Sorry for vagueposting but I need your guys’s advice. Suppose you have a major opportunity coming up relatively shortly in which you can network with certain people in the admin. The opportunity isn’t necessarily policy-focused, but it’s the only one you’ll get. What arguments would you present to try to convince them to curtail legal immigration (H1Bs, etc)?
I would look for ways to present this positively, as an opportunity.
"You would really connect with Gen-Z voters if you showed leadership on this issue, and here's how."
"In my political discussion group, the younger voters are paying a lot of attention immigration issues."
If you're meeting with politicians or those around them, they tend to be more responsive to political influence than logical or practical arguments. For example,
- Show that you represent or speak for a group of people, especially IRL.
- Show how the issue affects the politician and how they can politically benefit
- Demonstrate that you have other types of influence that the politician cares about such as financial, media reach, connections, professional, etc
- In some contexts, demonstrating policy expertise can be helpful
Policy wonks are a different animal entirely. They are kind of like autists, but instead of trains it's formalized opinions about a narrow subject and its related laws and regulations. It’s hard to have a discussion about their special subject unless you're really knowledgeable about it. They do like giving lectures though. Showing some interest and letting them talk can maybe get your foot in the door for further discussion.
Good luck.
