Take The Test!
What's Your Pro-Life Political Clout Coefficient
As part of the state right to life organization, we could exert
significant political power to influence the direction and protection of
human life in our state. However, before we can begin to flex our
potential political muscle, we have to organize, and perhaps increase, our
individual efforts. There is significant synergism to be gained in
organized political activity. The cooperative results can be much larger
than the individual parts.
WHAT IS YOUR CONTRIBUTION TO THE POLITICAL ARENA? THE
FOLLOWING CHECKLIST IS PRESENTED AS AN AID TO:
1) help identify ways you can participate in the political process;
and,
2) help you to assess the level of your current political activities.
CHECKLIST OF INDIVIDUAL POLITICAL
OPPORTUNITIES
- Vote in all elections
- Contribute money to a political candidate, party, or political
action committee (PAC)
- Participate in a local precinct, ward, city, county, state or
national party caucus or convention
- Help in a political campaign
- Help recruit political workers
- Serve on a campaign committee
- Research issues for a candidate or party
- Assist in a voter registration drive
- Work at the polls on election day
- Write or telephone an elected official supporting or opposing an
issue
- Visit with an elected official
- Help to write a position statement
- Give testimony at a public hearing
- Gather petition signatures
- Contribute your time/skills to an issue campaign
- Display a candidate's and/or an issue button, bumper sticker or
yard sign
- Conduct a systematic evaluation of a candidate's positions prior
to voting
- Encourage friends, relatives and neighbors to vote, or to vote a
certain way
- Participate in a professional organization's organized political
programs
- Participate in a political activity not listed
Self-scoring: Calculate your personal political clout
coefficient by giving yourself 5 points for each checked item.
If you scored:
0 - 25 Your political clout is minimal.
You need to make a concerted effort to get more involved politically.
26 - 50 You exercise moderate political clout.
Additional efforts are necessary if you are to be politically effective.
51 - 75 You have good political clout. Continue with your
activities.
over 75 Your political clout is excellent. You need to
concentrate on educating and recruiting other pro-lifers in the
political process.
Political clout is like physical fitness, if you don't use it, you
lose it. Active use of political clout is your right and your civic
responsibility ….. or future and the innocent human lives we work to
defend depend upon how well we apply it.
You now have a measure of your personal political clout. Take advantage
of the many ways available to increase your political power and
influence. Use it wisely for the benefit of all.
Adapted from S.D. Engineering Society & modified for
Virginia Society of Professional Engineers, Jan. 1991.
