We in America do not have government by the majority. We have government by the majority who participate."

—Thomas Jefferson

Thanks to the Internet and social media, it has never been easier to communicate with congressional offices. CMF estimates that congressional offices have experienced between a 200% to 1,000% increase in constituent correspondence since 2002, making it difficult for congressional offices to keep up with, respond to, and fully benefit from the sheer volume.

That's why the Congressional Management Foundation works to enhance citizen advocates' efforts to effectively engage and communicate with their Members of Congress.

How?

The Partnership for a More Perfect Union: The Partnership is an initiative that works with subscribing advocacy organizations to inform their advocacy strategies and strengthen their supporters engagement with Congress.

Citizen Advocacy Academy: An online, on-demand learning platform for preparing advocates for fly-in's and throughout the year in effective advocacy.

Research: CMF conducts research on Congress to identify advocacy best practices for citizens.

Training: CMF delivers training through in-person presentations, events and Webinars, and videos.

Resources: Public Affairs professionals who work for organizations that participate in the Partnership for a More Perfect Union subscripton program have exclusive access CMF's private research and training resources. Meanwhile, in response to a sudden increase in citizen engagement in 2017, CMF launched its Citizen Resource Center. The Resource Center is a clearinghouse of CMF's reports, columns, and other content to guide citizens' engagement with their Members of Congress.