constituents

Tip O'Neill once said, "It's easier to run for office than to run the office." Running a campaign and creating a congressional office are vastly different tasks. Setting up a House or Senate office includes all the challenges of starting a small business with all the red tape of a bureaucracy. During the past 40 years the Congressional Management Foundation has helped thousands of new members of Congress and their staffs set up freshman offices. Here are 7 mistakes to avoid.

Our ability to communicate openly and honestly with the Members of Congress that represent us is a hallmark of American democracy. However, the current system of engagement is stunted. What was once a well-traveled highway, designed to make two-way trips faster and more convenient, has become a dilapidated, congested thoroughfare that can no longer support the amount of drivers on the road.

Repairs and alternative routes are needed.

The Democracy Awards Finalists for the four office categories were announced in February. Twenty House and Senate offices were honored in four categories: Constituent Service, Innovation, Transparency and Accountability, and "Life in Congress" Workplace Environment. Two winners (one Republican and one Democrat) from each category will be announced in May. Prior to this announcement, we've been highlighting the finalists from each of these categories. This week we're recognizing the Democracy Award finalists in Transparency and Accountability.