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Constituency of One
By: Shaun K. Petersen, Executive Vice President & Chief Legal Officer, Buckeye
Dealership Consulting
If you’re like me, you probably have a favorite television show or movie that you
repeatedly watch over and over and over again. Mine is The West Wing. The writing is
phenomenal. The acting is outstanding. And, you may know – I love politics.
An episode entitled – “Constituency of One” – follows Deputy Chief of Staff Josh Lyman
after he is dubbed the “101st Senator” because of his success in convincing politicos in
Washington to see things his way. Legend has it, Lyman once sent a congressman a
dead fish to help motivate him.
Lyman downplays the hubbub telling West Wing staffers they serve a constituency of
one specifically the President of the United States. One staffer immediately pushed
back and said she only serves a constituency of one – herself.
I have thought about the meaning of “constituency of one” over the course of my career.
I have worked for politicians, engaged politicians in professional and personal settings,
and may have even been considered a politician at one point in time. After decades of
meetings with individuals and entities while in government service and while
representing individuals and entities before government bodies, I have come to the
same conclusion that fictional White House staffer did. Ultimately, we are all
constituencies of one to ourselves and our businesses.
Think about the idea of your business being a constituency of one. What does that
mean to the dealership? Why is that important? What should you do to represent your
constituency of one?
Being a constituent of one means you each have a story to tell. You know your
business. You know your business’s impact on your employees, on the economy, and
on your community. You know the day-to-day challenges dealerships face. You know
how your dealership fits into the larger automobile retail industry. Who better to tell this
story – your story – than you?
I can assure you that government officials want to hear from you. They NEED to hear
from you. Think about the litany of issues your city council members, county
commissioner or congressman/congresswoman has on their plate at any given time.
When you think about the number of issues they face at any given time, their knowledge
is often a mile wide and an inch deep. They need you to provide the substance of
understanding.
Perhaps, you may be wondering if your engagement will make a difference. Let me
share a few examples of how the voice of the dealer has made a difference over the
years.
It was the dealer voice that has repeatedly pushed back against proposed legislation
that would prohibit the sale of vehicles with open recalls.
It was the dealer voice that led to a revocation of the Consumer Financial Protection
Bureau’s flawed guidance on dealer assisted financing.
It was the voice of the dealer that led Congress to revoke the CFPB’s ill-conceived, anti-
consumer arbitration rule.
It was the voice of the dealer that kept 100% deductibility of floorplan interest expenses
in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
It was the voice of the dealer that helped defeat overreaching Buy Here-Pay Here
legislation in Oregon.
And more recently, it was the voice of the dealer that convinced federal, state and local
governments that automotive sales and service are essential businesses to remain
open during the pandemic.
This is far from a complete list, but these things don’t happen without you telling your
story.
How do you get started? Reach out to your local, state and federal elected officials.
Invite them to come by the dealership and see first-hand what it is you do and how you do it.
I would also encourage you to get involved in your dealer associations. Consider
contributing to their political action committees that support candidates for office who
will champion our industry.
One final piece of advice – leave the dead fish at home.
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