citizen engagement

It’s the Wild, Wild West... and There is No Law or Order

Since the release of our Recommendations for Improving the Democratic Dialogue in 2008, we've been working to bring about a dramatic change in the way communications are transmitted to and from congressional offices.

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Looking Back on a Year of Service: CMF in 2021

Throughout the year that began with the January 6 attack on the Capitol, the memory of that wretched day seemed to intrude. In the aftermath, CMF did what many others in Washington did – we mourned, we cried, we talked to our friends and family – then we got to work to help the patriotic public servants who work in the Congress.

Eight days later, CMF hosted what was probably our most meaningful session ever, "Managing Staff While Under Attack," with former Member of Congress and psychologist Brian Baird, and former staffer Nicole Tisdale, who expressed the deep fear and pain being acutely felt by staffers of color on Capitol Hill. One of the hundreds of staffers who attended said: "It put words to so much of what I was feeling and was so helpful and needed. I am so grateful." This was one of many programs and services CMF provided to more than 1,400 congressional staffers – more than in any other year of our existence – as they tried to recover from a historic attack on their workplace.

Americans were reminded of the relevance and importance of the United States Congress throughout 2021, and CMF continued our four-decade mission to support it through our work to revitalize Congress as an institution, optimize the performance of congressional offices, and help citizens gain a greater understanding and relationship with their legislators. CMF believes these three pillars of our work are crucial to strengthening American democracy and rebuilding trust in our democratic institutions. We look forward to working with our partners inside and outside Congress in 2022 to continue this vital work.

Bradford Fitch
President & CEO


Learn More

Learn more about CMF's work and major achievements in our 2021 annual report:

Additional options: view the 2021 CMF annual report online or in PDF here.
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CMF in 2020: Resourceful. Resilient. Committed to Service.

2020 tested all American institutions, and the Congressional Management Foundation was no different. Our journey through unprecedented times was guided by three words: Resourceful. Resilient. Committed. Learn more about our year of service in our 2020 annual report.

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They’re Baaaack! 111th Congress Gold Mouse Awards Announced

After much eager anticipation and nervous worry from congressional offices, CMF — through its Partnership For A More Perfect Union — today announced the best Web sites on Capitol Hill.

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Setting Course: Summary of Chapter 14

Managing Constituent Communications


DO's...

    • Do be proactive to reduce the volume of incoming constituent mail. Keep constituents informed through a comprehensive and user-friendly website and regular email and social media updates.
    • Do assess the priority of mail in your office. It is counterproductive to assign mail a high priority and then fail to devote the resources to answer it appropriately.
    • Do adopt the CMF Mail System, which enables an office to answer 85% of mail with pre-approved form letters in about one week.
    • Do recognize that timeliness is of the utmost importance to constituents. A prompt one-page response is more desirable than a longer, more detailed response received several weeks later.
    • Do treat mail backlogs as an office problem, not an individual staffer’s problem. It is the Member’s reputation at stake, not the staff’s.
    • Do adhere to a consistent and timely process for the logging and coding of constituent interactions. Such a scheme will enable you to better track and respond to the needs of constituents.
    • Do respond via email. More and more offices are replying to any constituent message (regardless of incoming method) with email if they have an email address on file.

DON'Ts...

    • Don't ignore the expectations of constituents. Email has made people expect a faster reply and shorter responses.
    • Don't discount the concerns of emailers. Most of them are just as committed to their issues as traditional postal writers.
    • Don't view mail as simply something to react to. If you do, you will become a content provider instead of legislating, conducting outreach and district/state projects, and meeting the larger needs of constituents.
    • Don't fail to establish clear mail policies. Consider: the purpose of responding; the quality of replies; desired turnaround; which mail to answer; Member involvement; the involvement of communications staff; and standard formats.
    • Don't allow the Member to slow the mail approval process. When the Member regularly functions as a mail logjam, they must rethink the priority of speedy mail turnaround, or come up with a strategy to approve mail more quickly.
    • Don't violate House and Senate rules governing mass communications and email — both solicited and unsolicited — which can result in Ethics Committee investigations, financial penalties, and harmful press coverage.

Details

Copyright 2020, Congressional Management Foundation
Paperback/Softcover: 312 pages
Publisher: Congressional Management Foundation; 17th edition (November 3, 2020)
ISBN: 978-1-930473-24-9
Dimensions: 7.5 x 9.25 inches


Pricing for Hardcopies

Price: $25.00*

Bulk Price (10+ copies): $25.00 $22.50 (10% off)

*No charge for congressional offices. Please contact us at 202-546-0100 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  if you don't have a complimentary copy in your office.

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