2022 Democracy Awards - Nomination Form for Transparency and Accountability

Transparency and Accountability Overview

This award focuses on how the office integrates and respects the concepts of transparency and accountability in government. We would expect to see that an office demonstrates transparency through regular, meaningful, and robust communications to constituents and stakeholders that are designed to keep them informed of the Member’s activities and actions in Congress. Additionally, offices would be expected to hold themselves accountable to their constituents by consistently following office protocols and sharing as much information with constituents as is necessary to demonstrate clarity in the Member’s activities and goals.

For example:

Consistently updating the Member’s website and social media platforms with relevant information related to the legislator’s legislative and representational responsibilities as well as pertinent information regarding safety and testing re: COVID-19
Publicly sharing vote explanations, position statements, schedules, and meetings with constituents on a variety of platforms
Providing numerous opportunities to interact directly with the legislator at town halls, telephone town halls, social media platforms, summits, and district/state office hours
General responsiveness to legitimate constituent inquiries
Holding office and staff accountable by adhering to performance standards
Quality, amount, and variety (online, in-person, telephone) of town hall meetings

PLEASE NOTE:
It may be necessary for CMF to learn more about your office’s policies and processes in order to evaluate your nomination fully and assess your practices against those of other nominees. We will do this by interviewing select staffers and reviewing certain documents. We understand the sensitive nature of this information and would keep it completely confidential.

By completing the following application for a Democracy Award, you are indicating that your office is prepared to be interviewed by CMF and submit requested documents as part of the review process. If you have any questions or issues in submitting your nomination, please contact CMF@CongressFoundation.org.