"Congress is broken...Congress doesn't work." These beliefs have become so embedded in our society that it seems that most Americans have lost hope in an institution that seems ineffective, unresponsive, and unable to address the challenges America faces. In a national survey, Americans were asked if they believe that most members of Congress care what their constituents think. Only 21% of respondents agreed with that statement. The public sees only examples of ineptitude, petty partisan politics, and the occasional scandal on Capitol Hill.

But what if Americans got a glimpse of a different Congress? Americans' views might change if they saw examples of Members of Congress employing innovative practices to engage with citizens, or congressional offices employing private sector business practices to improve their operations. And what would other lawmakers do if they also saw how their colleagues enhanced their operations and citizen engagement?

In this spirit, CMF created a distinctive honors program – the Democracy Awards – to recognize non-legislative achievement and performance in congressional offices and by Members of Congress.

Democracy Awards recognize congressional offices for their achievements in the following categories.

• Constituent Service – Recognizes offices for their outstanding practices or achievements acting as ombudsmen with the federal government or responding to constituent requests/inquiries.
• "Life in Congress" Workplace Environment – Recognizes offices that have established both formal policies and informal cultures that enhance the work-life fit and professional development of their staffs.
• Constituent Accountability and Accessibility – Recognizes offices that hold themselves accountable to their constituents by providing clear and relevant information on their work and publicly acknowledge metrics for their performance.
• Innovation and Modernization – Recognizes offices employing originality or creativity in their constituent interactions, communications, or office operations, as well as intentional efforts to modernize the institution of Congress.
• Lifetime Achievement – Recognizes four individuals (two Members and two staffers) for their decades of service to Congress.

The Democracy Awards are presented to congressional offices, allowing staff to share in the credit for the achievement and recognizing the reality that a degree of success for Members of Congress is due to the employees they hire and manage. By creating an awards system, CMF seeks to:

• Recognize and applaud legislators and staff who truly deserve acknowledgment for their best practices in the service of the Congress.
• Provide examples for congressional colleagues to emulate, thereby enhancing the entire institution.
• Enhance and improve public understanding and trust in Congress – if only a tiny bit, demonstrating that Congress can work.