Running head: POLS 400 Legislative Agenda, SPRING 2016

Michelle Christensen
POLS 400 Legislative Agenda, SPRING 2016
Old Dominion University

POLS 400 Legislative Agenda, SPRING 2016

MICHELLE CHRISTENSEN
February 12, 2016
DELAWARE
United States Senate
513 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-2441
Fax: (202) 228-2190
Dear invaluable staff,
I am honored that you chose to aid the honorable state of Delaware in joining my
campaign. I would like to take this time to outline the responsibilities of the key offices of our
campaign. In addition, I would like to lay out the agenda for the campaign.
Chief of Staff:
As second in command, the chief of staff is responsible for overseeing the rest of the staff.
This person is responsible for hiring and firing members of the campaign and providing them
with generous accommodations, such as defined by IDEA. In addition, the chief of staff will
need organization skills in scheduling meetings for the staff and I to attend. Moreover, the chief
of staff will be responsible for setting goals and objectives for the members of staff to strive to
meet. Lastly, this individual will need to organize a budget and make sure there are appropriate
funds being given to the key issues. After all, the issues or values the chief of staff holds dear
should be the fuel to keep everyone working tirelessly in obtaining for the state of Delaware
(United States Senate, 2014) (Davidson, et al., 2014).
Legislative Director:
This position will be a challenging endeavor, since it will require the strenuous labor of
reading thorough all the legal agenda and records of our campaign. The Legislative director will
be an invaluable member of our staff to make sure we all are held to the utmost laws of our
positions and follow the right procedures. This individual will also be the final editor for all
written articles, letters, and bills. Moreover, this individual will also set objectives and goals for
our staff to follow. In addition, the legislative director will orchestrate the roles of their legal
assistants (United States Senate, 2014).
Legislative Assistants:
The legislative assistant not only aids the legislative directly but is the liaison to the chief
of staff, committees and other staff members. This member creates a log of documents, letters,
bills, etc. which are made and designates their success and failures. In addition, the legislative
assistant helps the director edit and draft legislation. The legislative assistant will prepare floor
statements, amendments, speeches take notes in the Senate, and help the senator build coalitions
while reminding them of the agenda. This member will assist the chief of staff with background
checks and giving out pertinent information to those hired (United States Senate, 2014)
(Davidson, et al., 2014).
Legislative Correspondents:
This individual will be responsible for assisting the legislative director in conducting
strenuous research. Theis correspondent will also assist the director in editing, drafting letters,
and other written documents. In addition, this correspondent will help the director and assistants

POLS 400 Legislative Agenda, SPRING 2016

in formulating speeches, and articles for me to introduce to the floor (United States Senate,
2014).
Memo:
Senatorial position
On issues that deal with education, health care, conservation, and innovation I will be
acting as a delegate, voting in the best interest of the state of Delaware. On moral issues I will be
acting as trustee, where I choose my decisions based on my own conservative views of morality.
Hence, I will be acting on a majority politico, changing my vote based on state and conservative
lines. In capitol hill I will be fighting for legislation that is in line with both descriptive and
substantive styles (Davidson, et al., 2014). I want to support a diverse state, but also act as a
liaison for my constituents at home. This will require a weekend commute back to my
constituents and hear what they have to say in regards to issues in the legislature and issues at
home. My staff and I will treat everyone with the same respect and listen to them as if they were
an elected official. Hence my home style will be reflected at the hill as one that listens and
communicates with my constituents of all demographics, race, ethnics, and religions (Fenno). On
partisan lines, at the hill, I will also work closely with my Republican comrades but will not be
swayed to my better judgment on key democratic issues. Lastly, I will be the correspondent on
issues that pertain to the senate by means of media (Davidson, et al., 2014).
Issues
The issues that are ideal to the success of our campaign are conservation, innovation, and
education. In education, I would like to improve how Delaware helps students with disabilities
and who need educational assistance. Moreover, I would like to show the importance that science
and technology education have for the agricultural and innovative agencies within the state. It
will be pertinent to back technology and agricultural agencies within our region since they are a
valuable part to our identity as a state and to our economy. In addition, their needs to be a strong
concern over the protection of our natural resources for future generations. This means that while
Delaware strives to become more innovative we need to focus on clean energy sources (U.S.
Senator Christopher Coons) (Tom Carper: U.S. Senator for Delaware).
Campaign Issues
Our campaign is committed to keeping our Republican ties in congress as well keeping
the progressive social issues of our state. In economic issues, my staff needs to be fighting for
Delaware on moderate democratic lines to help aid the majority of our constituents that have no
insurance. On social issues, my staff need to align heavily with the Republican party.
Strategically this can be used to compromise republican economic issues in order to obtain the
social republican agenda. Conversely, the staff needs to pay close attention to republican
economic issues in regards to helping Delawares local economy. Hence as a staff, they will need
to support small businesses and supporting technology and innovation. Lastly, staffers should
also keep in mind the importance of improving our education system, especially in regards to
disabilities. Although I will not be campaigning on supporting womens issues, often aligned
with a democratic ticket, I may appeal more to progressive women voters. However, as a woman
candidate, I would like the staff to try an appeal a women senator to ultra conservative males and
females, who may see it as unsuitable.
Road map
The goal of this agenda is to achieve a majority republican legislation but at the same
time try and aid our constituents without losing our trust of the party. This will mean introducing
legislation that supports the Republican party and fighting hard on the floor for key social issues.

POLS 400 Legislative Agenda, SPRING 2016

I want to be as loyal to my constituents as possible not only to keep my position but also to be
trusting representative. In addition, I will try and gain support by meeting with business and
small business executives. I will follow up by meeting with and speaking at local schools telling
them how much I value education as a candidate. Moreover, it is crucial that we use social media
to advance our campaign. In addition, to using yard signs and pamphlets to distribute and mail
with franking privileges (Davidson, et al., 2014). I will also ask the new media to send out notice
of voting registration deadlines. Lastly, I will probably gain the interest of PACs and interest
groups which will be my only political ads. If it come to the point that I need to run ads they will
be micro-targeted to districts that are democratic and will be economic issue based.

Sincerely ,
Your servant Michelle Christensen
Reflection
In the beginning of the semester we pondered the idea of whether a politician who acts as
representative of the constituents (delegate role) or maintains their own beliefs (trustee) in office
is better. In conclusion we found that in many ways a politician will have to compromise
between the two positions called politico in order win reelection. This makes the issues they
decide to support and those they choose not to support a sort of chess game in the game of
politics. Recently, we have addressed how some politicians have a home hat and hill hat that they
use to influence members of congress and constituents at home (Fenno). Then, we soon found
that compromise still does not keep a politician safe in the next election. Representatives have
been chosen whether or not their constituents respond more to issue based, promise based, or
change based campaign strategy. Hence, they have to align with supporters of their party, PACs
and interest groups. In addition, they need to obtain support from industries within their state.
Moreover, politicians need to decide if it is in their best interest to show positive or negative ads,
yard signs, pamphlets, etc. and trying to work through the coordination dilemma they face.
Furthermore, we talked about how demographics and data can be used to micro-target a majority
of our finances where they are needed most. As a member of the Senate, it is also important to
make sure the rights of your constituents are not hindered. This means making sure, as a senator
one is targeting the right districts, properly reminded of elections either by sending reminders in
the mail or contacting their local news station. In class we have also discussed how long a
member of the senate and what their ethnic, gender, and race can do to thwart or endure their
term in the senate.

POLS 400 Legislative Agenda, SPRING 2016

References
Davidson, R.H., Oleszek, W.J., Lee, F.E., & Schickler, E. (2014). Congress and its members. [iBooks]. Washington DC: SAGE Publicans, Inc.
Ed C. Moy. (2014, February 23). How do you become director of the mint? part 4a: being
sworn in.[Image]. Edmund C. Moy. Retrieved from http://edmoy.com/how-do-youbecome-director-of-the-mint-part-4a-being-sworn-in/
This websites letter head image was used for the fictitious letter head of this paper.
Fenno, R. F. (1977, September). U.S. house members in their constituents an exploration. The
American Political Science Review, 71 (3), p.883-917. Retrieved from
http://www.jstor.org/stable/1960097
The United States Senate. (2014). Position Descriptions. The United States Senate. Retrieved
from http://democrats.senate.gov/wpcontent/uploads/2014/11/PositionDescription
Booklet.pdf
Tom Carper: U.S. Senator for Delaware. (2016). Issues and legislation. Tom Carper: U.S.
Senator for Delaware. Retrieved from http://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/
issues-legislation?p=Issues
Tom Carpers website was used for the fictitious Delaware United States Senate contact
information and issues.
U.S. Senator Christopher Coons. (2016). On the issues. U.S. Senator Christopher Coons.
Retrieved from http://www.coons.senate.gov/issues/