This year is strength training, not a marathon
Offices that treat major casework crises as learning opportunities consistently emerge stronger. This week’s Casework Navigator explores how adapting under pressure builds resilience—and what caseworkers can learn from today’s wave of constituent challenges.
Shutdown but not out
Key shutdown impacts on agency services, resources for federal employees and contractors, new developments in casework data and oversight, and more!
Shutdown Planning, Security Information, and H-1B Fun
Shutdown planning, safety tips for staff, H-1B updates, and more in this week’s Casework Navigator newsletter. Plus, our rescheduled Consumer Protection webinar with Erie Meyer this Thursday!
What we did over our summer vacation
We’re back! ICYMI: A recap of AI “summer camp” for Congressional staff, the launch of Departure Dialogues for departing federal employees, and new writing on why casework insights struggle to reach decision-makers. Plus: the House Digital Service’s release of a unified casework taxonomy, a major step toward better tools and national dashboards for constituent services.
How Legislative Office Structure Creates Bad Politics
Drawing on Jennifer Pahlka’s insights, the post explores how Congressional office structures sideline constituent-facing staff, why that weakens policymaking, and how rethinking culture, training, and tools can elevate constituent input.
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.
What does the One Big Beautiful Bill Act mean for casework?
Buried in headlines about the One Big Beautiful Bill Act? You’re not alone. The latest Casework Navigator cuts through the noise to break down what actually matters for casework.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Voice/Mail: A New Substack on the Future of Constituent Engagement
Voice/Mail, a new Substack from Deputy Director Anne Meeker explores the intersection of civic engagement and technology and how government can keep pace to solicit and act on public opinion.
What’s happening with AI in constituent engagement?
Outdated communication systems and limited office adoption have minimized GenAI's impact on constituent engagement, but there remains a need to rethink and modernize how constituents and lawmakers interact.
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.
Announcing the Future of Constituent Engagement Project from POPVOX Foundation
The Future of Constituent Engagement project from POPVOX Foundation intends to provide constituents, elected legislators, and innovators with key questions and inputs to consider in navigating the post-mail future.
FY24 Eligible Accounts for Earmark Funding
Eligible account descriptions and sample projects for FY24 Member Directed Spending (“earmarks”).