Informing state policymakers: opportunities for social workers

Colleagues, legislative staff, interest groups, administrative agencies, universities and think tanks, the media, and constituents are some of the more commonly recognized sources of information for state legislators. Results of a survey of 507 legislators in 12 U.S. states reveal that ethnic associations, grassroots organizations, the Internet, local branches of national or state organizations, and conferences are also sources of information for state legislators. The relative importance of the various sources is linked to characteristics of the legislators and the districts they represent. This suggests the need for targeted information dissemination strategies to influence state-level public policy.