The Individual in Politics

Find and describe an example of an individual who changed public policy.  Describe the person and the process this person used to cause change.  As an example, Joseph Pond of the Backyard Chickens case is an example of an individual who organized supporters and was able to persuade elected members of the Cobb County Commission to change the county ordinance to allow (in some cases) households to possess backyard chickens.  In addition, Martin Luther King was influential in obtaining laws promoting civil rights at the federal (U.S. government) level.

Hint/Idea:  If you are unsure how to begin this task, start with a search of a policy proposal – such as legalizing marijuana in a state, such as Colorado, or legalizing gun carry on college campuses.  Do some google searches.  You should be able to find an individual who led a group promoting the idea (there may be multiple people – just pick one to focus on).  So start, with a policy topic idea, find a jurisdiction (government) that adopted the idea.  Then find an individual who played a key role.

The example can be from the federal (U.S.), state (State of Georgia or any other state), or local government (school districts, counties, cities) levels.  Be sure to identify a specific person who was NOT at the time of the policy change a high level elected official, such as the President (try to focus on ordinary people who became important in policy change).