To change the world
It helps to change the public policy that shapes our world
Too much policy benefits the powerful, not the people
The core promise of American democracy is that we get to have a say in how we’re governed, but few of us are given the means to do that beyond voting.
Democracy is a 365-day project and the bills that become the laws we live under - from the cost of healthcare and housing to the quality of the air we breathe and water we drink to who can have guns and abortions - are written between elections.
If regular folks don’t know how to have a voice in that policymaking, lobbyists do. And they are very good at shaping it for their special interests. But policy that serves the powerful rarely serves the rest of us.
I build people’s policy power
You deserve to have a say in shaping the laws you live under. I give you the skills you need to understand how public policy is made so you can help make better policy on the issues that matter to you.
Whether through workshops, one-on-one trainings, or organizational capacity building, I’ll help strength your policy muscle so you can have a smart, strategic seat at any policymaking table. Here’s a little flavor of the teaching and training I do off the page.
Here’s my bottom line: When people have a say in shaping the laws they live under, we get more laws that benefit the people, not the powerful.
Ready to begin? Let’s talk!
A Bit About Me: Caitie Whelan (WHALE-in) is a civic strategist. She was a staffer in Congress for six years, starting in the Senate and ending as Senior Foreign Policy Advisor for a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee. She served as Communications Director for the Maine Democratic Party and did communications and operations for one of President Biden's global climate initiatives. Caitie co-founded a school in India with a community of lower caste musicians and ran her own creative writing and teaching venture. She graduated from Brown University and was a member of the Brown University Women’s Leadership Council, where she co-chaired their Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Advisory Group. She is a Truman Scholar for Public Service and Founding Chair of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Maine Chapter's Public Policy Team. She writes Policy is for Lovers, a friendly newsletter for good policy change.
My clients envision a better future.
Want to start making some good trouble now?
Get Policy is for Lovers, a friendly newsletter for good policy change.
No hot takes, punditry, or blood pressure-raising campaign coverage. Just honest tools for making good change.