How Congress Works

[Formats Available: Presentation (45-60 minutes)]

Program Content: While an unlikely subject for a future Spielberg film, a bill's journey from being introduced in the House or Senate to the President's desk is as perilous as Indiana Jones' quest to find the Lost Arc of the Covenant. Of the thousands of bills introduced in every Congress, only a few are ever signed into law. Furthermore, it takes an average of SEVEN YEARS, after being first introduced, for a bill to become a law. Many citizen advocates get involved to advance legislation that will help their cause. Unfortunately, many get discouraged when Congress fails to act – or WORSE – cuts funding. This program examines the booby-traps that the Founding Fathers set up to make the process difficult; who in Congress has more power to decide a bill's fate and when; and why some citizen advocates have more influence than others in certain parts of the legislative processes.

Audience: Beginner

[Available Format - Video (2 minutes)]

Program Content: While 9 of 10 Americans don't believe that their Members of Congress care what their constituents think, 84% of the Members of Congress that responded to a CMF survey said that "feeling that they are performing an important public service" is a "very important" aspect of their job. Unfortunately, TV shows and movies rarely highlight this Members' perspective. If your advocates have the same healthy sense of cynicism as the rest of the American public, ask CMF to co-brand "An Examination of a Member of Congress' Brain." This 2-minute video playfully (in the spirit of CMF's favorite Saturday-morning Schoolhouse Rock classic, "I'm Just a Bill") unpacks what really drives a Member of Congress, and explains what that means for effective communication between constituents and Congress. 

Audience: Beginner

[Formats Available: Presentation (45-60 minutes)]

Program Content: Many Americans believe that lawmakers are unreachable – that they don't care about what constituents think and that influencing legislative outcomes is impossible and a waste of time. Yet CMF research shows that Members of Congress strongly believe that constituents are a valuable and informative resource in the decision-making process. Your "backstage pass" will dispel myths about Congress and provide practical strategies on how decisions are really made and by whom.

Audience: Beginner

[Available Formats - Presentation (45-60 minutes); video (6 minutes)]

Program Content: Through anonymous surveys of Members of Congress and staff, examinations of Members' schedules, and interviews with insiders on Capitol Hill, CMF has identified how legislators actually spend their time, and how Members of Congress organize their offices and staffs. This program will include a breakdown of activities of Members of Congress (legislative, constituent services, and campaign); legislators' attitudes about the work activities they believe are most important; and an organizational chart and description of congressional offices and staff positions.

Audience: Beginner

[Available Formats - Presentation (45 minutes)]

Program Content: Hollywood often portrays politicians as crass, self-interested egomaniacs who care more about their limo ride to the airport than their constituents. (Surprising fact: the most likely people to take limos in DC are Hollywood types on their way to testify before Congress.) CMF's research and experience shows a different picture. In th is informative and entertaining presentation, the presenter walks the audience through a series of movie clips that claim to portray Congress as it is – but in reality, massively distort the truth. And while it's fun to poke at politicians (who sometimes actually deserve it), the fictional portrayal of a government that ignores the needs of its citizenry has a depressing impact on public perception and participation in the policymaking process. By providing an accurate understanding of how Congress really works, the audience will hopefully feel a little more encouraged about our democratic institutions.

Audience: Beginner

[Available Formats - Webinar (45 minutes)]

Program Content: A new Congress means new committee and subcommittee chairs, new alliances, and significant changes in the political terrain on Capitol Hill. When power shifts in Congress from one political party to the other, an advocate who may have been represented by an anonymous backbencher the year before might become the conduit to the most important legislator for their cause. This presentation will show advocates how to build relationships with new Members of Congress; the value of identifying key committee chairs (and why some are more important than others); and CMF research on best practices for building relationships with new lawmakers back home.

Audience: Beginner

[Available Formats  - Video (6 minutes)]

Program Content: The educational cartoon "Schoolhouse Rock" is an iconic articulation of how a bill becomes a law. But is that nearly 50-year-old view of Congress still relevant? This CMF presentation updates that venerable video (regrettably, without the groovy music). Viewers are walked through the legislative process, from where legislative ideas originate to floor votes. At each step, participants learn the importance and role of citizen advocates in America's democratic dialog, and how they can influence legislative outcomes.

Audience: Beginner

[Formats Available: Presentation (45-60 minutes)]

Program Content: Just as the advent of the internet profoundly changed constituent correspondence with Congress, recent CMF surveys and interviews with congressional staff shows that the Covid-19 pandemic NOT ONLY accelerated congressional adoption of technology that facilitates VIRTUAL engagement, but that congressional offices will continue to use virtual technology for years to come. This presentation will explore how Congressional operations adapted during the Covid-19 outbreak; how remote working has affected congressional attitudes toward virtual technology; and ascending and descending technologies and tools for engagement between constituents and Congress.

Audience: Beginner & Advanced