How activists can increase climate policy support in Hill meetings

Based on Sherman, D. K., Shteyn, M. F., Han, H., & Van Boven, L. (2021). The exchange between citizens and elected officials: A social psychological framework for citizen climate activists. Behavioural Public Policy, 5(4), 576-705.

Research finds four empirically supported strategies climate advocates may use to increase support for climate change policy when meeting with their Congressional Representatives.

The Policy Problem

The majority of Americans, Democrats and Republicans alike, believe that climate change is happening, that it threatens humans, that it is human caused and that reducing greenhouse gas emissions would reduce climate change, yet there has been no bipartisan support for climate policies in the U.S. Citizen activists play a role in translating public concern about the climate crisis to policymakers and elevating it on the political agenda. While these activists lobby members of Congress, the best messaging approaches for representatives and staff who vary in their support for climate change policies is not clear. Social psychological research in the domain of climate policy communication has identified best approaches for crafting messages, but it is an open question how to best apply these strategies in climate advocacy.

Key Findings and Proposed Solutions

  • Advocates of climate policy can use four empirically supported strategies when directly communicating with politicians in interpersonal meetings.

  • Legacy – Emphasize the future generations who will have to deal with our climate decisions now. Point out long-term costs and benefits. Our post-lobbying survey suggests this may increase Congressional support.

  • Affirmation – Focus on shared values; express appreciation. This may reduce identity pressures and let people absorb otherwise threatening information.

  • Norms – Explain that a majority of Americans in both parties agree that climate change is real, caused by humans, and could be mitigated by lowering carbon emissions. It’s not just scientific consensus – it’s attitudinal as well.

  • Immediacy – Highlight extreme events like flooding, fires and heatwaves. This adds emotional urgency and collapses the distance of climate threats.