What protesters are doing right (and maybe wrong) in the Trump era

We’re living in a time of unprecedented civic engagement. Democrats and Republicans, alike are reaching out directly to lawmakers in Washington. They’re confronting controversial topics like healthcare, immigration and Supreme Court nominees.

On the left, liberals have embraced the new guidebook, “Indivisible: A Practical Guide for Resisting the Trump Agenda” written by former congressional staffers. Citizens have formed grassroots “Indivisible” groups across the country. Through their advocacy, letters, phone calls and social media messages to Congress have increased as much as 500 percent.

{mosads}And town hall meetings — normally wonky, low-key sessions with legislators and only a few dozen citizens — have become raucous battlegrounds, often with hundreds of anti-Trump protesters facing off against a beleaguered lawmaker.

But it seems that some zealous advocates have not read the “Indivisible” guide carefully. While the word protest appears five times in the guide; the word polite appears seven times.

As Congress heads home this week for another recess, liberals and conservatives alike would do well to remember a basic fact about members of Congress: They are human beings. You can have an impact on your congressman and senators just by speaking with them, but they do not respond positively to hostility.

So how can you get your message across?

History and research suggest that the best ways to make an impact on your legislator are through thoughtful, earnest expression and outreach. We recently released the findings in its latest comprehensive report on citizen engagement and Congress, “Citizen Centric Advocacy: The Untapped Power of Citizen Engagement.” The report, based on nine surveys of congressional staff that includes 1,196 staff responses, suggests that instead of protests, those wishing to influence Congress should employ an informed, calm, and sustained approach.

All of the surveys show that among citizen-to-Congress communications (email, social media, in-district events), constituent influence is the dominant method to impact lawmakers.

When congressional staff were asked what advocacy factors influence an undecided lawmaker, 94 percent said an “in-person visit from a constituent” has some or a lot of influence and 92 percent said an individualized email message from a constituent has a big impact. One Deputy Chief of Staff said, “In person meetings are the easiest way for staff to understand an issue because it gives us the chance to ask questions, and put a face with the issue.”

The information that citizens present in their message or during their meeting also matters. Staffers were asked, “How helpful is it for messages from constituents to include the following?” Information about the impact on the district or state was noted as helpful by 91 percent of staff; 90 percent said constituents reasoning; and 70 percent said a personal story related to the bill or issue.

One legislative assistant noted, “My boss rarely acts if there isn’t an impact on his district. Show me a connection as to how your issue directly affects our constituents.”

It should be noted that this congressional staff survey research — which produced the first-ever evidence-based playbook for influencing Congress — dealt with legislative outcomes, not electoral outcomes, and there are many reasons to protest other than pursuing a legislative strategy.

The Tea Party movement in 2009 and 2010 saw no legislative successes. President Obama and the Democrats in Congress passed nearly every major bill they sought to enact. It was not until the election of 2010 that the Tea Party effect was truly felt on Capitol Hill — this time from the newly-elected members of Congress themselves.

Additionally, this is not to suggest that a sustained level of protest definitely will not influence lawmakers. The last period of sustained protests occurred during the civil rights movement and the Vietnam War, efforts which changed America forever.

But protest shouldn’t be viewed as the only tool in the toolbox: there is evidence that a more direct, rational, and reasonable approach will affect legislative outcomes. It remains to be seen whether protesters want to influence congressional decision-making, or merely wish to vent.

Bradford Fitch is the President & CEO of the Congressional Management Foundation. He has thirteen years of experience working as a congressional staff member and is the author of “Citizen’s Handbook to Influencing Elected Officials.”

The views of contributors are their own and are not the views of The Hill.