The report will be issued by the Congressional Management Foundation (CMF), a nonpartisan nonprofit organization which works to improve congressional operations through research, publications, and training. The report is a part of CMF’s new initiative to enhance understanding and the relationship between citizens and Congress, the Partnership for a More Perfect Union. 

The report will include data on:

• The percentage of congressional staff who believe that constituent meetings and letters have “some” or “a lot” of influence on an undecided lawmaker, versus a “visit from a lobbyist.”
• The role of email and the Internet in making Members of Congress more accountable to constituents.
• The impact of various forms of influence tactics (email, postal mail, town hall meetings, social media, grassroots campaigns).
• How social media is used by Congress to both communicate views and opinions of Members of Congress, and how legislators use social media to understand the views of constituents.

CMF has been working with congressional offices for 34 years to improve operations. This research is part of an eight-year project, Communicating with Congress, which has included surveys of congressional staff, surveys of the public, and a series of recommendations to address obstacles to improving communications between constituents and Congress.

The findings of the latest report, “Perceptions of Citizen Advocacy on Capitol Hill,” will be released at 11:00 am (EST) on Wednesday, January 26 in a webinar and conference call offered to the media. Information on how to attend the webinar and conference call are below.

WHAT: Release of “Perceptions of Citizen Advocacy on Capitol Hill”

WHO: Congressional Management Foundation

WHEN: Wednesday, January 26, 11:00 am (EST)

WHERE: Conference Call & Webinar (CLICK HERE TO ATTEND)

CONFERENCE CALL NUMBER: (866) 576-7975 CONFERENCE CODE: 777-127