{"id":1375,"date":"2017-03-21T08:30:05","date_gmt":"2017-03-21T13:30:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/trot\/?p=1375"},"modified":"2017-03-21T09:00:59","modified_gmt":"2017-03-21T14:00:59","slug":"do-politicians-listen-when-constituents-call","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/trot\/2017\/03\/21\/do-politicians-listen-when-constituents-call\/","title":{"rendered":"Do Politicians Listen When Constituents Call?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Photo by Mark Fischer, Flickr CC<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The election of Donald Trump has brought new people into politics and re-ignited activists. As people on the left aim to resist what they view as Trump\u2019s dangerous and harmful policies, and people on the right try to sustain political engagement after the election, both sides are debating about the effectiveness of various political strategies. For example, <\/span>Indivisible<\/span><\/i><\/a>, a guide compiled by Congressional staffers on tactics for opposing President Trump, spread quickly across the internet as people grappled with how to effectively influence policy-making. <\/span><\/p>\n

Contacting legislators is one of the most common forms of political engagement in the United States. Hearing from constituents, particularly in face-to-face meetings and phone calls, can influence politicians\u2019 action on an issue. The greatest impact, however, is when the contact is outside of routine communications and part of a collective campaign. Social scientists have found that politicians are more likely to react to new information that indicates a change in the political landscape and ties their stance \u00a0to their electability. An organized effort can demonstrate that a group has powerful resources, such as volunteers and donations, which in turn can affect politicians\u2019 ability to get re-elected. <\/span><\/h5>\n