Questions are powerful tools for activists

Also, a special announcement about the California High-Speed Rail!

CARTER LAVIN

AUG 3, 2023

Although I typically focus on helping transportation advocates bulk up their political power, today I want to share a little about how to study a political problem with the intent to solve it. I am a little hesitant to write about this though because generally speaking, my experience with transportation advocates is that we tend to be a bit overly interested in the “study” part to the detriment of the “action” part and I don’t want to feed into that. 

A person can spend a lifetime in libraries of theory and infinite committees, and it can be tempting to do so because much of it is extremely interesting. Sometimes it can also feel like you’re on the cusp of figuring out some sort of Death Star weak spot or the perfect argument that will help win the day, and hey– maybe that’s true and I just put down the books too soon! 

But to paraphrase Rabbi Akiva: study is great…if it leads to action. So, with those disclaimers out of the way, let’s talk about questions!

A question is a tool. Questions can be used to get information, build or break connections, lead an audience towards or away from something, it can help open someone up or provoke them to shut down. Asking the right series of questions in the right way to the right people at the right time can help you get to some amazing places. While the specifics of what the right questions for you to ask are going to vary depending on your situation, here are some of my favorite sorts of questions for untangling and/or slicing through tricky knots. 

For helping map out the problem and find solutions:

  • “Why is XXXX that way?”- Keep in mind, the person you are asking might not know the actual reason for why the bus is late, or why that State Senator isn’t supporting transit funding, but this is a great question to start with!

  • “Why not?”- Good to ask earnestly to get a real answer and great to also ask rhetorically to highlight that there isn’t a good answer.

  • “What’s am I/are we missing?”- Opening up the conversation for the things that you don’t know you don’t know can be extremely useful.

  • “When do people start thinking about that and when is the final decision made?” - Identifying your window of opportunity is critical and if you know when the window officially opens, you can try to be mobilized in the lead up to that moment. Also key to know when the deadlines are. 

  • “When is X actually done?”- It ain’t over til it’s over. Just because something is approved and funded doesn’t mean it can’t be stopped. 

For helping dig deeper into challenging a change-resistant status quo

  • “Compared to what?”- Especially great to use in response to discussion of costs! But be prepared to make the comparison yourself. Compared to freeways construction & maintenance, transit is cheap. A few minutes of slower driving time is nothing compared to saving the life of a child. 

  • “Who cares?”- Said delicately and earnestly, it can be very helpful for getting to the other person’s understanding of the root of the issue. Your opposition is not a unified monolith and this question can help you peel that apart. The entire business community doesn’t hate a bike lane proposal, it’s more likely that it’s one or two people who do and they are trying to rile the others up.

  • “So what?”- Useful to break the flow of a status quo conversation and pose a challenge. So what if a few parking spots go away if it means more people can get around on bikes & mobility scooters? Seriously, so what?  Be careful: it can break a relationship…but it can also be used to break new fertile ground. 

  • “According to who?”/ “Where does it say that?”- Sometimes people are just repeating an opinion as an irrefutable fact. Especially when they are saying something isn’t possible. Your idea might not actually be impossible, it just might be new. Or maybe it’s just not possible under the current situation, but that situation can be changed. Or maybe it is impossible! Finding out which it is will help immensely. 

  • “When are/should we XYZ?”- Very helpful for breaking out of study mode and into action! 

  • “Where is the decision actually made?” - Are you dealing with a figurehead and not the power behind the throne? Who is actually pulling the strings here? The story is always more complicated than it first appears. Be careful about not saying this directly to the person or committee that you think might just be a figurehead– people tend not to take kindly to being disrespected & undermined!

And some straightforward ones to keep handy: “How does XYZ work?” “Who is responsible for that?” “Where does the money come from and where does it go?” “How can I XYZ?” “Who should I talk to about XYZ?” and maybe my personal favorite– “How can I help?” 

Interested in learning more about getting support for your effort to improve biking, transit service, or pedestrian safety? Let’s talk. Email me at Carter@carterlavin.com