Congress: Staying Connected Now that You’re Elected

The cliche is that Congress is less an institution and more like 541* small businesses. That goes for software too. Newly-elected members not only have to set up an office, hire a staff, and learn their way around the legislative process — they have to make some big tech decisions really soon.

The Committee on House Administration and the Senate Sergeant at Arms handle many systems for the chambers they serve, most importantly: cybersecurity. When it comes to day-to-day software, websites, and apps, however, the offices are unified only in the Franking, ethics, security, and campaign finance restrictions they face.

Correspondence Management Systems (CMS)

There are just a few approved providers of Constituent Management System (CMS) software for processing constituent mail and storing constituent data. They include iConstituent, Leidos IQ, ComputerWorks InterTrac, Symplicity Voice, Amend CMS, and Fireside21 (House-only), HouseCall IT (House-only). Most CMS vendors also provide websites and web forms for member offices. Related: Check out Open Gov Foundation’s excellent report on how offices (currently) handle incoming constituent mail and a new paper from Future Congress on rules for Congressional vendors.

These systems are the technical heart of most Congressional offices. Input from constituents — whether received by phone, snail mail, email, or webforms — eventually makes its way into these systems and provides a view of the priorities and concerns of those back home. For any new office, the selection of this system will have an ongoing, long-term impact on the functioning of their office and their responsiveness to constituents. More staff time spent entering data means less to meet with constituents or work on legislative priorities. So choose wisely!

The House (bless you, House Administration) has adopted an API for receiving messages digitally, which forwards them in a standardized format to the various House offices and into their CMS systems. (The Senate has yet to adopt the system.)

Article I is an important new tool for Congress that addresses the staff capacity issue. It transcribes (the many) voicemails that offices receive and inserts them directly into the offices’ CMS system. And yes, before Article I, the technology for getting voicemails into a CMS was the intern.

A Note About Franking

So yes, Congressional offices get a TON of mail. And yes, technology can help with that. But still, it’s not uncommon for staffers — and sometimes even members — to dread the inbox. That’s why it’s so important to keep perspective on how valuable that input really is, not just for what the office is hearing, but the opportunity to reply.

As newly-elected members are learning, the Franking privilege (to send mail for free to constituents) comes with strings attached. Letters, newsletters, and yes, even email, are subject to Franking restrictions, including that Congressional office cannot send unsolicited mail or email to constituents BUT incoming correspondence provides a Franking-friendly opportunity for the office to reply. Smart offices know that and prioritize quick turnaround of a relevant reply to maximize their opportunities to engage with constituents.

Town Halls – IRL and Virtual

Town Halls have declined since 2016, with the Washington Post reporting that 40% of Democrats and 18% of Republicans held town halls over August recess in 2017. Some lawmakers felt there was little upside to an open public discussion they viewed as just a set-up for a viral video moment, others expressed security concerns. Of course, some who eschewed town meetings got involuntarily retired in the midterms, so there’s potentially a lesson there.

Security concerns are real. That is not a reason to avoid town halls, but it is a reason to follow the recommendations of the US Capitol Police, to sometimes opt for smaller groups, and, in some cases, to require people to sign up in advance to attend. Many offices now use Eventbrite for town hall invitations and signup.

I happen to think a member should always have a series of town halls scheduled across the district; that there should never be a time that a constituent can’t find information on the next town hall. Right now, new members are coming off of campaign mode; they are well-practiced in shaking those hands and holding those events. They can choose to keep that going through in-person meetings with constituents or they can begin to limit their appearances to fundraisers. Obviously, the member who wants to maximize engagement will spend time with constituents.

TeleTown Halls get a bad rap because many platforms allow for call screening and curation by staff. For lawmakers with huge districts or those far from Washington, however, they are important ways to stay in touch and get a read from the district. A 2009 study from the Congressional Management Foundation found that Tele-Town Halls improved trust and member favorability, and in some cases significantly moved the needle on perceptions of issues. Some vendors include: TeleTownHall, Stone’s Phones, iConstituent, ActionSolutions,

Whether in-person, online, or via phone, CMF identified three keys to town halls that improve constituent trust and perception of the lawmaker: (1) sticking to a specific topic; (2) nonpartisan information shared in advance; (3) neutral facilitation – all questions allowed unless off topic, duplicative, or offensive.

Social Media

Freshmen are already cutting a new path when it comes to social media, with AOC’s dinner prep Instagram hailed the new “fireside chat”. These folks know what worked for them on the campaign and are bringing a fresh approach to the Hill, in a long tradition of new members breaking tech barriers. Few remember that it took a campaign to “Let Our Congress Tweet” in 2008 to get the rules change that led to the creation of official pages. Members live-streaming their experiences has also been tried a few times — maybe this time it will stick!

A recent CRS report finds that on average, current members adopt six social media platforms for official communications. In 2017, nearly all members have a Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube account, while 52% of House members had an official Instagram account.

It will no doubt be an adjustment for the newbies to learn the ropes of limitations on an “official” social media account — no campaign talk or fundraising, and they start back at ground zero on the follower count.

And it’s not just the rules. With the official social media account, the audience is not just supporters; it is your constituency. Regardless of the tone and tenor of a campaign, once the member takes the oath, he or she represents everyone in their state or district. The official accounts are not just another messaging channel; they present an important opportunity to build trust and receive feedback. In times of natural disaster, during intense legislative debates, and when something important is happening back home, the lawmaker’s social media account should be a place where all constituents can feel comfortable turning for information, updates, or assistance.

Pro Tip: Engage with constituents, not Washington

I just came across a new member’s account that almost exclusively was following other members of Congress. Yes, it’s important to know what your colleagues are talking about –– but you can do that with a list. (See: our new lists — House and Senate — of official Twitter accounts for members of the 116th.) Instead of aiming your official Twitter stream at the DC bubble, follow the “folks back home”: local news, local officials, local commentators, local organizations, and local businesses. Your official Twitter account should be about the people you represent.

Of course, one of the problems lawmakers at all levels find with social media engagement is that it is difficult to know if they are actually interacting with constituents.

“We don’t know exactly who’s giving feedback to members of Congress, and by the way, members of Congress don’t know.” — Colleen Shogan, deputy director of national and international outreach at the Library of Congress.

Facebook’s Town Hall function allows offices to see a “constituent” badge for those who Facebook identifies as coming from their state or district. We have heard from offices that this is helpful, but lawmakers still struggle. Offices put a lot of effort into posting information but can never be sure that it will be displayed by algorithms that prioritize engagement and clicks. Lawmakers have important updates to share, but no matter how good their comms staffers are, it’s tough to compete with cat videos.

For these and other reasons, Rep. Rick Crawford [R, AR] left Facebook completely this year, opting instead for text messaging:

I eventually reached the realization that by having a Facebook page I was encouraging constituents to use an unsecure platform to reach me, so I decided it was time to delete my page. –Rep. Rick Crawford [R, AR]

Watch this Space

As former staffers and legislative nerds, we at POPVOX have been hearing these concerns for years –– now with increased urgency given questions about business models, data policies, and algorithmic practices of the legacy social media platforms.

In January 2019, with the new Congress, we will launch a new way for lawmakers to engage with their constituents – a “glass wall” network that allows anyone to view activity but limits interactions with public officials to their constituents. The network will prioritize individuals’ control of their data, without algorithmic manipulation, and require real names at sign up with verification (though screen names may be used publicly) to ensure trust and safety.

At POPVOX, we believe that technology can help us be better informed, more connected, and make government work better — but it requires a different approach. That is why we don’t accept ads (so there is any reason to drive clicks and attention); we don’t sell or share user data; we are obsessively nonpartisan, and we prioritize civic mission over profit and work with funders (like Democracy Fund) who support this approach.

We’re looking forward to the 116th! And for all incoming members and staffers: WELCOME and THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE!

Some Takeaways

• Don’t skimp on technlogy. Congress is notoriously underresourced and better tech means more staff time for the important stuff.
• Decide right now to remain engaged; think about your town hall strategy and consider always having at least one on the calendar
• Remember that your official social media is very different from your campaign messaging; think about how you will build trust and engage with all of your constituents, not just supporters

*435 regular members of the House of Representatives, 6 non-voting members, and 100 Senators

Marci Harris is co-founder and CEO of POPVOX, an online platform for legislative information and civic engagement.