This publication offers guidelines on successfully shaping political decisions concerning recreation and parks. It is divided into five sections and intended as a resource manual to be used when political action is called for. The first section deals with the overall structures and interventions which can change park and recreation policy. Section 2 tells how the various levels of government are organized to provide support to recreation and parks, and the processes which turn public opinion into public policy. A brief history and some future trends concerning federal, state, and local roles in funding recreation and parks are given. Also included is an explanation of the structure and function of the state legislatures and their relationship to state and local recreation and park policy. Section 3 provides a model for mounting a comprehensive statewide legislative campaign and suggests planning strategies and ways to involve people for successful political action. In the fourth section, techniques are outlined to educate voters and politicians. Section 5 includes questions and answers about recreation and parks, research excerpts, and support statements to help sell recreation and parks to political decision makers. (JD)