Upcoming Event: Preparing for a New Congress in 2019: Freshening Up Your Strategy
by CMF
on February 21, 2018
Join us Nov. 30 for an Advocacy Leaders Network event on new ways (and new approaches!) to plan for the incoming Congress and a drastically different political climate in Washington, DC. This session will discuss ways to encourage freshman legislators to take your issues on as their own. PLUS, learn how to craft a new strategic plan (in less than 45 minutes) that you can implement for your own organization.
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4 Shutdown Management Tips
by CMF
on January 19, 2018
The possible government shutdown puts significant strains not only on the executive branch but also on the legislative branch. This time of uncertainty requires certain changes in how congressional managers conduct business, serve constituents, and communicate with staff. With these concerns in mind, CMF has the following four tips for managing congressional offices throughout a government shutdown.
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Note to Congress: How to Easily Boost Morale in Your Office
by Bradford Fitch
on December 31, 2017
This has been a rough year. It marks my 31st year working with the US Congress, and I can honestly report it was the most unusual and difficult year I've ever witnessed. The uncertainty in the legislative battles and the Trump tweets caused havoc in the capital, contributed to the stressful environment, and took a toll on the public servants who tirelessly work to serve their American people: the Members and staff of the US Congress.
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Citizen engagement in 2017: Is this the start of something historic?
by Bradford Fitch
on December 19, 2017
The Congressional Management Foundation (CMF) has been a leading researcher in citizen engagement with Congress for decades and in January, after Donald Trump’s inauguration, something rather extraordinary started to happen in the U.S. We chronicled a rare increase in in citizen-advocacy. Just as the Tea Party movement of 2009 rocked the Congress, the Trump protest movement rose up and exercised its First Amendment rights to petition their government for a “redress of grievances.”
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Frustrated with Congress? Write Better Emails
by Seth Turner
on November 29, 2017
This summer, Rasmussen Reports conducted a public opinion survey that found that only 21% of voters feel that most members of Congress care what their constituents think. There's plenty of blame to go around as to the cause for voters' cynicism. Highly polarized politics, partisan rhetoric, the media, and shows like House of Cards serve to reinforce the misperception that power in Congress is limited to just a few Members in leadership positions and constituents don't matter.
The Advocacy Leaders Network workshop on November 17 considered another contributor – Bad writing!
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Sometimes Your Best Hire Has Four Legs
by Bradford Fitch
on November 21, 2017
Last week, I said good-bye to a friend I've only worked with for 14 months, yet during his short time with us, made a big impression on all who worked with him at CMF. I can't say that he did a lot to pull his own weight (which was considerable by the end), but he was an inspiration to all who worked with him and those visitors who met him. His name is Jumbo and he is a service-dog-in-training.
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Upcoming Event: Advocacy Leaders Network: Writing Messages That Matter
by CMF
on November 08, 2017
Have you ever wondered if there is a method to the madness of creating messages to achieve your advocacy objectives? How do you explain "the why" with today's short attention spans? Can a single message stay relevant with today's always-on audiences and 24-hour news cycle? Whether you're trying to reach the Hill or your grassroots audience, we'll hear from experts at our Nov. 17 Advocacy Leaders Network on what you can do with messaging to make an impact.
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CMF Talks about What Working on the Hill is Really Like
by Seth Turner
on November 07, 2017
Each year, thousands of young people come to Washington, DC hoping for a chance to serve the public by working on Capitol Hill. While only the best and brightest get the chance and many spend their careers in congressional offices, they soon discover significant challenges to their efforts to contribute. CMF's Director of Strategic Initiatives, Kathy Goldschmidt, recently appeared on the Federal News Radio's show, Fed. Talk, to provide her insight about why: congressional capacity has not kept pace with congressional needs. In fact, Congress has reduced its capacity, even while the Internet and a global economy have made public policy more complicated.
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Squeaky Wheels and Civic Deserts
by Seth Turner
on October 26, 2017
Given our unique role as a bridge between constituents and Congress and our keen interest in advocacy, the Congressional Management Foundation frequently asks congressional staff, "What gets their attention?" One staffer replied, "I hate to admit it, but I listen to the squeaky wheels." You've likely heard a similar refrain. Participants at last week's National Conference on Citizenship's (NCoC) Annual Conference on Citizenship considered that age-old wisdom about squeaky wheels from the perspective of "Civic Deserts."
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Upcoming Event: Constituent Communications - How to Improve Your Correspondence System to Reduce Your Labor, Impress Your Boss, and Build Trust in Constituents
One fundamental truth bedevils every congressional office – you are struggling to keep pace with the incredible outpouring of constituent mail you receive. In many offices, managing and responding to constituent correspondence represents 20-30% of office resources. Moreover, the workflow and communications practices, while utilizing modern technology, have largely remained unchanged for 40 years.
That's why you need to join CMF and a panel of your colleagues on Oct. 30 in a can't-miss seminar on how to better manage your mail program and constituent correspondence.
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