One of the few things people across the political spectrum can agree on is that “elections have consequences.” With the dust settled on the 2018 midterm elections, we now have some 100 new members of Congress and a switch of party control in the House.
This cycle showcases the heightened level of grassroots participation from both parties, from small-dollar contributions to attendance at MAGA rallies to protests inside the U.S. Senate buildings and outside the Supreme Court. This cycle has ushered in widespread adoption of mass peer-to-peer texting, and saw the emergence of some other digital tools.
The sustained level of enthusiasm is a good sign that grassroots participation – online and in person — will sustain even after the new Congress gets underway in January. In fact, advocacy professionals should take note and begin refreshing their tactics for 2019.
Consider how the newly elected members are already bucking the norm with Instagram posts and office sit-ins of fellow party leadership. The advocacy community must be adaptive to the new norm and trends in communication and organizing that may not have been commonplace in the previous Congress. The younger and more diverse incoming 116th Congress will bring a new wave of how advocacy can be conducted. The tried and true methods aren’t going anywhere, but the grassroots tool set will need to expand.
Grassroots support from small-dollar donations, increased voter registrations, and a strong GOTV program helped Democrats take control of the House. I would expect Democrats to leverage these resources to further combat and obstruct the Trump Administration’s agenda as they transition to governing mode. Republicans still have significant grassroots capacity, but the luxury of unified government is gone.
Both Republicans and Democrats must do some soul searching when it comes to tools, tactics, and technology related to grassroots organizing when it comes to the new Congress and the 2020 Presidential election.
Irrespective of party control, grassroots advocacy will continue to be important in shaping public opinion, the vernacular around policy issues, and even driving or stalling the Administration agenda. It’s wise to ride the wave of this election’s enthusiasm, but also save some energy, budget, and resources to hit the ground running through targeted advocacy outreach in early 2019 and beyond.
Joshua Habursky is assistant vice president of advocacy at the Independent Community Bankers of America, chairman of the Grassroots Professional Network, contributing editor to C&E and an adjunct professor at George Washington University’s Graduate School of Political Management.