This was presented at mySociety's TICTeC Show & Tell event, which was held virtually on 20th April 2021. More details on the event can be found here: https://tictec.mysociety.org/showandtells/2021

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
smcdona2@uci.edu
UCI Center for Organizational Research (COR)
Special thanks to…