February 22, 2012
Led by former U.S. Representative Lee Hamilton, the Center on Congress has decades of experience in how Congress works, in civic engagement, and in creating insightful resources for Americans of all ages. “What does Congress do?” “How does it affect my life?” “And how can I let Congress know what’s important to me?” The Center on Congress answers these questions—and many others—to help Americans of all ages understand how our representative democracy works and their role in our government. The ways they do this include: •Events for the public, journalists, and teachers •Resource development across all media, for people of all ages •Teacher outreach, including teaching resources, awards, and seminars for educators •Surveys of the public’s interaction with and attitudes about Congress •Public service announcements for television and radio •Commentaries about Congress and citizen engagement Among other major projects, the Center conducts national opinion surveys of the public’s attitudes about Congress, gathering information to help devise strategies for fostering a closer relationship between citizens and their representatives. The Surveys on Congress examine how people learn about and interact with Congress, and they gauge how citizens rate the job performance of their representatives and how they regard their own responsibilities as citizens. The surveys provide data to scholars, the media and others that is invaluable in understanding how the public sizes up the effectiveness and responsiveness of Congress. The Center also conducts a year-end survey of experts’ opinions on the performance of Congress.