How to Communicate with Congress

"Citizen-Centric Advocacy: The Untapped Power of Constituent Engagement," reveals the degree of influence that citizens have on congressional decision-making. The report is the most comprehensive research ever published on citizen engagement with Congress.

This report provides an overview of research with congressional staffers about how they view and process social media and discusses the implications of the research for citizens when communicating with congressional offices through social media platforms.

[Available Format - Video (1 minute)]

Congress' relationship with technology has changed over the last 50 years. Thanks to legislative action centers and the wide adoption of social media, which have made it very easy to communication with Congress, Congressional offices are overwhelmed. The volume of correspondence in Congressional offices in-boxes pales in comparison to the volume in Congressional outboxes. Yet the basic system for responding to constituents hasn't really changed in 50 years. That's why it's important that constituents communicate effectively if they want their voices to be heard.

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.

On February 13, CMF released its latest report, "Citizen-Centric Advocacy: The Untapped Power of Constituent Engagement." As the volume of constituent messages to Congress explodes, citizens are wondering if their voices make any difference. CMF research shows that they do, and also that some means are more effective than others when you want to be heard on Capitol Hill.