“States are the laboratories of democracy.”
— U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis
We wrote this guide to complement the incredible advocacy work already being done by Indivisibles across the country. Since the 2016 election, Indivisibles have showed up time and time again to demand change from Congress — and you have already begun to take those same concepts of participatory democracy to your elected officials at all levels.
Our goal is to provide a practical understanding of how state legislatures work, and of how you can use your constituent power to both resist harmful federal policies and pave the way for progress at the state level. This is not a panacea, and it is not intended to stand alone. We strongly urge you to marry the state-level strategy in this guide with the tried and true strategy of our federal Guide and a broader commitment to creating a more just society, building local power, and addressing systemic injustice and racism.
