Building Trust by Modernizing Constituent Engagement
by Kathy Goldschmidt and Bradley Joseph Sinkaus
November 8, 2022
This report is designed to help new and veteran offices better understand why and how to create a Constituent Engagement Strategy that goes beyond responding to incoming mail. The brief provides insight into and guidance on: the importance of building constituent trust in Members, Congress, and democracy; CMF's 10 principles for robust citizen engagement; how to create a Strategic Constituent Engagement Plan that serves Member goals and constituent needs; and how to streamline reactive communications, which will always represent the bulk an office's constituent engagement.
The Future of Citizen Engagement: Rebuilding the Democratic Dialogue
by Kathy Goldschmidt and Bradley Joseph Sinkaus
September 1, 2021
This report explores the current challenges to engagement and trust between Senators and Representatives and their constituents; proposes principles for rebuilding that fundamental democratic relationship; and describes innovative practices in federal, state, local, and international venues that Congress could look to for modernizing the democratic dialogue.
The Future of Citizen Engagement: What Americans Want from Congress & How Members Can Build Trust
by Kathy Goldschmidt and Bradley Joseph Sinkaus
March 5, 2021
Through a series of national polls, this report explores how Members of Congress and staff can change their communications practices, habits, and objectives to build greater trust in the institution and convince constituents that their views genuinely do matter. In addition to the findings, the report offers the foundation for a strategic constituent engagement plan as well as advice for how Members can build trust.
The Future of Citizen Engagement: Coronavirus, Congress, and Constituent Communications
by Kathy Goldschmidt and Bradley Joseph Sinkaus
August 14, 2020
Based on a survey of and interviews with senior congressional staffers in the House and Senate, this report explores how Members of Congress and their staff engaged with citizens while navigating the constraints posed by COVID-19, and offers examples of how Congress can substantively connect with constituents using modern technology against the backdrop of a global pandemic.
State of the Congress: Staff Perspectives on Institutional Capacity in the House and Senate
by Kathy Goldschmidt
August 8, 2017
Using survey data collected from senior staffers as a framework, this report reveals that congressional staff have deep concerns about important aspects of congressional operations and performance. “State of the Congress” focuses primarily on the resource and operational challenges congressional staff have been facing over the past few decades and provides a context for them. It offers new insight into the roots of current congressional dysfunction and paths toward pragmatic reforms to strengthen Congress and American democracy.
Citizen-Centric Advocacy: The Untapped Power of Constituent Engagement
by Bradford Fitch, Kathy Goldschmidt, and Nicole Folk Cooper
February 13, 2017
Through multiple surveys of congressional staff, and a unique experiment in democracy with Feeding America, CMF's latest report reveals the degree of influence that citizens have on congressional decision making. "Citizen-Centric Advocacy: The Untapped Power of Constituent Engagement," is the most comprehensive research ever published on citizen engagement with Congress.
#SocialCongress 2015
by Bradford Fitch and Kathy Goldschmidt
October 14, 2015
This report, based on two online surveys of congressional staff conducted between July and August 2014, provides an overview of how they view and process social media. It also discusses the implications of the research for citizens when communicating with congressional offices through social media platforms.
Face-to-Face with Congress: Before, During, and After Meetings with Legislators
November 21, 2014
This report provides guidance to citizens for setting up, conducting, and following up after meetings with Members of Congress and their staff. The findings are based on CMF’s 37-year history of working with congressional staff, and on four online surveys of congressional staff taken between 2010 and 2013.
113th Congress Gold Mouse Awards: Best Practices in Online Communications on Capitol Hill
April 28, 2014
The 113th Congress Gold Mouse Awards mark the seventh time since 2002 CMF has evaluated and recognized the best congressional websites in a best practices report. This report also includes the first-ever Gold Mouse Awards for Social Media, and the characteristics of effective social media use in Congress.
112th Congress Gold Mouse Awards: Best Practices in Online Communications on Capitol Hill
October 24, 2011
CMF has been grading congressional websites since 2001 and issues Gold Mouse Awards for the best websites on Capitol Hill for each Congress. For the 112th Congress, CMF conducted its analysis from June to September 2011 and released the results in October 2011. The report identified recent trends related to online communications in Congress.
Communicating with Congress: How Citizen Advocacy Is Changing Mail Operations on Capitol Hill
October 4, 2011
This report investigates how email and the Internet are affecting office procedures in Congress. The findings are based on a survey of congressional staff. CMF researchers also collected mail volume data from ten House and Senate offices.
#SocialCongress: Perceptions and Use of Social Media on Capitol Hill
July 26, 2011
This report represents the first research into congressional staffers' attitudes about their offices' use of social media. The findings are based on an online survey of congressional staff on their opinions and practices related to constituent communications, including social media.
Communicating with Congress: Perceptions of Citizen Advocacy on Capitol Hill
January 26, 2011
This report is based on an online survey of 260 congressional staff on their opinions and practices related to constituent communications, including social media. The survey was conducted between October 12 and December 13, 2010.
111th Congress Gold Mouse Project
April 21, 2010
CMF has been grading congressional websites since 2001 and issues Gold Mouse Awards for the best websites on Capitol Hill for each Congress.
Online Town Hall Meetings: Exploring Democracy in the 21st Century
by David Lazer, Michael Neblo, Kevin Esterling, and Kathy Goldschmidt
October 26, 2009
Online Town Hall Meetings: Exploring Democracy in the 21st Century is a report summarizing the findings and recommendations from an academic study of 21 online town hall meetings between Members of Congress and their constituents, which were facilitated by the partners of the Connecting to Congress project.
Communicating with Congress: Recommendations for Improving the Democratic Dialogue
by Tim Hysom
December 15, 2008
After nearly 10 years of research, outreach, and study of the communications between citizens and Congress, CMF released recommendations for all stakeholders and suggested improvements to the structure and processes for managing congressional communications.
Communicating with Congress: How the Internet Has Changed Citizen Engagement
by Kathy Goldschmidt and Leslie Ochreiter
June 10, 2008
To understand how citizens are communicating with their Members of Congress and what motivates them to do so, CMF partnered with Zogby International to conduct a nationwide survey of citizens to address their methods, reasons, and expectations with regard to their communications with Capitol Hill. The resulting report discusses the results of this research with over 10,000 citizens.
2007 Gold Mouse Report: Lessons from the Best Web Sites on Capitol Hill
by Collin Burden with Tim Hysom, Dr. Kevin Esterling, Dr. David Lazer, and Dr. Michael Neblo
January 14, 2008
The 2007 Gold Mouse Report marks the fourth time that CMF has evaluated all Member, committee, and leadership Web sites and recognized the best with Mouse Awards. It focuses changes and trends since 2006, with practical advice on how to translate the five building blocks into a award-winning congressional Web site.
2006 Gold Mouse Report: Recognizing the Best Web Sites on Capitol Hill
by Collin Burden with Nicole Folk Cooper and Tim Hysom
February 26, 2007
The 2006 Gold Mouse Report marks the third time that CMF has evaluated all Member, committee, and leadership Web sites and recognized the best with Mouse Awards. Previously released in 2002 and 2003, the 2006 report reflects the growing importance of the Internet in the everyday lives of Americans.
The Reasoning Behind Logic Puzzles: Congress Online Special Report
July 17, 2006
Logic puzzles and other user verification tools that some House and Senate offices are using has sparked a lively debate about congressional communications. In this 
issue brief(69 KB), we recap these developments, explain why congressional offices and the advocacy community need to change their practices, and how our Communicating with Congress research could help facilitate this effort.
Communicating with Congress: How Capitol Hill is Coping with the Surge in Citizen Advocacy
by Brad Fitch and Kathy Goldschmidt
July 11, 2005
Whether you are a congressional office struggling to keep your head above water or a citizen or grassroots organization trying to get your voice heard on the Hill, this report is an essential read. After surveying and interviewing more than 300 House and Senate staffers, this report explores the surge in communications to congressional offices, how offices are reacting to the increased workload and how they view constituent communications practices. It also provides a comprehensive analysis of the implications of this research to citizens, grassroots organizations and congressional offices.
Congress Online: Bridging the Gap Between Citizens and Their Representatives
by Dennis W. Johnson
August 2004
Congress Online is the culmination of the first two years of research by the Congress Online Project, conducted by CMF and The George Washington University. Congress Online studies the growing business of electronic advocacy, looks at the history and current practices of Congress as it attempts to meet the demands of online communication, focuses on the best-performing websites on Capitol Hill, and discusses the future needs of online communication and the legislative process.
- This publication can be purchased from Amazon.com.
Congress Online Special Report: How to Create and Manage E-Newsletters
September 29, 2003
To provide Hill staff with the guidance needed to produce effective e-newsletters, we researched the best public and private e-newsletters (including congressional e-newsletters), to bring you this compilation of best practices. If you're interested in expanding your outreach to include online communications, or improve your current e-newsletter, this special report(69 KB) will teach you how to create and manage an e-mail newsletter.
Congress Online 2003: Turning the Corner on the Information Age
by Nicole Folk and Kathy Goldschmidt
March 3, 2003
Congress Online: Turning the Corner on the Information Age and its companion report, released in January 2002, are the centerpieces of the Congress Online Project. They describe criteria for evaluating congressional Web sites; identify the best House and Senate Member office, committee, and leadership Web sites; describe congressional Web site trends and practices; and provide guidance to help congressional offices adopt the best practices.
Congress Online: Assessing and Improving Capitol Hill Web Sites
January 28, 2002
The goal of the Congress Online Project is to provide congressional offices guidance to improve the online communications between Members of Congress and the public they serve. This report is the heart of this effort. We hope that by identifying the best Web sites on Capitol Hill and delineating the practices that make them the best, this report will motivate many more offices to improve their Web-based communications.
Constituents and Your Web Site: What Citizens Want to See on Congressional Web Sites
October 30, 2001
The new opportunities provided by instant communication pose new challenges: how can Members of Congress use these new tools to most effectively serve both their constituents and themselves? The purpose of this Issue Brief is to help Members of Congress meet the new communication challenges of one of these powerful new electronic tools: the congressional website.
E-mail Overload in Congress: Managing a Communications Crisis
by Kathy Goldschmidt
March 19, 2001
The Congress Online Project's inaugural Online Issue Brief. "Until now, rather than enhancing democracy - as so many hoped - e-mail has heightened tensions and public disgruntlement with Congress. Fortunately, this problem is reversible, but it will require Congress to devote greater attention to addressing it and adjustments in public expectations and e-mail practices. This report provides congressional offices with a blueprint for change."
