One of the most important roles for new Members of Congress is to build connect with their constituents. Yet engaging with more than 700,000 people in a House district and millions in a state is a daunting challenge requiring Members of Congress to be resourceful, strategic, and innovative. A huge part of the investment for office is their constituent communications (email/mail) systems - and many congressional offices think this is where they should heavily invest their resources.

However, recent research by the Congressional Management Foundation and a team of academics reveals that Members of Congress that think and plan more creatively about engagement with "The People" they represent can use the vast communications tools at their disposal to actually build TRUST in Congress! Join CMF and a distinguished panel of experts as we walk you through the various tools available and how best to use them - telephone town halls, online town halls, and social media.

And...oh yeah, almost forgot: This session will also teach you how you should, and should NOT, answer constituent mail.

This webinar is designed for all those associated with setting up and running a freshman office in the House or Senate. It is open to all first-term congressional staff.

About the Presenters

This webinar will feature CMF staff who have expertise from extensive research on this topic. They will also be joined by Michael Neblo who is a professor of political science and (by courtesy) philosophy, communication, and public policy at The Ohio State University where he also directs the Institute for Democratic Engagement and Accountability (IDEA). Amy Lee is the Associate Director of the Institute for Democratic Engagement & Accountability (IDEA). Her focus is developing and testing practical innovations to make democracy both more participatory and also more deliberative.

More Information

This webinar is open to all new Members of Congress and their staff. Register here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6943194239612762891

This webinar will be conducted by Bradford Fitch, President and CEO of the Congressional Management Foundation. Fitch has 35 years of experience of working with Congress as a journalist, staffer, consultant, including 15 years with CMF.

** This webinar is made possible through the generous support of: Aflac, Alzheimer's Association, American Council of Life Insurers, CMS Energy, FMI - the Food Industry Association, General Motors Corporation, International Paper, KnowWho, National Association of Counties, and the National Rural Letter Carriers' Association. **