I. Local Politics
"City Government 101" – Skip Rimsza, Mayor of Phoenix
Biography for Mayor Rimsza

II.Lobbying/How a Bill Becomes a Law
 "From a Lobbyist’s Perspective" – P. Robert Fannin,
Senior  Partner - Quarles & Brady
Biography for P. Robert Fannin
               

III.State Politics/Constituent Involvement
"Make Yourself Heard" – John Kaites, Former State Senator and Candidate for Attorney General
Biography for John Kaites

IV.Federal Politics
"Overview of Federal Politics" – Matt Salmon, Arizona  Congressman
Biography for Congressman Salmon
"Politics and the Internet" by Jon Katz -- Wired Magazine
Biography for Jon Katz       
this article is reprinted with permission fromits author,   Jon Katz.

Introduction

Politics – in most circles, it’s considered a dirty word. Ironically enough though, each of us deals with politics every day of our life – whether it be in the form of a conversation about taxes, the personal improprieties of politicians, or restrictions on the advertising industry. We just do not acknowledge the fact that every one of us is a politician.

Everyone is a lobbyist. Most of us even get paid to lobby. And many of us in the communications field are pretty good at it. We just don’t call it lobbying. We call it "networking," "pitching," or "negotiating."

This guide has been developed to bring your government closer to you. It offers insight from officials on local, state and federal politics.

From this guide, you will see that politics is an insider’s game only because we allow it to be – and that most politicians, contrary to popular belief, would prefer more interaction with their constituents. Each year, elected officials face thousands of issues, but only a handful of faces.

It is incumbent upon both the constituent and the representative to establish and maintain an open and honest dialogue to ensure that favorable public policy is developed for the greater good of the community. This guide is intended to help open that dialogue.

For additional information about Ad 2 Phoenix government relations programs, please visit our site and sign up to receive regular legislative updates.

On behalf of the Ad 2 Phoenix Government Relations Committee, I hope that this guide will provide you with beneficial and interesting insight into the political realm and serve as an effective resource tool for our legislative efforts. Thank you.

Petri R.J. Darby
government relations chair – Ad 2 Phoenix external communications manager – Make-A-Wish Foundation of America
pdarby@wish.org