 |
|
« | Main | A Sad, Gripping, Inspirational Story » July 12, 2005
About Contacting Your Legislators
Posted by Bill An interesting report: "Communicating with Congress: How Capitol Hill is Coping with the Surge in Citizen Advocacy." The Internet and e-mail have made it easier and cheaper than ever before for citizens to communicate with their Members of Congress. In 2004, Congress received 200 million communications, four times more than in 1995 -- the direct result of Internet-based communications. This increased citizen participation in the legislative process has had both positive and negative effects. Nearly 80% of congressional staff surveyed believe that the Internet has made it easier for constituents to become involved in public policy. However, neither the senders nor the receivers of congressional communications have learned how to use the new tools that the Internet has provided truly effectively. This report is the first of a four part Communicating with Congress series, which aims to provide information and guidance that will lead to better and more meaningful communications between Members of Congress and those they represent. A bulleted summary of the key findings is here. Posted by Bill at July 12, 2005 07:21 AM | TrackBack (1) CommentsI've wondered about that. I have a congressman, Adam Putnam, who responds to most of my emails. Scratch that, he (or someone in his office) emails me back on all of them, however many of them are form letters, but a good portion of them are in regards to my concerns. Plus, I get newsletters from his office on a regular basis. I like it and even though I don't have the time to verify everything, it's good to know what's going on. I'd like to see more communication from my representatives to me like that. Hmmm... think I'll write them and ask them why they don't already! ;) Posted by: Sharp as a Marble I've found that good old-fashioned letter-writing seems to work better with my congressman than the newer electronic ones. Maybe there's nothing like a piece of paper with a voter's signature on it to get his attention -- I'm not sure. But an email-storm to express outrage is a good idea, as is mass phoning. Tying up the phone lines and clogging his mailserver is a reliable way to let him know something is wrong. Posted by: Baron Bodissey |
![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.indcjournal.com/nav-commenters.gif)
