Coming July 26: #SocialCongress

WASHINGTON, D.C. – A new survey of congressional staff will be released on Tuesday, July 26, gauging Capitol Hill staff opinion of the influence of social media on lawmakers' decisions and the impact of social media on communication between constituents and Congress. 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 offices that use social media to help gauge public opinion.
  • The use of social media tools to communicate Senators' and Representatives' views and activities.
  • The enriched dialogue between citizens and Congress from using social media.
  • Why a majority of congressional staff feel the benefits of using social media outweigh the risks.

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, #SocialCongress: Perceptions and Use of Social Media on Capitol Hill will be released on Tuesday, July 26th. CMF's President and CEO, Bradford Fitch, will be interviewed on C-SPAN'S Washington Journal on July 26 at 9:15 am, and on Facebook DC Live, a live streaming video program, at 12:00 pm (http://on.fb.me/FBDCLive).