Citizen Engagement Toolkit

When a Member of Congress appears on television or spearheads monumental legislation, it is hard to remember that they are regular people whose job relies on interacting with constituents. Despite the ornate buildings and throngs of people walking in and out each day, Congress is only a small village. And, like in any small village, building relationships is vital for success.

In 2015 and 2016, CMF conducted "advanced advocacy academies" with food bank representatives to determine whether more purposeful and extensive training would have an impact on citizens' interactions with their elected officials. In our latest report, "Citizen-Centric Advocacy: The Untapped Power of Constituent Engagement," we highlight some of the results of this novel training, including personal stories from some of the participating advocates.

Like other parents, I fell into the travel-soccer trap. I spent a lot of time thinking about the ins and outs of soccer all those countless hours watching their games from the sidelines. One day, it struck me that there's a lot of overlap between their sport and the "sport" of advocacy. I realized that there are three lessons that soccer can teach us about advocacy.

Washington and Hollywood have had an uneven love affair over the years, but currently it's enjoying a smoking hot revival! Capitol Hill staffers joined millions outside the Beltway in binge-watching the frothy "House of Cards." But even as we collectively obsess over these fictional accounts of D.C., it's worth considering how the show impacts or even drives our deepening cynicism about American politics. "House of Cards" lead actor Kevin Spacey further blurred the lines between perception and reality when he said in an interview, "Some people feel that 99 percent of the show is accurate."

Fly-in season is almost upon us again! The annual Capitol Hill ritual mostly runs from January to about June, with thousands of associations, nonprofits and corporations flying supporters in to meet with members of Congress and their staffs. Groups invest enormous resources in these events and the meetings dominate the schedules of congressional offices.

Now that summer is here, legislators are increasing their scheduling of town hall meetings back in their districts. Recently some myths have emerged about this time honored aspect of our democracy. Some groups are claiming (usually tied to a fundraising pitch), "Congress isn't listening to citizens" and is holding fewer town hall meetings. This is false.

CMF's report, "Life in Congress: The Member Perspective," finds that Members of Congress and their staff work extremely hard and long hours, and value their contribution to society. This raises the question, if Member's of Congress are working so hard why is Congress falling short of getting things done and boosting public approval?

Bob O'Hara felt like most Americans watching the political system in 2011. Living in the Boston area, with no political experience, he was frustrated at the level of discord, but also wondering what he could do about it. When the bipartisan group NoLabels was founded to address the problems of gridlock in government, he wanted to get involved. But again, like many Americans, he didn't know much about grassroots advocacy. He came to a NoLabels conference in Washington, D.C. later that year. The conference had many expert speakers on policy, what was causing gridlock, how many in Congress were equally if not more frustrated. But what I recently learned is that one presentation stuck in his head...mine.

A huge amount of resources are invested in organized fly-in days, though they don't get as much media coverage. This article discusses some of the common mistakes that happen in these constituent-Congress meetings.

For citizens aiming to get Congress to understand their views, congressional staff report the best way is to invite their boss to attend an event or visit a group in the district or state. August recess is an excellent time to do this, but many staff also report significant variance in the acumen, skills and practices of groups requesting meetings. In this commentary, Brad Fitch offers some clear guidance based on a recent CMF survey of House District Directors.