The Power of Us: The Art and Science of Enlightened Citizen Engagement and Collective Action: How the US Government Works and How to Get It to Work for You - Softcover

Estell, Anita R.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1481715569 ISBN 13: 9781481715560

Publisher: AuthorHouse, 2013

Synopsis

Anita Estell has done it! She has published an easy-to-read handbook that promises to transform our individual and collective understanding of the federal government, how it really works, and most important, our own relevance in its operation. The Power of US is a must-have guide. It provides instruction for those possessing the audacity to seize the opportunities unfolding during one of the most transformational periods in American history. Estell shares insights, experiences, wisdom, and expertise, gained in more than twenty years of working at the federal level, in a way that not only invites and supports constructive engagement but also sheds light on the way forward. Estell provides an extraordinary panorama of information and instruction, melding a multidisciplinary suite of principles that underscore and bring texture to what Estell calls citizen-centricity, or citizen-centric engagement. The Power of US provides a profoundly creative approach relevant to policymakers and advocates. Estell's treatment is a breath of fresh air in civic discourse-which can be stifled by stale approaches and potentially toxic hyperpartisan dynamics. In The Power of US, Estell establishes herself as a revolutionary thinker exhibiting the vision, knowledge, and personal power to move the compass of individual hope in the direction of collective freedom.

About this title

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

THE POWER OF US: The Art and Science of Enlightened Citizen Engagement and Collective Action

How the US Government Works and How to Get It to Work for You

By Anita R. Estell

AuthorHouse

Copyright © 2013 Anita R. Estell, Esquire
All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-4817-1556-0

Contents

Foreword...................................................................
xi
Acknowledgments............................................................
xiii
About this Handbook........................................................
xvii
Key Definitions............................................................
xxiii
Section one: Thoughts, words, Deeds, and enlightened Citizen engagement....
Part I: Claim Your Power...................................................
1
Chapter 1: Putting ideas into action.......................................
3
Chapter 2: The power within................................................
7
Chapter 3: Believe.........................................................
17
Chapter 4: Be the dream....................................................
33
Chapter 5: The original power tools: body, mind, soul, and unity of 
purpose....................................................................
42
Chapter 6: Get started: Frame your vision exercise.........................
51
Part II: Access opportunity................................................
53
Chapter 7: The art of advocacy: Translating thoughts, words, and deeds 
into tangible results......................................................
55
Chapter 8: Plan to win, play for keeps: Seven basic rules of engagement....
63
Chapter 9: Communicating with elected officials............................
83
Chapter 10: Lessons learned: The awakening.................................
110
Part III: Appendices: Know Your rights.....................................
115
Appendix A: The American story is our story................................
117
Appendix B: A quick note about your Bill of Rights.........................
122
Appendix C: Three branches of the same tree................................
124
Appendix D: The people's money: The federal budget and why it is a big 
deal.......................................................................
131
Appendix E: Making laws and making them mean something.....................
141
Appendix F: What's an authorization bill?..................................
147
Appendix G: What's an appropriations bill?.................................
150
Appendix H: What do lobbyists really do?...................................
155
Appendix I: Other key Internet resources...................................
162
Part IV: Afterword.........................................................
165
About the author...........................................................
167
Bibliography...............................................................
169
Index......................................................................
175

CHAPTER 1

Putting ideas into action

Nothing happens until something moves.—Albert Einstein

E = MC² ... in politics, too

Albert Einstein tops the list of modern revolutionaries; theman and his ideas were a game changer. Today, we classifyhim as a genius, which is even more fascinating when youconsider he started his career as a locksmith and, as achild, was called the "dopey one" because he was a slowlearner. Einstein considered impudence a virtue and hasbeen described as a reverential revolutionary. According toWalter Isaacson in Einstein: His Life and Universe

His success came from questioning conventionalwisdom, challenging authority and marveling atmysteries that struck others as mundane. This ledhim to embrace a morality and politics basedon respect for free minds, free spirits and freeindividuals. Tyranny repulsed him, and he sawtolerance not simply as a sweet virtue but as anecessary condition for a creative society.

One of Einstein's more popular equations has analogousrelevance to our advocacy discussion: E = MC², or energyequals mass times the square of the speed of light. Thespeed of light's ascribed value is exactly 299,792,458meters per second, or approximately 300,000 kilometersper second, which is about 186,000 miles per second.That's pretty darn fast. In fact, it would take about 70coast-to-coast trips from Washington, DC, to Los Angelesto cover 186,000 miles. Taking this number to the secondpower is even more fascinating. Consequently, accordingto Einstein, a tiny amount of matter has an extraordinaryimpact when converted completely into energy. Clarifyingthe complexities of Einstein's equation related to speed andmass, Isaacson notes in his book on Einstein the energy inthe mass of one raisin could supply most of New York City'senergy requirements for one day. Imagine that!

Drop, ripple, and tide

Turning to people, there have been numerous instances inour history when we have come together and unleashedour energies as individuals, communities, and nations. I referto these scenarios as "drop, ripple, and tide." Consider, forexample, that in its liquid state, water is a powerful force. Itis most powerful when in motion. Individual action can becompared to a drop of water, which can create a ripple,and a ripple a tide. Likewise, in politics, nothing happensuntil something moves. The larger the mass, the moreimpact a movement has when energized and unleashed.Within the American context, the mass is the people, as in"the masses." The American political, social, and economiclandscape often has been influenced by a multiplicity ofindividual and collective voices that have, on one hand,reflected the ingenuity and life-affirming mind-set requiredto accomplish the most extraordinary innovations andachievements. On the other hand, massed voices sometimeshave discordant tones, defiant and intolerant of opposingviews. Real progress is achieved when the collectiveenergy of like-minded people is carefully synchronized andconstructively engaged.

In The Biology of Belief: Unleashing the Power ofConsciousness, Matter, and Miracles, author Bruce L. Lipton,PhD, presents two scenarios of what happens when a pebbleis dropped into a pond. First, the falling pebble has energybecause of the force of gravity pulling on its mass. Once thepebble hits the water, the energy of the pebble in motionis transmitted to the water, and the ripples generated bythe pebble are actually energy waves passing through thewater. When more than one pebble is tossed into the waterat the same time, Lipton writes, the spreading ripples (energywaves) from each stone can interfere with one another,creating composite waves when two or more ripplesconverge. This type of interference is either constructive(energy amplifying) or destructive (energy deflating). As acell biologist, Lipton explains this phenomenon in this way:

Dropping two pebbles of the same size, fromthe same height and at exactly the same time,coordinates the wave action of their ripples. Theripples from each pebble converge on eachother. Where the ripples overlap, the combinedpower of the interacting waves is doubled—aphenomenon referred to as constructiveinterference, or harmonic resonance. When thedropping of the pebbles is not coordinated, theirenergy waves are out of sync. As one wave isgoing up, the other is going down. At the pointof convergence these out of sync energy wavescancel each other ... the water is calm ...there is no energy wave. This phenomenon ofcanceling energy waves is called destructiveinterference.

Political movements resemble pebbles landing in a pond.There have been times when people from different walks oflife with similar mind-sets have come together at the sameplace and at the same time, like ripples in freedom's waters,to generate great waves of opportunity and achievement.Recall the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream"speech, in which he proclaimed that those involved withthe march toward freedom would not be satisfied untiljustice rolled down like water and righteousness like a mightystream. Clearly, we are not pebbles, yet we know fromscience, philosophy, and religion that the energy associatedwith our beliefs, thoughts, words, and deeds define themagnificence (or lack thereof) of any movement. We havethe ability to make waves.

I appreciate the observations of Malcolm Gladwell, authorof The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a BigDifference. Gladwell notes the relevance of "believingchange is possible" and "the right kind of impetus." Heconcludes that the bedrock force that underlies successfulsocial epidemics is a belief that change is possible. This beliefmust be embraced by individuals who, in the face of theright kind of impetus, choose to transform their behavior orbeliefs. He notes the following:

Merely by manipulating the size of a group,we can dramatically improve its receptivity tonew ideas. By tinkering with the presentationof information, we can significantly improveits stickiness. Simply by finding and reachingthose few special people who hold so muchsocial power, we can shape the course ofsocial epidemics. In the end, tipping points area reaffirmation of the potential for change andthe power of intelligent action. Look at the worldaround you. It may seem like an immovable,implacable place. It is not. With the slightestpush—in just the right place—it can be tipped.

CHAPTER 2

The power within

Be the change that you want to see in the world.—MahatmaGandhi

In delivering the Invocation for the second Inaugurationof Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States,Myrlie Evers-Williams, the widow of the late civil rightsleader Medgar Evers, invoked the collective wisdom of ourgrandmothers and eloquently articulated the relevanceof the power within. In referring to those wise women whocame before us, she said:

'God make me a blessing.' Let their spiritguide us as we claim the spirit of old. There'ssomething within me that holds the reins. There'ssomething within me that banishes pain. There'ssomething within me I cannot explain. But all Iknow America, there is something within. There issomething within.

There is a power within each of us to affect change andto promote freedom and justice. People make laws. Lawsdo not make people. Even you can make a law. In acompilation of writings selected and published by the lateCoretta Scott King (a contemporary of Evers-Williams), thewords of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. also remind us:

Everybody can be great because anybody canserve. You don't have to have a college degreeto serve. You don't have to make your subjectand your verb agree to serve. You don't haveto know about Plato and Aristotle to serve. Youdon't have to know Einstein's theory of relativityto serve. You don't have to know the secondtheory of thermodynamics in physics to serve. Youonly need a heart full of grace. A soul generatedby love.

While there are many definitions of power, it is essentiallythe energy that enables us to help ourselves and othersand to influence the world around us. Real power, as Dr.King suggests is associated with helping others, and asEvers-Williams observed, comes from within.

For the purposes of this discussion, there are two types ofpower. The first and most sustainable is in the alignment andfusion of FLOW, which stands for faith, love, opportunity, andwill.

Another type of power, the more destructive type,is the power of FLOP, which stands for fear, loathing,obstructionism, and pessimism. FLOW and FLOP essentiallyare two sides of the same coin. The nature of how weengage as citizens, the type of thinking and energy webring, determines the outcome of the coin toss. Insertionof FLOW or FLOP into the Power Equation (discussed next)totally changes the impact an advocacy or public policyeffort will have on communities.

The Power Equation represents key elements of an advocacyplan, and is articulated as follows: Vision × Knowledge ×Power × n(PEACE) = Outcome. In this equation, n (PEACE)stands for -- the number of persons engaged and affectedchanges everything. The clearer the vision and the greaterthe knowledge, power, and the number of people engagedand affected, the greater and more impactful the success.See the Power Equation visual below.

Every industry and sector can point to persons who havemade lasting and powerful contributions. Like the manyclassifications of power, civic engagement also comesin several forms. I call them law-abiding, advocate, andrevolutionary. As you read the following descriptions, askyourself which best describes you.

Law-abiding citizens possess elected power. Persons in thiscategory are trying to make it on their own, and they livefrom day to day and often from paycheck to paycheck.Law-abiding citizens are people who obey the law andmay be willing to take a case to court to resolve disputes,if they have the energy, time, and resources necessary todo so. They may or may not vote regularly, and they havenever contacted an elected official. They work from apower source defined by acceptance, which is the same asacquiescence.

Advocates possess connected power. These are peoplewho leverage their knowledge and relationships by joiningmovements or otherwise mobilize as individuals andcommunities in support of (or in opposition to) a particularissue. As Roger Hamilton notes, "Once we begin to share ourpower with others, we begin to shift to connected power."Activities may connect through family, work, synagogue,mosque, church, or charity and their activities may includebuilding coalitions, boycotts, petitions, or voter registrationdrives. Persons falling into this group move with an energymarked by enjoyment.

A revolutionary exhibits a reverence for life and has reflectedpower that has the strongest impact and achieves resultsthat are indelible and sustainable. These persons align andleverage character and purpose and engage in a waythat influences, defines, and drives the establishment of lawand policy that transforms communities and nations, evenafter they have died. These people are thinkers, innovators,and doers whose power is marked by zeal, a profoundunderstanding of the forces that connect us all, and theability through their efforts to improve the quality of life formasses of folks. This power by definition is derived from ahigher source. Those falling into this group have tenacity andunwavering enthusiasm and passion for their cause.

Specific Examples

Law-Abiding

My mother was big on being law-abiding. As a divorcedmom of seven, she was obsessed with staying out of trouble.We knew to avoid hitting people, to pay for items beforeleaving the store, and to never put anything in our pocketsor otherwise conceal anything that didn't belong to us. Aswe started driving, her warnings extended to sticking to thespeed limit, obeying traffic laws, coming home on time,choosing the right friends, and staying away from drugs andpeople who used them. As a law-abiding citizen, my motheralways filed her taxes on time, and we looked forward togetting a refund. When the restaurant where she workedburned, we learned about unemployment benefits, foodstamps, free lunch cards, and "government cheese." Thoughwe didn't have much, we always shared; we knew manyfamilies who had less than we did.

Advocates

My political interest started in the '60s and '70s when Iwatched my mother blaze a trail in her leaky, creaky,smoke-spewing '57 Chevy. It was all about GOTV, get outthe vote. Period. My mother and community embracedGOTV with a zealousness that seemed as sacred as life itself.I rode shotgun, helping seniors translate their hope and faithinto a tangible vote at the polls. For many back then andnow, voting was and is perceived as the end all and be all.Elected officials can always be voted out of office if theyfail to address our concerns. However, throwing the bumsout is an exhausting, chaotic, and costly process. Votersmust realize that electing someone is just a first step. Anotherreal opportunity for influence comes after the polls close.Experienced advocates recognize the relevance of takingadvantage of existing laws, influencing decisions in makinglaws, and spending taxpayer money after those electedtake office. They understand the need and embrace theopportunity to strategically check in with elected officialsto remind them of priorities and to hold them accountable.Advocates know that whatever policymakers are workingon should be what they were elected to do.

True Story: Connect. Leverage. Build. During a prolongedseason of historically high unemployment levels,congressional gridlock, and a stalled presidential jobspackage in the fall of 2011, Starbucks announced the launchof a jobs-creation initiative that exploited laws alreadyon the books and a program that had been in place atthe Department of Treasury for many years. The company(providing $5 million in seed capital) partnered with theOpportunity Finance Network (OFN), which is the nationalnetwork of Community Development Financial Institutions(CDFI). Using donations and public and private resources,the network is responsible for making more than $23 billionin loans to businesses located in low-income and low wealthcommunities. Announced on October 3, 2011, Create Jobsfor USA places donations from Starbucks customers, partners(employees), and concerned citizens into a nationwidefund, managed by OFN, for community business lending.

Outcome: This venture leverages public and privateresources to extend their reach and impact to promote jobcreation in the United States. It leverages the strengths of theCDFI program, the experience of OFN, and the goodwill andthe power of Starbucks and a relevant base, the people(customers and employees). As of October 2012, the CreateJobs for USA website reports an expected 5,000 jobs werecreated or retained as a result of this initiative.

Revolutionary

New media make keeping track of politics much easier. Butknowing and doing are different things. You see, the processof drafting and adopting federal laws and policies is simplya manifestation of what we believe and intend to do asindividuals within a nation. Through individual and collectiveengagement, elected officials are held accountable andprograms consistent with the will of those who engage areimplemented. Now, take a moment to acknowledge thatyour opinions matter. You can make a difference. You arethe difference. In fact, many popular laws originate from theideas and work of people who have never been involved withthe government. But they have recognized a need and havetaken steps to address it. You say, "Uh-uh." I say, "Really."

(Continues...)

Excerpted from THE POWER OF US: The Art and Science of Enlightened Citizen Engagement and Collective Action by Anita R. Estell. Copyright © 2013 Anita R. Estell, Esquire. Excerpted by permission of AuthorHouse.
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Edition details

• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Publication date: 2013
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1481715569
• ISBN 13: 9781481715560
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 136