Hundreds of Congressional Staff Tell You How to Influence Their Bosses’ Decisions
If you want your voice to be heard in politics , protests and campaigns to call people are only part of the story. A new report from the congressional Management Foundation, an impartial non-profit organization, helps us understand how best to convey the message.
The report focuses on small decisions – decisions in which a senator or representative does not face significant pressure from authority, and where they may be undecided or easily overruled. Such decisions make up a large part of a congressman’s job, the report says. While they may not make the front pages of newspapers, they can make a big difference to you as a citizen. And it is in these issues that the communication of citizens has the greatest weight.
Face-to-face meetings are very important, but sincere emails and letters keep up, as the diagram above shows. Editorials and letters to the editor in the local newspaper are also strategies to consider and speak louder than a phone call.
What are these letters supposed to say? The report says that when a member of Congress is undecided on a definition, they and their staff want to know how the issue is affecting voters. Staff say it helps provide maps and charts that clearly show how an account or issue will affect people locally. They also value bilateral relationships with knowledgeable citizens and representatives of special interest groups.
“Civil defenders are more powerful and contribute to better public policy when they provide personalized and local information to Congress,” the report said. Read all below to find out what information to provide and how to build relationships that will help employees trust you.
Citizen-Centered Advocacy: The Inexhaustible Power of Constituency Engagement | Congressional Governance Fund