On a typical day, you don’t turn on the news without hearing someone who says that Congress is broken. Implications is that this derelication explains why the institution inert and irresponsible to American people.

There is an element that is often lost from that discussion: Congress confuses many parts because its members cannot hear Americans, or even each. I mean that literally. Congress employees serve thousands of district offices around the country, and their communication technology does not match most of the businesses and even in many houses.

District Offices of members have connected Safe Wi-Fi Internet Service at 2023. Discussions with members and staff of Congress sometimes shortened for 40 minutes Since some government workers rely on the free version of Zoom, according to Congress testimony in March 2024.

The use of Congress information systems exists in many decades, while the world has experienced a revolution of information, combining smartphones and internet in personal and professional life. Technologies with changed modern life and political campaign Not yet available to improve Congress members’ ability to rule once they win the office.

Slow to adapt

As many institutions, Congress opposes change; only the Covid-19 pandemic pushes it to allow online hearings and introductions to the bill. Before 2020, whiteboards, sticky notes and interns contain clipboards dominating the halls of Congress.

Electronic signature reached the capital hill in 2021 – more than two decades after the Congress passed the Esign Act To allow electronic signature and commercial records.

Spent in the country About US $ 10 million in one year In changing the House of Representatives’ technology – the institution expressed war and pays all the federal government fees. That’s only 1% of the amount of theater fans spent “Hamilton“On Broadway since 2015.

It seems that American democracy story is publicly attractive, but investing in doing this job is less for Congress himself.

the Chief Administrative Office in CongressA nonslipistive staff that helps run Congress operations, decide which types of technology are available to members. it Rules in the room There is to protect Congress and National Security, but that care also prevents new ways to use technology to better serve in public.

Finding a happy medium between change and caution can result in a More Public Discourse.

A modernizing effort

Congress has been worked to modernizeincluding experimenting with new ways to hear local voices in their districts, including Gathering Constituent Feedback to a Standard way That can be easily processed by computers.

The House Natural Resources committee is also an early adoption technology for modemaking collaboration. Of 2020, committee staff and staff use a platform called Madison In collaboration writing and edit suggested Law of Environmental Justice Law With communities around the country affected by pollution.

Home leaders also look at the so-called Technology treatedwhich is used Specially designed websites UNTO Facilitate digital involvement by Matching collective intelligence to man OTHERS artificial intelligence. People post their ideas online and respond to others’ posts. Then systems can Screen and summarize Posts So User It is better to understand each other’s views.

These systems can even face Many group discussions involving many people holding a extensive positions to a Many set of issues and interests. Overall, these technologies are easier for people Looking for consensus and heard their voices To policy makers in ways that merchants can understand and respond to.

Governments of VIRGIN,, the UK,, Canground and Braaril Piloted technologies of concern. In Finland, one third of the youth between 12 and 17 participates in setting budget priorities for City of helsinki.

In May 2024, 45 books not based on US US-based US signed a Letter to Congress Ask that Technology treated Platforms attached to approved tools for civic engagement.

In the meantime, Congress looked at Ways to Use Artificial Wisdom As part of another Fitted Digital Strategy Based on lessons from others Democratic laws.

Find Benefits

Modernization efforts opens connections within Congress and the public. For example, hearings held at the video conference during the pandemic that made the Witnesses to share Congress skills from a distance accidentally unexpectedly. I’m at home in the new Mexican weather during the pandemic and knows three people away to testify Tribual Education,, Methane pollution and Environmental Harms from the abandoned wool wells.

NEW Rules at home Passed on January 3, 2025, encourage the use of artificial intelligence in daily operations and allowed distant proof of witnessing.

Other efforts new to Congress but long established business and personal settings include the ability to Track changes in law and a scheduling feature that Shortened overlays at meetings. Members Regularly scheduled to be two places at one time.

Another effort to progress is a Directory of Internal Digital Staff that replace Daily Directories are accumulated by private companies Gather contact information for Congress staff.

The road ahead

In 2022, what is now called “MEMBER-DIRECT COMPLETE“Returned to Congress with some digital advances. Previously known as” signs, “this is the habit of allowing members of Congress Handspick specific projects In their home districts to receive federal money. The signs were eliminated in 2011 between Concerns of abuse and objection by fiscal gardens. Their 2022 returns and revision Public Project Listingsrules of moral and a Tracking engine search Spending as efforts to give public transparency about signs.

Additional reforms able to federal government Even the more response to American people.

Some new advances are familiar. Just like customers can follow their pizza delivery from the oven to doorstep door, congress in late 2024 made a Flag tracking app that quickly improved a program that allows constituents to receive a flag flying in the US Capitol. Before, different home and senate methods caused time consumption in this shipping system.

Finally, the most powerful legislature in the world covered Pozza hut, surrounding this technology in 2017 To track customers’ pizzas from the driver’s driver store in front of their door.

Lorelei KellyResearch lead, modernization of Congress, McCout Schoot in Public Policy, Georgeown University

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