Principle 10: Input from the public should be integrated with other sources of information for Congress to make good public policy decisions.

by Kathy Goldschmidt on May 27, 2022

This is the final post in our series from our latest report,The Future of Citizen Engagement: Rebuilding the Democratic Dialogue. Keep a lookout next week for the release of our next report State of the Congress 2022!

Public sentiment alone should not be the sole determinant in developing public policy—if it was, we would not need Congress, just a national polling firm. The Founders gave us a republic, a representative democracy, not a direct democracy. As James Madison said: “In a republic, it is not the people themselves who make the decisions, but the people they themselves choose to stand in their places.” This means that Senators and Representatives must weigh a variety of factors in their role as the People’s representatives. One Representative was known to use the “three H’s” when making a decision. Head—the data or reasoning underlying a policy question; Heart—the personal emotional drive or sentiment toward an issue; and Health—the political and electoral imperatives related to the issue.

In our 2021 report The Future of Citizen Engagement: Rebuilding the Democratic Dialogue, we propose ten principles for modernizing and improving the relationship between Congress and the People. All ten will require changes in the constituent engagement culture and practices in both Congress and the organizations that help facilitate grassroots advocacy. The tenth and final principle is: Input from the public should be integrated with other sources of information for Congress to make good public policy decisions.

Talking to a constituent at a town hall meeting or reading email campaigns are part of the mosaic of information most Members of Congress collect and contemplate when they make a decision that affects the lives of others. Good public and constituent engagement should complement and augment other sources of information. A great letter to a Senator might make its way into a committee speech. Today’s participant in a telephone town hall meeting might be tomorrow’s committee hearing witness. As Congress, constituents, and the groups that organize public advocacy consider new and exciting ways to improve our democracy, they should consider how the voice of the People complements and could be better integrated into the public policy decision-making process.

Principle into Practice:

  • When considering public sentiment, Congress should explore how it complements or contradicts existing research on the topic.
  • Advocates should consider playing a greater role in the public policy process, beyond basic grassroots campaigns, including by engaging others or becoming a go-to policy expert.
  • Members of Congress should not be solely guided by the passions of the People, but should exercise their own, deeply-informed, independent judgement within the Madisonian vision for a representative of the People.
Additional Reading
 
citizen engagement, congressional operations