What’s the connection between the issues you care most about and the people who vie for your vote? This page will show you which government officials manage each of the issues below. With this information, you can reach out to the right person to tell them what kind of change(s) you’d like to see.

Education

Is education the issue you’re most passionate about? Different levels of government are responsible for different aspects of the education system. If you have an education policy question, in most cases you’ll want to talk to your…

State government

…which is responsible for the following aspects of education:

  • Funding levels
  • Curriculum standards
  • Graduation requirements

As is the case at the federal level, the state legislature and the governor make the laws, while a separate Department of Education implements them. Most states also have a state Board of Education, which sets more detailed rules about schools.

Who do I call?

If you care about these aspects of education, you should contact your state representative(s), state senator, and governor. 

You can also contact the members of your state’s Board of Education, who may be elected or appointed depending on your state. And you can contact the head of your state’s Department of Education, who is usually called the Superintendent of Public Instruction. Depending on your state, this position may be elected or appointed.

Click here to find your state’s elected officials.

If you have an issue with a particular school or school district, you’ll want to talk to your…

Local school district board

…which is responsible for the following:

  • Setting school budgets based on the funding they get from the state, meaning they determine how much to allocate to administrative salaries, teacher salaries, building maintenance, technology, buses, and so on
  • Hiring a district superintendent
  • Setting bus routes
  • Determining school attendance areas
  • Choosing which textbooks to buy
  • Setting student discipline policies and dress codes

Who do I call?

If you care about these topics, you should contact your local school board members.

You can find out which school district you’re in at Niche.com.

The federal government in DC

…is the least likely branch of government the average person will need to talk to about education. However, the federal government is responsible for items including:

  • Free and reduced-price lunch programs
  • Title I programs for low-income schools
  • Funding and regulations for students with disabilities and/or special needs (through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or “IDEA”)
  • Race- or sex-based discrimination in schools

Laws on these topics are made by Congress and the President of the United States. These laws are implemented by the U.S. Department of Education.

Who do I call?

If you care about these particular pieces of the education system, you should contact your U.S. Congressman and U.S. Senators. Click here to find your representatives and senators.

You can also contact the office of the United States Secretary of Education. However, since the Secretary is appointed by the President rather than being elected by people from a particular district, you may have a hard time reaching them.

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Flickr / Alex Proimos

Healthcare

So you care about healthcare? Who you should talk to and what level of government is responsible depends on what, exactly, you are talking about.

The federal government…

…is responsible for big-picture policies and regulation, such as those regarding:

  • Medicare (for the elderly)
  • Medicaid (for low-income individuals)
  • The Affordable Care Act (“Obamacare”)
  • The proposed “Medicare-for-all”

Who do I call?

You’ll want to reach out to your U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators. Click here to find your representatives.

State governments…

…are responsible for the following pieces of the healthcare system:

  • Medicaid administration and implementation, including determining eligibility and expansion under the Affordable Care Act
  • State funding to hospitals and any fees levied against them
  • “Right to try” laws that allow patients to opt in to experimental medications
  • Legality of aid in dying (physician-assisted suicide)
  • State-run healthcare programs such as “Romneycare” in Massachusetts

Who do I call?

You’ll want to call your State Representative(s), State Senator, and Governor if you have questions or comments related to these aspects of the healthcare system. Click here to find your state representatives.

Local governments…

…control the following aspects of the healthcare system:

  • Local clinics that may be funded by cities and towns
  • “Special healthcare district” boards that manage bond funds for public hospitals
  • Administration and funding of county hospitals
  • Zoning for new healthcare locations

Who do I call?

For local healthcare issues, you’ll most likely want to talk to your county leaders. Depending on how your county is structured, that could mean you county board of supervisors, county commissioners, or county executive. There’s a small chance you’ll need to reach out to your city councilmember(s) or mayor, or the board members of a special healthcare district if you have a really uncommon issue, but this is rare. Click here to find your county leadership.

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Student debt

Student debt in 2018 exceeded $1.5 trillion. That’s a 50 percent increase from the $1 trillion mark America hit in 2012. So what’s the breakdown of responsibility for this challenge?

The federal government…

  • Oversees federal student loan programs like Perkins and Stafford loans
  • Oversees student loan forgiveness programs like the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program
  • Tracks colleges’ employment and graduation rates, especially in connection with preventing fraudulent or misleading advertising to prospective students. This has been an issue recently with for-profit colleges in particular.
  • Runs the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which regulates private student loans

Who do I call?

You’ll want to reach out to your U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators. Click  here to find your representatives.

State governments…

  • Manage certain programs for free college tuition like those that exist in Arkansas, Hawaii, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Tennessee.
  • Set funding levels for public universities and community colleges
  • Oversee and regulate public universities

Who do I call?

If you have a question about any of these points or want to see free college tuition come to your state, you’ll want to talk to your state representative(s), state senator, and governor. Click here to find your governor and state representatives.

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Flickr / Bill Dickinson

Housing costs

The high cost of housing has become a critical issue in cities across the country. Each level of government has different responsibilities on this front, but most of the time you’ll want to talk to your local (city) elected officials.

The federal government…

…is responsible mostly for special programs assisting low-income individuals, such as:

  • Funding construction of affordable housing
  • Providing “Section 8” vouchers to offset housing costs

Who do I call?

You’ll want to reach out to your U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators if there’s something you want to change about these programs. Click here to find your representatives.

State governments…

…are responsible for the following pieces of the housing system:

  • State laws affecting zoning (for example, ongoing proposals in California)
  • Statewide property taxes or regulations affecting local property taxes
  • State taxes on developers
  • State laws on rent control and tenant protection

Who do I call?

If you’re sure you have a question about these issues rather than local ordinances on housing, you’ll want to call your State Representative(s), State Senator, and Governor. Click here to find your state representatives.

Local governments…

…control pretty much everything else related to housing:

  • Zoning, including height and density restrictions
  • Issuing construction permits
  • Air quality enforcement during construction
  • Parking requirements
  • Rent control and tenant protections
  • Affordable housing requirements for new developments

Who do I call?

For these issues, in almost every case you’ll want to talk to your mayor and city council. By showing up at city council meetings as well as other city committees like a “Planning Commission” or “Development Review Board,” you can really have an impact on what gets built in your town. For a detailed guide on how to manage that process, check out the book America, The Owner’s Manual: You Can Fight City Hall–And Win. Or click here to find your city leaders.

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Criminal justice and drug legalization

Mass incarceration is a growing concern for many Americans, and interest in drug legalization is growing. If you’re interested in these topics, here are the pieces of it that each level of government is responsible for.

The federal government…

…is responsible for:

  • Federal laws determining the legal status of drugs such as marijuana, both for medical and recreational use
  • Federal “mandatory minimum” sentencing laws for particular crimes
  • The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
  • The federal prison system (note that generally only drug traffickers who sell across state lines are charged with federal crimes)
  • The federal court system
  • The FBI, which manages corruption investigations into all levels of government
  • The Department of Justice (overseen by the United States Attorney General, appointed by the President), which investigates alleged federal civil rights violations, such as by local police forces

Who do I call?

You’ll want to reach out to your U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators if there’s something you want to change about these laws. Click here to find your representatives.

State governments…

…are responsible for the following pieces of the criminal justice system and drug laws:

  • State laws affecting the legal status of drugs such as marijuana, both for medical and recreational use. (Note that federal law takes precedence over state law.)
  • Laws regulating marijuana dispensaries, licensing systems, etc.
  • State “mandatory minimum” sentencing laws for particular crimes, including drug possession
  • The state prison system, including determining whether to use private prisons
  • The state court system

Who do I call?

If you have a question about these issues, you’ll want to call your State Representative(s), State Senator, and Governor. Click here to find your state representatives.

Local governments…

…control the following:

  • Zoning to determine the location of marijuana dispensaries
  • Local police forces
  • County sheriff’s offices
  • City and county jails
  • City and county courts

Who do I call?

If you’re interested in zoning of dispensaries or police conduct, you’ll want to talk to your mayor and city council. For the other items above, you’ll want to talk to your county sheriff or county commissioners / county board of supervisors. Click here to find your city and county leaders.

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Middelgruden Offshore Wind Farm in Denmark / United Nations photo

Climate change

Climate change has become an increasingly urgent topic for all generations across the globe, but particularly for younger people who will have to live with its long-term impact throughout their lives. Each level of government has different responsibilities on this front.

The federal government…

…is responsible for nationwide efforts on climate change, such as:

  • The proposed Green New Deal
  • Any proposed national carbon tax or “cap and trade” arrangement
  • Federal laws on emissions requirements, renewable energy, and environmental protection
  • All efforts by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
  • International efforts such as the Paris Climate Accords or bilateral agreements with Mexico on environmental protection

Who do I call?

You’ll want to reach out to your U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators if there’s something you want to change about these programs. Click here to find your representatives.

State governments…

…are responsible for the following issues related to climate change:

  • State laws on emission requirements
  • State laws on renewable energy, such as California’s law requiring solar panels on all new houses, or requirements for utilities to get a certain percentage of their energy from renewable sources by a certain date
  • State laws on environmental protection
  • State laws on use of plastic bags, straws, or other items
  • State laws on water use

Who do I call?

If you have a question about these issues, you’ll want to call your State Representative(s), State Senator, and Governor. Click here to find your state representatives.

Local governments…

…control pretty much everything else related to housing:

  • Local landfills and solid waste policies, vendors, and costs
  • Local recycling and composting policies
  • Local construction requirements, such as New York City’s new requirement for green roofs on new buildings
  • Local policies on water use, rainwater capture, reclaimed water, etc.
  • Sewer systems and water treatment plants
  • County regulation of air quality

Individual utility companies can also play a large role in climate change, so you’ll want to find your local utility and find out the status of their efforts.

Who do I call?

For these issues, you’ll probably want to talk to your mayor and city council, though for air quality specifically you’ll want to talk to your county commissioners / county board of supervisors Click here to find your city and county leaders.

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Inequality

Economic inequality has become an issue that weighs heavily in the minds of voters. Each level of government has different responsibilities on this front, but most of the time you’ll want to talk to your federal representatives.

The federal government…

…is responsible for:

  • The federal tax code, including the rates of individual income tax and corporate income tax, capital gains tax, tax deductions and credits, etc.
  • Any proposed new federal taxes such as the “wealth tax” or “value added tax (VAT)” that have been floated in recent years
  • Anti-monopoly laws, regulation, and enforcement
  • Federal minimum wage laws
  • Federal workplace regulations, such as safety requirements or limitations on hours worked per day
  • Federal laws on parental leave, sick leave, and vacation time

Who do I call?

You’ll want to reach out to your U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators if there’s something you want to change about these laws. Click here to find your representatives.

State governments…

…are responsible for the following pieces of the inequality puzzle:

  • State income tax and other state taxes
  • State minimum wage laws (which are mostly higher than the federal minimum wage)
  • State workplace regulations, such as safety requirements or limitations on hours worked per day
  • State laws on parental leave, sick leave, and vacation time

Who do I call?

If you have a question about these laws, you’ll want to call your State Representative(s), State Senator, and Governor. Click here to find your state representatives.

Local governments…

…control relatively little on the inequality front compared to state and local governments:

  • Zoning for new housing and commercial developments
  • Public transportation systems
  • Local minimum wage requirements
  • Local paid sick leave requirements

Who do I call?

For these issues, you’ll want to talk to your mayor and city council. Click here to find your city leaders.

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Immigration

Immigration is one of the hottest issues in today’s political landscape. The vast majority of policies, regulations, and enforcement on immigration is managed by the federal government. However, some issues on this topic do flow down to the state and local levels.

The federal government…

…is responsible for:

  • Setting and enforcing federal immigration law
  • The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency
  • United States Border Patrol
  • Setting and implementing policies on managing migrants and asylum seekers who cross the border
  • Managing ports of entry on the border
  • Managing any proposed barriers on the border

Who do I call?

You’ll want to reach out to your U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators if there’s something you want to change about these laws. Click here to find your representatives.

State governments…

…are responsible for the following pieces of the immigration system:

  • Determining whether undocumented immigrants can receive state driver’s licenses and benefits such as in-state tuition at public universities
  • Determining whether undocumented immigrants are allowed to vote in state and local elections or hold public office
  • Sending national guard troops to the border in emergency situations

If you have a question about these laws, you’ll want to call your State Representative(s), State Senator, and Governor. Click here to find your state representatives.

Local governments…

…control relatively little on immigration issues, but they do determine:

  • The extent to which they will cooperate with federal immigration enforcement agencies

Who do I call?

For these issues, you’ll want to talk to your mayor and city council or county commissioners / county board of supervisors. Click here to find your city and county leaders.

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