Building Relationships with Lawmakers Back Home Bradford Fitch President & CEO Congressional Management Foundation
How to Hug a Porcupine Building Relationships with Lawmakers and Why It s Important
Do most members of Congress care what their constituents think? (Rasmussen National Survey 2015)
95% 18% Congress cares what constituents think. - Public Opinion
How important are these aspects to your effectiveness as a representative? (Congressional Management Foundation Survey of U.S. House of Representatives Members 2011)
95% 18% Congress cares what constituents think. - Public Opinion Staying in touch with constituents. - Member of Congress Opinion
U.S. Congress
11% of Congress Appeared on Meet the Press in 2014 U.S. Congress
Agenda What Motivates Members of Congress How to Build Relationships Back Home Comments from Legislators and Staff
What Motivates Members of Congress
Job Aspects Members Consider Most Important Very Important Staying in touch with constituents 95% Feeling that you are performing an important public service 84% Feeling invested in the work you are doing 84% Understanding how your job contributes to society as a whole 75%
I have told paid lobbyists for years that any lobbyist worth his salt will concentrate on getting my constituents to tell me what they think not what he thinks. He better spend his time getting them to write me because that s what I listen to. - Republican Senator
Survey Question If your Member/Senator has not already arrived at a firm decision on an issue, how much influence might the following advocacy strategies directed to the Washington office have on his/her decision?
In-Person Issue Visits from Constituents Contact from Constituents' Reps Individualized Email Messages Individualized Postal Letters Local Editorial Referencing Issue Pending Comments During Telephone Town Hall Phone Calls Letter to the Editor Referencing Your Boss Visit From a Lobbyist 94% 94% 92% 88% 87% 86% 84% 83% 83% Form Email Messages Groups Social Media Platforms Your Office's Social Media Platforms Form Postal Letters Petitions Postcards A Lot of Positive Influence 56% 51% 50% 50% 49% 42% Some Positive Influence
Lobbying is much more substantive and out in the open than its ugly caricature. Lobbyists primarily woo lawmakers with facts. Making the case is what effective lobbyists do most and best. They spend the rest of their time persuading lawmakers' constituents to back the same causes, very much in the mode of an electoral campaign. - Jeffrey H. Birnbaum, The Washington Post
Member Time Spent on Major Activities Congressional District Legislation/Policy Constituent Services Political/Campaign Press/Media Family/Friends Administration/Management Personal Activities Washington, D.C. 12% 17% 18% 17% 14% 9% 9% 9% 7% 7% 8% 6% 35% 32%
Average Hours Per Week Worked by Members 70 59 Chamber in session Chamber out of session
Number of Weekends Members Spend in Congressional Districts 78% 17% 6% Less than 10 0% 0% 10 to 19 20 to 29 30 to 39 More than 40
Nothing replaces face to face interacting with staff. It matters less whether the meeting is with state staff or DC staff, and more important that we can sit down and talk with someone. - Congressional Staffer
Your Member of Congress Brain Wants to make a difference in the world Ego Amount of time thinking about your issue. Desire to please everyone $$$$$$$$ capability
Survey Question How helpful is it for messages from constituents to include the following?
Personal story related to the bill or issue 79% Constituent's reasons for supporting/opposing the bill or issue 90% Information about the impact the bill would have on the district 91%
H.R.2784 No Private Contracts To Be Negotiated When the Patient Is Buck Naked Act of 1997
SEC. 3 CERTAIN SITUATIONS WHERE IT IS NOT APPROPRIATE TO NEGOTIATE A PRIVATE CONTRACT To promote equality in the negotiation of private contracts, the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services shall issue regulations prohibiting the discussion or signing of private contracts at any time (a) the patient is buck naked and the doctor is fully clothed (and conversely, to protect the rights of doctors, when the patient is fully clothed and the doctor is naked); (b) the patient is wearing one of those short, flimsy little hospital gowns that don't close in the back; (c) during any sigmoidoscopic or proctoscopic examination of the gastrointestinal tract or a digital rectal examination of the prostate;
How to Build Relationships Back Home
Number of House Recesses 12 5 2010 2016
In your opinion, how important are the following for understanding constituents' views and opinions?
Meetings between staff and constituents Communications from rep's of district/ state based groups Attending events in the district/state Meetings between the Member/Senator and constituents Personalized messages from constituents 99% 99% 98% 98% 95% District/state office hours 96% In-person town hall meetings 82% Telephone town hall meetings 74% Very Important Somewhat Important
Attend a Town Hall Meeting
What I look for in communications is not just I'm for or I'm against something. I look for why you are for or against something. - Republican House Member
Participate in a Telephone Town Hall
I got 6,000 people at my last tele-town hall meeting. - House Republican
Survey Question When your Member is trying to understand interest group' views on pending issues and legislation, how important are the following activities?
Understanding Interest Group Views Somewhat or Very Important Meetings With Interest Group Reps. Meetings with VIPs/Community Leaders 89% 98% Task Force/Advisory Board Meetings Site Visits 76% 73% Speeches to Large Groups Community Office Hours Events Where Media are Present Attendance at Community Events Town Hall Meetings 49% 47% 45% 40% 35%
Invite Legislator to Facility
Set Up In-State Meetings
The most effective way to influence a lawmaker is for a constituent to talk to a legislator about how the policy will affect the person or a particular group. - House Democrat
Friend Your Member of Congress
Survey Question How many similar comments on a social media post is enough for your office to pay attention to?
45% 35% 21% Less than 10 10 to 30 More than 30
Survey Question How long AFTER posting an office/member comment will you review reactions?
Reactions/posts from the past six hours or less 54% Reactions/posts from the past 24 hours 40% Reactions/posts from the past 72 hours 32% It doesn t matter how old the reactions are, we ll still review them Reactions/posts from the past last week 25% 23% Reactions/posts from the past last two weeks 6% Reactions/posts from the past last month We don t review posts reacting to our activities 4% 3%
We in America do not have government by the majority. We have government by the majority who participate. - Thomas Jefferson
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