Can social media change the way lawmakers connect with constituents?

The Congressional Management Foundation released survey results finding that on social media, a relatively small number of comments can grab the attention of lawmakers and their staff.

Less than 30 comments on a lawmaker’s own post on sites like Facebook and Twitter would prompt congressional staff to pay attention, 80 percent of staffers said. The key ingredient in prompting a response? Time. While 54 percent of the staffers said they would review comment posted 6 hours ago, only 23 percent said they would review a comment older than a week. Less than 10 comments would prompt action from 35 percent of the 116 House and Senate staff surveyed, buoyed by lawmakers’ growing use of social media. Twenty-five percent of those surveyed said it didn’t matter how old the comments were, they would still review them, though it’s unclear what action would result. The report’s authors pointed to the power of social media to connect lawmakers more directly with their constituents.