Participants in the focus groups – the study convened a total of 80 focus groups earlier this year in four U.S. cities – found the communications with their Congressional representatives uneven and inconsistent in their presentations of issues and voting records. The responses indicated many voters get frustrated by the general lack of communication with their elected representatives, except for the time of elections, hardly a new accusation. And when they did hear from their representatives, the content left a lot to be desired.
The focus group participants demanded more accountability in Congress overall, a theme repeated in various responses reported by the study team. The groups reported dissatisfaction with the lack of details on Congressional voting records, the people with whom their representatives meet, and the general day-to-day activities of their elected officials. One respondent even suggested that more information about these activities might raise the level of trust that constituents have in their representatives.
According to the results of the study, those people who already communicate with their senators or representatives would like easier and more effective ways of making their voices heard. Most respondents favored the use of anonymous polls on issues of concern, rather than having to initiate the communications. And focus group participants that have written their officials also wanted some indication that the representatives listened to their opinions and took them into account. Many respondents appreciated responses from elected officials, even when disagreeing with their constituents.
Voters want more real content and less fluff in Congressional Web sites
The participants’ opinions of Congressional Web sites reflected their views of communications with their representatives in general. Those that had visited Congressional Web sites found them lacking real substance about the voting records of their elected officials and details about their representation of constituents in Washington.
When the study team asked participants about the features they would like to see in Congressional Web sites, the results showed a marked preference for these properties ...
-- Rich in content and information;
-- Discussed how constituents were being represented;
