Meaningful Knowledge: Constituent Engagement as Qualitative Research
Anne Meeker Anne Meeker

Meaningful Knowledge: Constituent Engagement as Qualitative Research

In this conversation with Chelsea Mauldin, Executive Director of the Public Policy Lab, we explore constituent engagement as a form of qualitative research. From “shower thoughts” to structural change, we discuss how local interactions can inform better policymaking, elevate the role of district staff, and shift how we think about data in democracy.

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What's the Future of Casework? (Podcast)
POPVOX Foundation POPVOX Foundation

What's the Future of Casework? (Podcast)

How do constituent services currently operate? What are the lines of communication between constituents, elected officials, and government agencies? What would casework look like under proportional representation?

POPVOX Foundation Deputy Director Anne Meeker joins Lee Drutman on the Politics in Question podcast to discuss this and more.

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Keeping the TX, NM, and CA delegations in our thoughts
Anne Meeker Anne Meeker

Keeping the TX, NM, and CA delegations in our thoughts

We’re keeping the TX, NM, and CA delegations in our thoughts amid disasters, sharing updates on caseworker resources and our upcoming break, and asking for your feedback on this newsletter. Plus: a new webinar on consumer casework and key agency updates.

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Caseworkers and Field Reps Take DC
Anne Meeker Anne Meeker

Caseworkers and Field Reps Take DC

The latest Casework Navigator newsletter includes a recap of our Closing the Feedback Loop Through Casework event, a casework-related hearings roundup, and a ton of casework news and agency updates (especially ICE).

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When disaster strikes, your local congressional office can help
POPVOX Foundation POPVOX Foundation

When disaster strikes, your local congressional office can help

During disasters, help from federal agencies can be critical—and local congressional staff are key to making that happen. In a conversation with Federal News Network, Deputy Director Anne Meeker, a former caseworker, highlights the unique challenges these caseworkers face.

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The Case for Casework
Anne Meeker Anne Meeker

The Case for Casework

Casework strengthens Congressional oversight, builds constituent trust, and supports a more resilient institution. POPVOX Foundation Deputy Director Anne Meeker, a former caseworker, outlines strategies to support caseworkers, modernize tools, and turn constituent insights into actionable policy.

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How Spending Reform Transformed Constituent Engagement
Anne Meeker Anne Meeker

How Spending Reform Transformed Constituent Engagement

This case study explores how the return of earmarks—rebranded as Community Project Funding (CPF) and Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS)—sparked one of the most significant shifts in constituent engagement in Congress in the past decade.

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New Research: How Would Constituent Services Work in Multi-Member Districts?
POPVOX Foundation POPVOX Foundation

New Research: How Would Constituent Services Work in Multi-Member Districts?

A new paper by POPVOX Foundation Deputy Director Anne Meeker and New American Senior Fellow Lee Drutman, in partnership with Protect Democracy, examines the potential impacts of multi-member districts on the critical constituent service work that many Americans rely on when navigating federal agencies and programs.

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Committee on House Administration Member Day
POPVOX Foundation POPVOX Foundation

Committee on House Administration Member Day

Ahead of the Committee on House Administration's upcoming Member Day, POPVOX Foundation offers the following recommendations encouraging Member engagement with CHA to build on previous successes in creating a strong, responsive Legislative branch.

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POPVOX Foundation's Response to OMB's RFI on Public Participation
POPVOX Foundation POPVOX Foundation

POPVOX Foundation's Response to OMB's RFI on Public Participation

In response to OMB’s RFI titled "Methods and Leading Practices for Advancing Public Participation and Community Engagement with the Federal Government,” POPVOX Foundation submitted a comment emphasizing experience and challenges in participation, recommendations for improvement, and successful models.

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Recommendations for a more constituent-friendly Congress
testimony, Congress, staff support Anne Meeker testimony, Congress, staff support Anne Meeker

Recommendations for a more constituent-friendly Congress

Earlier this month, I had the top-of-the-bucket-list chance to testify at a House Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress on constituent services, and building a more customer-friendly Congress (video and transcript available here). As a former caseworker, it meant so much to be asked to come to DC to talk about casework, and share a starting-point vision for how Congress can capture the potential inherent in casework, and the expertise and talents of caseworkers across the country. The hearing covered so much ground, and it still only managed to scratch the surface of what’s possible and needed to push casework into the 21st century.

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Reporting on Earmarks: Resources for Journalists
Anne Meeker Anne Meeker

Reporting on Earmarks: Resources for Journalists

The return of “earmarks” or Member-Directed Spending requests in 2021 was a significant change for the annual appropriations cycle. In this guide, we cover the basics of the reformed ‘earmark’ programs, including some common misconceptions, and examples of earmarks coverage from around the country.

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House vs. Senate Earmark Accounts FY23
Anne Meeker Anne Meeker

House vs. Senate Earmark Accounts FY23

Last year, the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations announced the return of Member-Directed Spending, also known as “earmarks.” In the FY22 appropriations cycle, differences between the House and Senate processes, including mismatched eligible spending accounts, were some of the biggest unanswered questions of the reinstated process. This year, while there are still some discrepancies, the lists of eligible accounts in the House and Senate are very similar. We have provided a list below.

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Earmarks word for FY23: “executability”
Marci Harris Marci Harris

Earmarks word for FY23: “executability”

On March 31, POPVOX Foundation joined Bipartisan Policy Center and the Black Women’s Congressional Alliance to host a staff information-sharing session in collaboration with the House Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress.

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