A new Hansard Society report, sponsored by Microsoft, MPs Online: Connecting with Constituents, reveals that MPs are using the internet primarily to inform their constituents rather than engage with them.
Most people will likely react to this study with a shrug and a “What do you expect? They’re politicians. They don’t want to hear from us.”
Well, there’s probably at least a little of that at work in some cases. But from my experience in a Canadian MP’s office, there’s also the collision between limited staff resources, the number of hours a day, and the sheer torrent of inquiries, comments and requests for help you get through the door.
Offering to start a conversation is great – if you have the time to actually have one. Otherwise, you’re just creating – and then dashing – unrealistic expectations.
Of course, it won’t be that long before MPs don’t have a choice; not having a social media presence that allows for genuine conversation will look as quaint (if not hostile) as not having a phone number or a mailing address. But there will have to be some adjustments – either in the support we as taxpayers are willing to fund for our elected officials, or in the amount and quality of attention politicians give to the various channels available to their constituents.
Then again, the first politician who successfully crowdsources a substantial portion of the time-consuming job of casework may well have a lot more staff and personal time to bring to bear on these conversations. Developers, creating a platform for peer constituent support could well be a lucrative project for you.
