Resource Library

OK, let’s talk elections! While the Lab doesn’t cover electioneering or lobbying work, election outcomes have public engagement implications that do fall within our wheelhouse. So, what do the results from a mixed-bag election for climate advocates across the country mean for mobilizing our supporters going forward and how do you help your activists make sense of it?

Senior Congressional aides consistently do not accurately identify their district or state’s policy preferences on issues (ranging from regulating carbon emissions to gun control to health care) and often overestimate their constituents’ conservatism. Across all five issues, this research finds that staffers do not accurately identify their district or state’s preferences and often overestimate their constituents’ conservatism. For example, 78% of staffers underestimated constituent support for carbon limits in their districts and states.

When the Lab announced its first-ever open call for field research grant ideas in March, Lab members responded with more than 50 (great!) proposals aimed at testing new approaches to better engage Americans on climate and clean energy. The volume and quality of proposals were a clear reflection of the community’s interest in taking our public engagement work up a few notches, and choosing between them was not an easy task.
This week, we’re sharing the 10 field research grants the Lab team awarded. Many thanks again to everyone who submitted a proposal, and we look forward to sharing the results of these tests with the broader community over the next 6-12 months.