Congressional Management Foundation

The Congressional Management Foundation (CMF) is a nonpartisan nonprofit whose mission is to build trust and effectiveness in Congress. We do this by enhancing the performance of the institution, legislators and their staffs through research-based education and training, and by strengthening the bridge and understanding between Congress and the People it serves. CMF also is the leading researcher and trainer on citizen engagement, educating thousands of individuals and facilitating better understanding, relationships, and communications with Congress.

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News. Community. Debate. Levers for better democracy.

Producing Virtual Site Visits for Public Officials

Organizer: Congressional Management Foundation

CMF research shows that members of Congress consider visits to local facilities to be one of the most valuable ways to understand constituent views and opinions – more than any other source of information! Unfortunately, maintaining "social distance" during the COVID-19 crisis has put this very effective advocacy strategy on ice – or has it? This webinar will explore how advocates could resume the use of site visits using virtual platforms and common technology; how to entice legislators to participate; and how to plan and create an effective virtual site visit that will simulate the real thing.

Location: Webinar

Creative Responses in Congress to Changing DC Operations

Organizer: Congressional Management Foundation

Congressional offices have been facing new challenges during the Coronavirus pandemic. These challenges have forced offices to rethink priorities and responsibilities to focus on on an ever-increasing and changing workload.

To help congressional offices at this time, the Congressional Management Foundation (CMF) will be hosting a webinar on its program to provide a forum for sharing information among congressional offices. The program will feature senior level congressional staff sharing their experiences, challenges, and how they chose to modify their DC operations. By the end of the program, you should expect to gain information on the following:

How to address shifting priorities due to increased constituent needs
How offices are retooling staff responsibilities with innovative solutions
How offices are reprioritizing responsibilities and tasks in light of the current crisis

CMF strongly encourages senior level congressional staff to not only attend the seminar, but share your own experiences that might be helpful, and from which other offices can learn.

Location: Webinar

Big Picture

Congressional Management Foundation

Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Republican Rep. John Katko held a joint town hall on the coronavirus with Ohio State University research Amy Lee and Dr. Robert Corona, CEO of Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse.

Could bipartisan town halls on the virus help end the partisan information war?

How can elected officials communicate with the public in a more effective way, especially during a crisis? Making sure the message is free of partisanship looks to be key to the answer.

That's the working conclusion from more than a decade of research at Ohio State University, and this spring it's being tested in an unusual series of virtual town halls where elected officials from both parties are simultaneously addressing the coronavirus pandemic.

Persuading the public it's getting reliable information is acutely critical during a public health emergency. But even in normal times, among the top challenges to a functional democracy is an absent universe of agreed-upon facts that appear free of partisan bias — so the researchers' work holds the potential for lasting influence.

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Citizen Leaders Book Club With Neal Simon

Organizer: American Promise

Neal Simon, author of the newly released book "Contract to Unite America, Ten Reforms to Reclaim Our Republic," joins American Promise to kick of the new Citizen Leaders Book Club. Each quarter, we'll read a new book, and then meet together online with the author. We are pleased to be joined by some of our partners in the non-partisan reform movement – Issue One, Unite America, the Congressional Management Foundation, the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress, and others.

As a four-time CEO and independent candidate for the U.S. Senate, Neal will share insights gained from his political campaign on how the next era of American politics is being shaped by citizen-led reform movements – including American Promise's constitutional amendment. This is an interactive call and questions will be welcome.

Location: Virtual