Have you ever wanted to express yourself publicly on a matter having to do with politics, public policy, legislation, or government generally?  Have you ever wanted to write a letter or place a call to a legislator or other type of government official, or to a newspaper or magazine on one of these topics, but you held back because you were not sure, or you lacked the confidence, that you could express your point of view clearly and intelligently on a complicated political or social issue?  Have you ever wanted to speak or ask a question at a political meeting, a government agency hearing, or even engage in some political campaigning, but you held back because you believed that you lacked an adequate understanding of the processes and issues involved?  Or would you just like a clear and objective explication of the politics and policy issues involved in a particular election in order to facilitate your voting decision?

If you are one of the many Americans who have found themselves in this situation, then I can help.  I offer customized tutorials on a wide range of topics concerning sociopolitical affairs.  I have been studying U.S. and international politics and policies, as well as the rhetoric associated with them, for nearly forty years, via an academic education and throughout the course of my adult life.  I possess a quite thorough understanding of all major political issues, current as well as historical, and the arguments advanced by contending parties to support their differing points of view.  I am also knowledgeable about many political and public policy issues that are not currently a part of mainstream political discourse, or that might be considered offbeat or esoteric, but are nonetheless important to many people.

So, if you would like to join the national political conversation on a topic of domestic or international significance, or a local political conversation on an issue that affects your state or community, and you would like some assistance drafting your correspondence, preparing a statement or question for a public meeting, or perhaps just some overall education on the politics, legislation, social issues, and rhetoric involved in any particular debate, then contact me.  I can provide you with accurate, detailed, articulate, and unbiased explanations of the various factors influencing the issue involved, the social context and historical development of the issue, its relationship to other issues, and its significance in the national political debate.  I can also do the same for the rhetorical strategies used by advocates representing different sides in the debate to advance their positions, and explain why people of varying social characteristics tend to take the positions that they do.

My purpose in offering this service is not to tell you what you should say regarding an issue; nor to advocate for or against any particular point of view on an issue; nor to claim that a particular position on any given issue is the correct one.  Rather, it is to help you express whatever your point of view is on issues of your choice in the most articulate, lucid, and effective manner possible for the purpose of facilitating your ability to communicate your opinion to the public, to your elected officials, or to some other agency of government.

By providing information about the historical background and the social and philosophical context within which political and public policy debates take place, I can assist you in framing your arguments for greatest clarity and persuasiveness with your audience.  I can also broaden your understanding of the sociological processes that underlie political affairs by providing information on the findings of political science research into these fundamental matters.  Finally, I can help with the writing and editing of your letter or speech, if necessary, to cover any  problems with spelling, punctuation, word usage, or sentence structure for which you may desire assistance.

In addition to the above, I am also generally knowledgeable about the practices and policies of government administrative agencies.  If you have a problem you believe could be helped by the action of such an agency, I can help you ascertain which agency is responsible for providing assistance with the problem or circumstance involved, how to make initial contact with that agency, and whether you should consider retaining the services of an attorney to represent your interests.  I am not an attorney myself, and therefore cannot offer specific advice on any legal case that might develop, but I can explain the bureaucratic politics and organizational dynamics that influence how government agencies make decisions, and why they tend to favor certain social interests over others.  Likewise, if you are experiencing difficulty as a result of the actions of a government administrative agency, including actions involving economic or commercial regulation, I can help you understand the reasoning and motivation behind the agency's conduct, and suggest strategies to counteract, or at least mitigate, the effects of those actions.

I am available to provide these services over the Internet, or, by arrangement, via phone, fax, or regular mail.  My charge for these services is one hundred dollars per hour, billed in quarter-hour increments, to include all time involved in reading written correspondence, composing responses, and phone conversations.  Brief exchanges of emails or phone conversations for the purpose of determining whether my service would be of value to you, or to respond to a specific inquiry concerning a social policy issue, are without charge.  Also, flat fees for particular services can be negotiated prior to commencing any work.  Payment may be made over the Internet or through the mail.  Payment for services received will be due upon completion of those services.  I may post certain questions that I receive in written form, and my responses to them, on this website, or other websites that I may create.  I may also post paraphrased versions of phone conversations in the same manner.  All such postings will be done without attribution to any person, and in a manner which makes clear that I am not claiming authorship.  Otherwise, I will treat all communications as confidential.  I look forward to helping you.  You may contact me at: matt@politicalconversation.com.

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