.

See the tools and tips page from APSA's Public Engagement Program for more information on crafting a message and preparing one-pagers.

Make a Visit

Arrive early: Plan for time to pass through security and to find the appropriate room. Long lines are common at Senate and House office buildings in Washington.

Keep it brief: Lead with your main points.

Take your cues: In some cases, your meeting may be a back-and-forth conversation with the elected official or staffer. In other cases, you may be expected to lead the conversation. If this is the case, use your time to convey your key points concisely, include any requests, and thank the Member or staffer for her time.

Explain broad effects: While not all political scientists receive federal grants, it is useful to note the broader impact of basic research funding for the social sciences.

Follow up: After your meeting, send a thank you note via email to the staffer or Member you met with. Provide any follow-up materials you think might be useful.

Write an Op-Ed piece in your local newspaper: Members of Congress pay close attention to the local media in their district.

Tips for writing an op-ed:

Participate in Advocacy Days: The Consortium of Social Science Associations (COSSA) and the National Humanities Alliance (NHA) hold annual meetings and advocacy days each spring. The annual meetings provide an overview of recent legislative developments affecting social science and humanities funding and discuss how to carry out effective advocacy on Capitol Hill. Advocacy days allow scholars to visit congressional offices, discuss the importance of political science research, and express support for strong funding for the discipline.

Stay Informed: Keep up with the latest information from APSA and APSA partner organizations that advocate for the discipline.

Talking points serve as a helpful base of reference when meeting with policymakers. The talking points below address the range of issues connected to political science that may come up in your meetings. This section also includes links to one-page versions that you can print out and take with you, as well as links to general talking points on the social sciences and humanities.

Talking Points on Political Science

• Political science expands our understanding of citizenship, governance, and public policy. Through rigorous examination of political phenomena, the discipline makes an essential and unique contribution to an informed citizenry in a free society.
• Political science is at the forefront of research on critical topics facing the nation and the world, ranging from democracy and good governance to counter-terrorism, public health, and disaster relief, to name just a few.
• Political science is an integral part of multidisciplinary research projects. It provides essential political context and insights to inform research in areas from cancer research to cybersecurity.
• Both the unique findings of the discipline and its contributions to multidisciplinary research foster civic and global engagement and promote innovation and competitiveness. Political science research promotes excellence in higher education. Research projects inform classroom teaching; provide training opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students; and enhance student and faculty recruitment.

Talking Points on Funding

The critical role of political science research is recognized by funding for the discipline through key science and humanities funding agencies and programs:

• The National Science Foundation Accountable Institutions and Behavior (AIB) and Security and Preparedness (SAP) programs funds an array of political science research, including in American government and politics, comparative government and politics, international relations, political behavior, political economy, and political institutions, contributing critical insights to issues of national and international concern.
• A range of research, education, and preservation programs at the National Endowment for the Humanities supports political science projects exploring fundamental issues in areas such as freedom, justice, and democracy.
• Funding through Fulbright-Hays/Title VI support development of national capacity for international understanding and foreign language education, contributing to national security, global understanding, and economic competitiveness.

Restricting political science research by limiting – or eliminating – funding poses a serious threat to American democracy by:

• undermining core democratic values such as transparency and accountability by obstructing evaluation of political institutions and processes;
• censoring public debate by limiting knowledge that informs discussion of critical issues facing the nation; and
• jeopardizing the nation’s responses to domestic and international crises.

Singling out specific fields for limitation of funding – or elimination – poses a serious threat to the integrity and independence of the federal funding process by:

• thwarting funding agencies’ renowned professional peer review processes;
• subjecting different fields to the slippery slope of political pressure; and,
• chilling inquiry, innovation, and creativity within and among all fields of study.

One-Page Talking Point PDFs

Talking Points on Political Science

Talking Points on Funding

As a member of the Consortium of Social Science Associations, the APSA is pleased to share the COSSA Advocacy Handbook. The handbook covers everything from timing your advocacy within the appropriations process to crafting your message for a Congressional audience.

COSSA, State Funding Fact Sheets for the Social and Behavioral Sciences

COSSA, Talking Points for the Social and Behavioral Sciences

NHA, Talking Points for the Humanities

NHA, Talking Points for the National Endowment for the Humanities

NHA, Talking Points for International Education

Federal Funding Agencies

• National Science Foundation
• National Science Foundation - Political Science Homepage
• National Endowment for the Humanities

Coalitions

• Consortium of Social Science Associations
• National Humanities Alliance
• Coalition for International Education
• Coalition for National Science Funding

Other Resources

• Information from NSF on awards in political science, map of political science awards, and general awards search engine
• Toolkit on NSF and Congress
• Timeline of Government Funding for Social and Behavioral Science