It takes two: when citizens and Congress Members deliberate online - Samantha McDonald (University of California, Irvine)
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The document discusses the challenges of constituent communication in the U.S. Congress and explores the potential of online deliberative platforms for enhancing engagement. A study recruited constituents to participate in forums, revealing that while many engaged substantively, there were concerns about the responsiveness of members of Congress. Overall, constituents expressed a desire for more opportunities for such engagement and felt that it could influence decision-making compared to traditional methods.
![5
Deliberative Platforms for Representation
Let’s talk
about [X]
together…](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/mcdonaldtictec2021-210422085435/85/It-takes-two-when-citizens-and-Congress-Members-deliberate-online-Samantha-McDonald-University-of-California-Irvine-5-320.jpg)
![General Findings - Discussion
• Constituents engaged
substantively
• Member comments reflects
a “presentation of self”
(Fenno, 1978)
• Some constituents were
disappointed by the overall
engagement from the
Member.
“I’m completely with you that we need
to understand the problem before we
can think about solutions. Before I came
to Congress, I studied [a relevant topic]
and played a key role securing [finances]
for [local] families hurt by the [related]
crisis.”](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/mcdonaldtictec2021-210422085435/85/It-takes-two-when-citizens-and-Congress-Members-deliberate-online-Samantha-McDonald-University-of-California-Irvine-18-320.jpg)
![General Findings - Discussion
• Constituents engaged
substantively
• Member comments reflects
a “presentation of self”
(Fenno, 1978)
• Some constituents were
disappointed by the overall
engagement from the
Member.
“Felt the member didn’t directly engage
with anything that was said, but more
just provided lines from [their] resume.
Played it very safe.”.](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/mcdonaldtictec2021-210422085435/85/It-takes-two-when-citizens-and-Congress-Members-deliberate-online-Samantha-McDonald-University-of-California-Irvine-19-320.jpg)
![25
Findings From Staff Interview
“Many of the people who left
comments [and] wanted to engage
offered what I describe as
substantive [compare to] what we
see on other social media platforms.
I thought that was really positive.”
1. Substantive
engagement.
2. Opportunities for Staff
Collaboration](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/mcdonaldtictec2021-210422085435/85/It-takes-two-when-citizens-and-Congress-Members-deliberate-online-Samantha-McDonald-University-of-California-Irvine-25-320.jpg)
![26
1. Substantive
engagement.
2. Opportunities for Staff
Collaboration
“One thing I thought was helpful [was]
the timing. There was a deadline by
which this would be over, but within
that deadline [you could] respond
whenever you wanted [which] opened
up opportunities for us as a team.
For example, for me to touch base with
our policy staff, to talk about
homelessness….”
Findings From Staff Interview](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/mcdonaldtictec2021-210422085435/85/It-takes-two-when-citizens-and-Congress-Members-deliberate-online-Samantha-McDonald-University-of-California-Irvine-26-320.jpg)
It takes two: when citizens and Congress Members deliberate online - Samantha McDonald (University of California, Irvine)
- 1. Testing Platforms for Representative-Constituent Deliberation in the U.S. Congress Samantha McDonald All icons are from the Noun Project
- 2. Average Member of Congress represents 700,000 people Current constituent communication methods do not provide meaningful methods of dialogue and understanding Methods for deliberative engagement online may be able to help
- 3. Average Member of Congress represents 700,000 people Current constituent communication methods do not provide meaningful methods of dialogue and understanding Methods for deliberative engagement online may be able to help
- 4. Average Member of Congress represents 700,000 people Current constituent communication methods do not provide meaningful methods of dialogue and understanding Methods for deliberative engagement online may be able to help
- 5. 5 Deliberative Platforms for Representation Let’s talk about [X] together…
- 6. An online, week-long, asynchronous, single-topic forum for deliberation 6
- 7. An online, week-long, asynchronous, single-topic forum for deliberation 7
- 8. An online, week-long, asynchronous, single-topic forum for deliberation 8 popvox.com
- 9. An online, week-long, asynchronous, single-topic forum for deliberation 9 Day 1 Day 7 Slower-moving dialogue
- 10. An online, week-long, asynchronous, single-topic forum for deliberation 10
- 11. An online, week-long, asynchronous, single-topic forum for deliberation 11
- 12. An online, week-long, asynchronous, single-topic forum for deliberation 12 Representative Sample Quasi-Anonymous
- 13. Recruitment • Recruited 300 constituents using random representative sampling. Half attend the forum, half are control. • Out of 150 invited, 51 attended the forum in some capacity (commenting or reading comments). • Fairly representative of district, but males and educated persons (w/graduate degreed) were over- represented. 13
- 14. Recruitment • Recruited 300 constituents using random representative sampling. Half attend the forum, half are control. • Out of 150 invited, 51 attended the forum in some capacity (commenting or reading comments). • Fairly representative of district, but males and educated persons (w/graduate degreed) were over- represented. 14
- 15. Recruitment • Recruited 300 constituents using random representative sampling. Half attend the forum, half are control. • Out of 150 invited, 51 attended the forum in some capacity (commenting or reading comments). • Fairly representative of district, but males and educated persons (w/graduate degreed) were over- represented. 15
- 16. 16
- 17. General Findings - Discussion • Constituents engaged substantively • Member comments reflects a “presentation of self” (Fenno, 1978) • Some constituents were disappointed by the overall engagement from the Member. “The civility of this conversation is encouraging…There must be a willingness to engage the issue in ALL neighborhoods, not isolating the homeless to underserved or underprivileged locations…All of us must not be NIMBY’s but rather cooperator’s in implementing the solutions…”
- 18. General Findings - Discussion • Constituents engaged substantively • Member comments reflects a “presentation of self” (Fenno, 1978) • Some constituents were disappointed by the overall engagement from the Member. “I’m completely with you that we need to understand the problem before we can think about solutions. Before I came to Congress, I studied [a relevant topic] and played a key role securing [finances] for [local] families hurt by the [related] crisis.”
- 19. General Findings - Discussion • Constituents engaged substantively • Member comments reflects a “presentation of self” (Fenno, 1978) • Some constituents were disappointed by the overall engagement from the Member. “Felt the member didn’t directly engage with anything that was said, but more just provided lines from [their] resume. Played it very safe.”.
- 20. Survey Findings • No change to internal or external political efficacy, or approval. • Constituents felt a significantly higher impact on the Member's decision-making compared to previous forms of engagement. • Most constituents want more forums like this. A quarter wished it lasted longer than a week. 0%
- 21. Survey Findings • No change to internal or external political efficacy, or approval. • Constituents felt a significantly higher impact on the Member's decision-making compared to previous forms of engagement. • Most constituents want more forums like this. A quarter wished it lasted longer than a week. +40%
- 22. Survey Findings • No change to internal or external political efficacy, or approval. • Constituents felt a significantly higher impact on the Member's decision-making compared to previous forms of engagement. • Most constituents want more forums like this. A quarter wished it lasted longer than a week. +88%
- 23. 23 Findings From Staff Interview - Staff Lack of engagement from the Member
- 24. 24 Findings From Staff Interview - Staff Lack of engagement from the Member
- 25. 25 Findings From Staff Interview “Many of the people who left comments [and] wanted to engage offered what I describe as substantive [compare to] what we see on other social media platforms. I thought that was really positive.” 1. Substantive engagement. 2. Opportunities for Staff Collaboration
- 26. 26 1. Substantive engagement. 2. Opportunities for Staff Collaboration “One thing I thought was helpful [was] the timing. There was a deadline by which this would be over, but within that deadline [you could] respond whenever you wanted [which] opened up opportunities for us as a team. For example, for me to touch base with our policy staff, to talk about homelessness….” Findings From Staff Interview
- 27. What it all means 27
- 28. What it all means 1. There is potential here 2. Institutional barriers exists 3. Staff are vital 28 Member-driven deliberative could improve the relationships of constituents with representatives in Congress. Asynchronicity could play an important role.
- 29. What it all means 1. There is potential here 2. Institutional barriers exists 3. Staff are vital 29 This one experiment required significant work. Need to overcome norms, political pressures, and current congressional capacity.
- 30. What it all means 1. There is potential here 2. Institutional barriers exists 3. Staff are vital 30 Embrace the congressional enterprise and offer staff more support.
- 31. Future Work – Committee on Natural Resources 31
- 32. 32 Thank You Samantha McDonald [email protected] UCI Center for Organizational Research (COR) Special thanks to…
Editor's Notes
- #2: Created by Steve Morris
- #9: Small civic engagement company that works directly with Congress. They do not sell or exchange information about users to any outside organization except Congress. It is well known in software design and development that 50-80% of the cost of any software system is in the maintenance of the software. By working with an established company, I tried to ensure the opportunity for long-term use and maintenance. If Members find the tool useful, they can continue using the product on their own.
- #12: TOPIC WAS CHOSEN BY THE MEMEBR AND THEIR STAFF.
- #13: Representee Sampling is unique here It’s something Members of Congress don’t have access to on the inside due to regulatory reasons (you can’t contact people who haven’t contacted your office), and cost reasons (it’s REALLY expensive to find panels like this) There samples are currently biased.
- #18: They were offering solutions and recognizing community tensions
- #19: providing a sense of qualification for their job, identification with their constituents, and empathy.
- #20: providing a sense of qualification for their job, identification with their constituents, and empathy.
- #24: After explaining this to me, the staffers felt my tone of surprise to this information. It was clear in my initial meeting with the Member and throughout my mail exchanges with staff that POPVOX and I assumed the Member would be participating. In defense, the communications director noted that “Many Members of Congress aren’t involved [in this kind of online engagement] to the point where they would”. The other staffer chimed to say that this Member was more engaged than any other Member they had worked with – a remark that was, I’m assuming, meant to justify their absence.
- #25: After explaining this to me, the staffers felt my tone of surprise to this information. It was clear in my initial meeting with the Member and throughout my mail exchanges with staff that POPVOX and I assumed the Member would be participating. In defense, the communications director noted that “Many Members of Congress aren’t involved [in this kind of online engagement] to the point where they would”. The other staffer chimed to say that this Member was more engaged than any other Member they had worked with – a remark that was, I’m assuming, meant to justify their absence.
- #28: This forum had a longer and more flexible time horizon than typical engagements with constituents (e.g., in-person town hall events. This sets the stage for quality participation. Participants were highly satisfied with the asynchronous week-long style of deliberation, and the staff found impact there. Of course, synchronous engagement has its benefits as well. The real-time presence of the Member and their staff could also increase constituents’ feelings of connectedness and investment in the experience. It could also keep Members accountable by encouraging them to show up for at least part of the conversation. Looking forward, I believe a collection of both in-person, real-time, and digital opportunities are key to constituent engagement. I