This is the second in a series of posts on our latest report, State of the Congress 2022, a joint project of CMF and the Partnership for Public Service. Over the next few weeks, we will release additional blog posts discussing the findings and implications of the report.

"I believe there are solutions to the problems Congress has; the question is whether we have the collective will to implement them." - legislative manager, Senate personal office

Between December 2021 and January 2022, CMF, in collaboration with the Partnership for Public Service, recruited congressional staffers to answer an in-depth survey to gauge staff perception of the institution they work for. The survey was designed to provide insights into civility, functionality, and capacity in Congress. Staffers were identified through outreach to respected contacts on and off of Capitol Hill, who provided names of current legislative branch employees respected by their peers and with an institutional mindset.

The individuals surveyed represent a diverse cohort of staffers spanning the House, Senate and both chambers:

The Congressional Exemplars responded to an eight-question demographic profile and a 19-question survey that had many multi-part questions and five open-ended questions (you can download our Excel workbook to see the full questions and data). We made the questions as clear and straightforward as possible, but intentionally chose not to define terms (e.g., "functionality," "civility," "decorum," "capacity," etc.) to allow participants' own definitions to guide them.

CMF drew six key findings from the quantitative data – with the open-ended questions adding key context for these findings and providing insight into the thought process behind these results. The responses highlighted the strength and resilience CMF sees in congressional staff on a day-to-day basis, but also showcased the deep, pervasive frustration felt by many Congressional Exemplars that Congress is not functioning as it should:

"I have loved working for Congress for almost 20 years. However, the name-calling, fear mongering, and middle school behavior of Members and staff on both sides of the aisle is tearing this institution apart from the inside. I love Congress, but I don't know that I can stomach the bad behavior on both sides of the aisle any more. We need to get back civility and a desire to legislate." - Chief of Staff, House personal office

The Congressional Exemplars surveyed provide a perspective on Congress unseen by most members of the general public. The survey results and responses show that while they are clearly very dedicated to Congress, they are also concerningly disillusioned by the current congressional environment:

"Staff burnout and brain drain are some of the biggest hindrances to Congress' capacity to perform its role in our democracy. Good-intentioned people who care about our country and our democracy come to work here only to be disappointed by the day-to-day reality that is working on the Hill. People who stay and have the institutional knowledge leave after a few years to make "real" money. We need to do a lot to prevent good staffers from giving up on Congress." - Communications Director, House personal office

They are not alone. Frustration towards the current state of government operations is felt by congressional insiders and outsiders alike. What most of the public doesn't see is that, contrary to popular belief, congressional staffers are dedicated public servants faced with glaring institutional deficiencies. State of the Congress brings to the forefront this alternate perspective, through the eyes of some of Congress' most dedicated staffers. As one Congressional Exemplar put it:

"It has always been clear that more support was needed for staff, especially in support and management functions in personal and committee offices. That has become even more clear in recent weeks as discussions of staff unions has come to the forefront. If there was more support, staff and members might perform better in their respective roles." - Deputy Chief of Staff, Senate personal office

The time sacrificed by these public servants provides invaluable insight into what congressional staff leaders believe is the best way for Congress to move forward. In our next post, we will examine further the institutional deficits Congress faces, and analyze the first key finding from State of the Congress 2022.

I will close with this quote, which exceptionally captures the current state of Congress:

"Congress is made of the most incredible, inspirational, dedicated, and hardworking individuals -from the Member down to the staff assistant. There is a will here to get things done, which is the only reason we are functioning at all, but every step of the process is a thousand times more difficult and has become more partisan than it needs to be."  - Staff Director, House committee

One of CMF's flagship projects, State of the Congress provides a snapshot into the mind of people at the front lines of democracy. The data, to be collected annually, will help monitor and focus congressional modernization efforts using international standards for democratic legislatures. State of the Congress is designed to provide insight into Congress' performance over time and enable Members of Congress, congressional staff, supporting organizations, and the public to assess the impact of institutional changes that are currently underway.

Stephen Jackman is a Research Assistant for CMF. He is a 4th year political science and chemistry double major at The Ohio State University with plans to complete a senior thesis in the fall studying partisanship in Congress. He also serves as a Research Assistant for the Institute for Democratic Engagement and Accountability at Ohio State, working in particular on the Institute's Connecting to Congress project.