Recognizing the Best Web Sites on Capitol Hill
introduction
Since 1998, the Congressional Management Foundation has been tracking the use of the Internet by Congress in an effort to identify best practices to cope with new technologies and utilize them to meet the needs and goals of congressional offices. In that time, we have seen Member Web sites go from a rarity to a requirement. As the 21st Century progresses it is becoming clear that now and in the future a significant portion of the business of Congress will be done online. It is with this in mind that we present the 2006 Gold Mouse Report: Recognizing the Best Web Sites on Capitol Hill.
We have found that congressional Web sites, in general, have failed to keep pace with rising expectations as the Internet becomes increasingly entrenched in the daily lives and work of Americans. Though it is no longer the novelty it once was, too many offices still believe that an online presence is not necessary. The best Web sites are virtual offices that foster communication with constituents and provide valuable information and services. With this report we hope to motivate all congressional offices to rethink their sites along these lines. Web site development need not happen in a vacuum. Interested offices can take cues and look at examples from current online successes. A large part of what follows is a blueprint for offices to use on the path toward success on the Web.
The purpose of this report is to recognize the congressional Web sites that successfully utilized the Internet to better serve their constituencies and the goals of their offices. We encourage all offices to view a dynamic Web site as critical to their job and an integral part of the services they provide for Americans. To that end, we investigated and identified the best practices, guidelines, and necessary approaches to making a successful Web site. We present them as resources for all congressional offices seeking to improve their presence on the Internet.
additional information
View the 2006 Mouse Award winners!
Download the entire 
2006GoldMouseReport.pdf (5.59 MB)
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88 pages
Copyright 2007 by the Congressional Management Foundation
ISBN: 1-930473-97-4
