Two Words Good Politicians Don't Hear Enough Right Now

My inbox is a big mountain of demands, the Congressional staffer told me. Make a statement about this now, introduce this bill, join that caucus, just plain stop the madness. And the kicker, she continued, is when we do what someone asks of us, nine times out of 10, we don't get a thanks. The next time I hear from them is when they want something again.

This is not a tale of woe; constituents should ask their members of Congress to do things. But this is a cautionary tale.

Being in elected office is rough sledding right now. Threats against Members of Congress are at a near-all time high. Staffers receive such a startling number of nasty calls, the bipartisan Congressional Management Foundation partnered with the American Psychological Association on a set of recommendations for handling abusive callers.

And this all gets ratcheted up to 11 in especially pitched political moments, like the one we're in now.

Unsurprisingly, 53 politicians - nearly 10% of Congress - retired at the end of 2024. I imagine the number will be comparable, if not higher, when this current term ends in 2026.

And while you may think, "Good riddance for bad rubbish," some of those who departed for greener pastures were great politicians who did right by their district and our country.

So how can we help keep the good ones in office?

The easiest way I know how is wonderfully simple: Say thank you. Here are a few tips:

#1: Only Contact Your Members of Congress
We each have three voices in Congress: two Senators and one House member. (If you don't know your three, click here to find out.)

They are especially interested in what their constituents think because it's constituents who get them elected. And they need to keep enough constituents happy so they can get re-elected.

Even if we're thrilled that a Senator from a state we don't live and vote in did something worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize, no need to reach out. We might be clogging the wires for constituents who could be trying to get through to say thanks.

What we can do is make sure our pals in the Senator's state do know about the Nobel-worthy work their politician has done.

#2: The Stevie Wonder Phone Call
My Mum used to call me and belt out Stevie Wonder's "I Just Called to Say I Love You" (always worth a listen). We don't need to call our Senators to say I love you, per se, but we can just call to say thank you - for a particular vote, social media post, or simply being in the good fight (which, of course, is not at all simple).

Folks rarely call with gratitude. Given the onslaught of incoming that Congressional staffers get, the power of a friendly voice on the phone thanking the staffer for their boss's work could change that underpaid, overworked staff assistant's day. It could remind them there are good, caring people out there.

You can kick it up to the 201 level by getting a few likeminded fellow constituents to do the same. It signals to the Congressional office that people who care about this issue are kind, decent, and worth listening to.

#3: The Targeted Email
Here's my favorite way to make our voice heard with Congressional offices. We can do the same, but instead of an ask, make it a thank you and send it straight to the policy staffer who handles that issue (directions for reaching the staffer can be found here).

When I worked in Congress, an email like that would've felt like someone reached into the sky and handed me the sun.

#4: Take it to the Streets...of Social Media
You can always give a friendly shoutout on social media for what your politician did. If you really want to up the ante, you can draft an op-ed for the paper of record in your district and repost it on social media.

#5: Town Hall Time
Rare is the constituent who shows up to an in-person or tele-town hall to say, "Thanks for your help with my VA benefits. Really appreciate it!" So when we do it, we stand out like a cardinal in the winter landscape. We're also showcasing for other attendees the great good the politician has done.

Sign up for your three politicians' newsletters and you'll get town hall dates there.

What if My Three Politicians DON'T Do Anything Gratitude-Worthy?
I hold you in that. Not feeling represented in a representative democracy is no small loss. But what you can do is let friends in states or districts with pretty rad politicians know about the great good their Members of Congress are doing.

We all benefit from having good politicians serving in D.C., even if they don't directly represent us, their votes can directly impact us.

After my conversation with the Congressional staffer whose inbox was a mountain of demands, I was reminded of how easy it is to take the hardworking, greathearted politicians and staff for granted. They're like electricity or plumbing; we usually only think about them when they aren't doing what we want.

Our thanks can provide a little spirit boost and let folks know they're appreciated, which makes them more likely to stay in the game. As Gertrude Stein put it, "Silent gratitude isn’t much use to anyone."

PS! Tired of feeling overwhelmed and powerless? I'm doing Civic Strategy Fireside Chats with individuals and organizations about how we can be rooted, impactful, and strategic during these chaotic moments. If interested, drop me a line!