House of Cards: Real Lessons in Advocacy for Food Retailers

By Steven Harris, Director, Policy Development and Regulatory Compliance, Food Marketing Institute

The long-awaited third season of Netflix’s House of Cards will be released this weekend.  The series tracks the rise of Kevin Spacey’s character, Frank Underwood, from the leadership office of the House Majority Whip to other powerful roles within the administration (we don’t want to provide any spoilers here).

There have been plenty of articles already written about how Capitol Hill does not really operate as depicted in House of Cards, yet there are lessons food retailers can learn from the show about interactions with government that may get lost among the more scandalous and suspenseful scenes.

1) Constituents Hold The Power: In one episode, Frank Underwood is shown leaving a tense negotiation in Washington to travel back to his district in South Carolina to address the concerns of his constituents.  At the end of the day, the voters hold the power to keep lawmakers in office, no matter how high up in the leadership they may be.  This theme was only too real for former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor who lost his primary last year to a relatively unknown professor.

The food retail industry operates in all states and districts across the country, and as constituents, you hold the power to re-elect those lawmakers that work hard on behalf of the industry.  We continue to encourage store visits and other events with Members of Congress to maintain a positive relationship and to highlight the potential impact that their policy decisions can have on the operations of your business.

2) The Power of the Press: On the show, Underwood develops a relationship with a young reporter as a means to influence the media and officials in Washington to move his agenda forward.  Many of Underwood’s tactics are unethical and probably illegal, but his over-the-top actions do not lessen the real power of the press, especially within the small world of politics. 

We do not condone some of the types of activity portrayed on the show, but we encourage you to develop positive relationships with your state and local media.  National coverage may generate more headlines, but that letter-to-the-editor published in a key committee chairman’s local newspaper will have more influence where it matters most.  Our industry has a positive story to tell, and these messages are important to your lawmakers.

3) Every Vote Counts: There have been several recent legislative battles that were decided by only a handful of votes.  On House of Cards, a key bill failed to get the necessary votes for passage on the House floor due to a last minute change of heart from a small group of lawmakers.  The champagne in hand was swiftly removed, and Frank Underwood went back to work.  It is the Whip’s job to ensure that the votes are counted and the results are predictable before leadership brings a bill forward for a vote.

The takeaway here is that a handful of votes or a coalition of lawmakers can make a significant difference between a failed vote and a bill becoming law.  Your letters and calls to legislators can carry that extra influence, and we encourage you to remain engaged in our grassroots efforts on key industry issues and encourage you to keep your associates involved in your advocacy efforts too.  We don’t often see such a public display as on House of Cards or as we saw a couple summers ago when the Farm Bill unexpectedly failed on the House floor, but advocacy from food retailers and other outreach efforts play a significant role in the legislative process.

Photo Credit: "House of cards logo" by Rabah201130 - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons