Lawmaking and Advocacy

Laws and Courts

• Agencies – government groups that create rules and regulations to make laws more specific (TSA, DOT, OSHA)

• Courts help enforce laws but they also help make them• Trial – conducted by a court to determine a person’s

innocence or guilt• A person who loses a trial can sometimes ask a higher

court to review and change the result of a trial – this is an appeals or appellate court

• If the appeals court changes a lower court’s decision, it sets a precedent for similar future cases

International Lawmaking

• Laws that apply to the conduct of countries• Usually is made when national

governments make treaties with one another

• Treaty – agreement or contract between countries

• Major international lawmaking bodies – UN, European Union

Advocacy

• Advocacy – the active support of a cause• This is based on collecting information,

developing great communication skills, and creating effective plans and timelines

• What to advocate for? Important issues! Things that affect your daily life and should be changed

Lobbying

• Lobbyist – someone who tries to convince a lawmaker to vote for or against a particular issue

• Lobbying is a right guaranteed by our Constitution

• Anyone can be a lobbyist, but some people are professional lobbyists

• Lobbying has been criticized because it allows some people and businesses to “buy legislation”

Voting

• This is one of our basic constitutional rights• While lawmakers vote on most laws, people can

sometimes vote on laws directly• Initiative – allows people to propose a law by petition,

usually have to gain a minimum number of signatures to put it on the ballot

• Referendum – occurs when voters must give final approval for a legislative act (gun control, environmental protection, school funding)

• Recall – voters sometimes have the ability to vote an official out of office

Settling Disputes

Informal Talk, Negotiation, Mediation, and Arbitration

The Stages of Conflict Resolution

• Conflict is a part of everyday life and should be managed responsibly

• 1. informal

• talk– Always start with this whenever possible – people work with each

other quickly work to resolve a conflict, nobody else gets involved• 2. negotiation

– Involves three phases• Clearly identify the problem that has caused the conflict• Separate individual demands and desires to create a list of possible

solutions (must be realistic)• Both sides make a few final decisions to resolve the dispute

Conflict Resolution (cont.)

• 3. Mediation• Is used when negotiations break down or a

solution cannot be reached• A third person helps the disputing parties

talk about their problem and settle their differences

• A mediator cannot impose his decision on anyone – the parties involved must act on his decision voluntarily

Conflict Resolution (cont.)

• 4. Arbitration• When mediation does not work, people can

move to this step to solve disputes• Arbitrator – like a judge, has the authority to

make a final decision that both parties must follow

• The process is similar to mediation, but it is more formal – it is not as formal as a trial, however