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CMF has been researching the use of technology in congressional offices for over a decade which has produced a series of reports.
Online Town Hall Meetings: Exploring Democracy in the 21st Century Online Town Hall Meetings: Exploring Democracy in the 21st Century is a report summarizing the findings and recommendations from an academic study of 21 online town hall meetings between Members of Congress and their constituents, which were facilitated by the partners of the Connecting to Congress project.
Communicating with Congress: Recommendations for Improving the Democratic Dialogue
by Tim Hysom After nearly 10 years of research, outreach, and study of the communications between citizens and Congress, CMF released recommendations for all stakeholders and suggested improvements to the structure and processes for managing congressional communications.
Communicating with Congress: How the Internet Has Changed Citizen Engagement To understand how citizens are communicating with their Members of Congress and what motivates them to do so, CMF partnered with Zogby International to conduct a nationwide survey of citizens to address their methods, reasons, and expectations with regard to their communications with Capitol Hill. The resulting report discusses the results of this research with over 10,000 citizens.
2007 Gold Mouse Report: Lessons from the Best Web Sites on Capitol Hill The 2007 Gold Mouse Report marks the fourth time that CMF has evaluated all Member, committee, and leadership Web sites and recognized the best with Mouse Awards. It focuses changes and trends since 2006, with practical advice on how to translate the five building blocks into a award-winning congressional Web site.
2006 Gold Mouse Report: Recognizing the Best Web Sites on Capitol Hill The 2006 Gold Mouse Report marks the third time that CMF has evaluated all Member, committee, and leadership Web sites and recognized the best with Mouse Awards. Previously released in 2002 and 2003, the 2006 report reflects the growing importance of the Internet in the everyday lives of Americans.
The Reasoning Behind Logic Puzzles Congress Online Special Report July 17, 2006 Logic puzzles and other user verification tools that some House and Senate offices are using has sparked a lively debate about congressional communications. We recap these developments, explain why congressional offices and the advocacy community need to change their practices, and how our Communicating with Congress research could help facilitate this effort.
Communicating with Congress: How Capitol Hill is Coping with the Surge in Citizen Advocacy Whether you are a congressional office struggling to keep your head above water or a citizen or grassroots organization trying to get your voice heard on the Hill, this report is an essential read. After surveying and interviewing more than 300 House and Senate staffers, this report explores the surge in communications to congressional offices, how offices are reacting to the increased workload and how they view constituent communications practices. It also provides a comprehensive analysis of the implications of this research to citizens, grassroots organizations and congressional offices.
Congress Online: Bridging the Gap Between Citizens and Their Representatives
Congress Online is the culmination of the first two years of research by the Congress Online Project, conducted by the Congressional Management Foundation and The George Washington University. Congress Online studies the growing business of electronic advocacy, looks at the history and current practices of Congress as it attempts to meet the demands of online communication, focuses on the best-performing Web sites on Capitol Hill, and discusses the future needs of online communication and the legislative process.
How to Create and Manage E-Newsletters
Congress Online 2003: Turning the Corner on the Information Age
Congress Online: Turning the Corner on the Information Age and its companion report, released in January 2002, are the centerpieces of the Congress Online Project. They describe criteria for evaluating congressional Web sites; identify the best House and Senate Member office, committee, and leadership Web sites; describe congressional Web site trends and practices; and provide guidance to help congressional offices adopt the best practices.
Congress Online: Assessing and Improving Capitol Hill Web Sites The goal of the Congress Online Project is to provide congressional offices guidance to improve the online communications between Members of Congress and the public they serve. This report is the heart of this effort. We hope that by identifying the best Web sites on Capitol Hill and delineating the practices that make them the best, this report will motivate many more offices to improve their Web-based communications.
Constituents and Your Web Site: What Citizens Want to See on Congressional Web Sites The second in a series of Congress Online Project Online Issue Briefs. "The new opportunities provided by instant communication pose new challenges: how can Members of Congress use these new tools to most effectively serve both their constituents and themselves? The purpose of this Issue Brief is to help Members of Congress meet the new communication challenges of one of these powerful new electronic tools: the Congressional Web site."
E-mail Overload in Congress: Managing a Communications Crisis by Kathy Goldschmidt March 19, 2001 The Congress Online Project's inaugural Online Issue Brief. "Until now, rather than enhancing democracy - as so many hoped - e-mail has heightened tensions and public disgruntlement with Congress. Fortunately, this problem is reversible, but it will require Congress to devote greater attention to addressing it and adjustments in public expectations and e-mail practices. This report provides congressional offices with a blueprint for change."
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