A PDF of  "Citizen-Centric Advocacy: The Untapped Power of Constituent Engagement" is available at: http://www.congressfoundation.org/citizen-centric-advocacy-2017.

According to a July 2016 Rasmussen survey Opens a New Window. , only 11 percent of the voters surveyed thought Members of Congress listen to the constituents they represent. Yet, as this report shows, when congressional staff were asked what advocacy factors influence an "undecided" lawmaker, 94 percent said "in-person issue visits from constituents" would have some or a lot of influence and 92 percent said "individualized email messages" from constituents would. Despite the haranguing of mainstream media to the contrary, and popular culture insisting that citizen voices are muted in Washington, the report shows that constituents remain significant factors to legislators' decision-making.

"Right now we're seeing more citizens contact Congress than ever before – an unprecedented outpouring of political activism. It's important that Americans know that Congress is listening – and understand the best way of making their voices heard," said Bradford Fitch, President and CEO of the Congressional Management Foundation. "This report is the culmination of more than a decade of research drawn from the feedback more than 1,200 congressional staffers, and should be the starting point for any citizen looking to change Washington."

The report made the following key findings:

1. Direct constituent interactions have more influence on lawmakers' decisions than other advocacy strategies. In three surveys of congressional staff over a 10-year span, 99 percent (2004), 97 percent (2010), and 94 percent (2015) said that "in-person visits from constituents" would have "some" or "a lot" of influence on an undecided lawmaker.
2. Congress places a high value on groups and citizens who have built relationships with the legislator and staff. In an era where mass email campaigns are easier and less expensive to conduct, congressional staff report they place a higher value on those constituents and organizations that engage in repeated, more interactive, and substantive communications and meetings. When asked what advocacy groups should do more of to build relationships with the office, 79 percent of staff surveyed said "meet or get to know the Legislative Assistant with jurisdiction over their issue area" and 62 percent said "meet or get to know the District/State Director."
3. Citizen advocates are more influential and contribute to better public policy when they provide personalized and local information to Congress. Nine out of ten (91 percent) congressional staffers surveyed said it would be helpful to have "information about the impact the bill/issue would have on the district or state." However, only nine percent report they receive that information frequently. Similarly, 79 percent said a personal story from a constituent related to the bill or issue would be helpful, but only 18 percent report they receive it frequently.
4. Citizens have significant potential to enhance their advocacy skills and influence Congress. CMF discovered a significant gap between typical constituents compared to those citizens who studied advocacy techniques and practiced what they had learned. In 2015 and 2016, CMF and Feeding America trained 44 food bank employees from around the U.S. After concluding 40 hours of training and role-playing (conducted over four months), the food bank citizen-advocates conducted meetings with Members and congressional staff. CMF surveyed those offices they met with and compared the findings to a previous survey CMF had conducted assessing the skills of "typical" constituents. Whereas 12 percent of congressional staff report that the typical constituent they meet with is "very prepared," 97 percent of the staff reported that training participants were "very prepared" for the meetings.