[idlewords]

Every NGO I've worked with as part of Tech Solidarity has stressed that phone calls are the most effective form of pressure short of face-to-face meetings.

Do you think your congressman was more receptive to constituent calls to his local office? Or did he not care about any of it?

[forgotmysn]

Honestly, I was never made aware of any metrics regarding inbound comms from the district office, so I can't really say.

I think the reason people say that phone calls are the most effective is because they are the most exhausting to deal with, and thus may leave the strongest impression on those who have to deal with them. From there, it's a matter of flow of information within the Rep's office. If anything, I would suggest that callers ask how exactly their opinions will reach their representative at the end of the call. Find out if a staffer will be relayed this information, and if so, which, and then inquire how that staffer will be relaying it to the rep. Adding verbal accountability may increase the likelihood of it getting moved up the chain?

[schoen]

I work for the NGO that is asking people to call Congress in this article, and we also have the impression that this is a useful way for constituents to lobby their representatives (though some people say sending a paper letter is more effective, perhaps precisely because even fewer people are willing to do it). It would be interesting to hear more on this from people who've worked in various Congressional offices.

[forgotmysn]

I'm honestly jealous of both you and @Idlewords. What I wouldn't give to work in the Tech Policy space.