Spotlight: ENACT at Siena University - Citizen Advocacy in the New York State Assembly
January 26, 2026
ENACT Faculty Fellow Dan Lewis has been teaching his ENACT course “Citizen Lobbying and Advocacy” (POSC 210) at Siena University in New York since 2018. He writes that the positive impact of ENACT on his students extends beyond the classroom – and beyond the realm of government and policymaking:
ENACT Faculty Fellow Daniel Lewis (at right) with his Siena University ENACT students touring the New York State Capitol Building in 2023.
The ENACT course is a unique experiential learning opportunity that has allowed my students to clearly connect classroom concepts to real world governing and politics. The course not only allows students to connect with legislators and staff, it also gives them opportunities to connect with community organizers, policy advocates, and professional lobbyists.
It also builds the soft skills necessary for nearly all careers: communication, networking, compromise and problem-solving.
And, the value of the course is clearly evident to the students themselves. For example, though students often begin the course nervous at the prospect of meeting with legislators, by the end of the semester they are seeking new opportunities to advocate for their policy goals – even after grades are submitted! This transformation in self-confidence and efficacy is remarkable.”
Further, the ENACT Faculty Fellowship program gave me tools necessary to implement a successful and popular version of the course at Siena. The ENACT network’s community of other instructors and researchers has been great and the ongoing support of the Brandeis staff has been invaluable.
I'm looking forward to continuing offering this course at Siena and continued collaboration as part of the national ENACT network.
Siena University ENACT students with New York State Assemblymember Phil Steck on the floor of the New York State Assembly in 2018.
Prof. Lewis’s ENACT course “Citizen Lobbying and Advocacy” was featured in Siena University’s newsletter “The SCoop” in 2018:
A Lesson in Lobbying, The Siena SCoop (Vol.1, Issue 13), April 2018
When you hear the term lobbyist, what comes to mind? A glad-handing extrovert who schmoozes with elected officials on behalf of controversial causes and companies?
Not quite.
Being a lobbyist involves a strong working knowledge of the legislative process, good research skills and the tenacity to advocate for your client. Eighteen Siena students are learning about it from Dr. Daniel Lewis in his new lobbying class this semester.
The class, most of whom are majoring in political science, has been working in teams of two or three students. Each team was asked to select an actual bill that is currently working its way through the New York State Legislature, track its progress, and advocate for its passage. They were encouraged to choose bills that spoke to them personally.
Dr. Lewis, associate professor of political science, said the new lobbying course is based on a prototype from Brandeis University. Siena is part of the second cohort of Universities in the country to teach the course, with 29 currently offering the class. Each University is located in or near a state capital so students can be close to the lawmaking process and get regular experience speaking with state legislators and staffers.
“It’s high-impact, experiential learning,” said Dr. Lewis, who teaches state politics and public policy and has done advocacy work himself in the past.
The class had initial meetings with Senator Neil Breslin and Assemblyman Phil Steck (who both represent Siena in the legislature), then the sponsors of the various bills. After that, there have been ongoing meetings with various legislators, staffers and fellow advocates to put into practice what they have learned in class.
“They’re learning how to draft a lobby memo, and how to properly communicate and persuade,” he said.
Their classwork is also covering New York’s legislative process, lobbying theory and policy research.
“My goals for the course are to give the students a sense of empowerment that comes from concerted action and civil engagement,” said Dr. Lewis. “They’re learning how they can personally affect change, and what the process is to accomplish that in the Legislature.”
Lobbyists Evan Sullivan ’10 and Kathleen Digan ’10, have visited class to talk to the students about what life is like in the trenches. The key to getting the attention of legislators and staffers? Information. Gather accurate details, statistics and narratives so that policy makers can make informed votes.
Lizzy Vinal ’19 is working with Emily Radigan ’19 to lobby for a bill that would prohibit discrimination in New York based on gender identity and expression. The bill has passed the state Assembly 10 years in a row, but has never even made it out of committee in the Senate.
Vinal said Republicans from the Senate majority consider the bill “toxic,” so the likelihood that it will pass while their party is in power is very slim.
“The word is out that as a Republican, if you aren’t against this bill, you will be challenged at election time,” she said.
She said it’s easier to lobby for something you are passionate about. She and Radigan are involved with Siena’s Gay/Straight Alliance and are interested in LGBTQ legal issues.
JaiCe Stinton ’18 lobbied for a bill that would add funding for more staff in New York state parks. Maria Zumbo ’18 and Aiden O’Brien ’19 are on her team; O’Brien works for the state park system and has noticed an increase in litter and disrepair. They agreed that increased staff in the parks could help the situation.
As a funding bill, it was part of the state budget. Despite the efforts of lobbyists and park unions, the line item was defeated. Stinton said it will most likely be introduced again next year.
The student lobbyists used different approaches in their advocacy, from networking with legislators and their staffers to taking it grassroots by researching and writing documents such as lobbying memos, leave-behinds, and the all-important “30-second elevator speech.” Honing the message is an ongoing process.
“If legislators see you’ve done your work, they are more willing to talk to you,” they said.
They agreed that one of the biggest challenges in being a lobbyist is “getting used to people saying ‘no,’” but overall they are impressed with its role in government.
“Lobbying plays a critical role in legislators making informed decisions about a wide variety of issues,” said Vinal. “And it’s not just powerful interests that use lobbying.”
Siena University ENACT students meet with New York State Senator Neil D. Breslin in a meeting room at the New York State Capitol in 2018.
