What people in State Houses and City Halls wish they’d known when they started
When many people think of elected officials, they envision polished politicos whisking through stately corridors. They may picture noisy press briefings, lavish state dinners, or fiery primetime debates.
In the American imagination, elected officials are masters of political intrigue who broker deals over martinis and expensive steak dinners.
In reality, public service looks a whole lot less like The West Wing and more like Parks & Recreation.
Federal officials represent a tiny fraction of those we elect to govern. Just 0.1% of people elected in the United States work at either end of Pennsylvania Avenue; the other 99.9% serve in local or state government. For the hundreds of thousands of officials who are sworn in each year, the day-to-day realities of public service can be shocking, overwhelming, and downright tedious.
Legislata was built to serve people in public service. By organizing and streamlining daily workflows, our software provides critical support to those on the frontlines at State Houses and City Halls across the country.
As part of our mission to empower these local and state officials, we regularly conduct research to improve our product and to share best practices with the wider community. As new legislative sessions began across the country, we distributed an informal survey asking elected officials and their staff members what they wished they’d known when they first began their jobs.
Here are some of the biggest takeaways from that survey.
1. Politics happens on soapboxes. Public service happens in inboxes.
Survey-takers reported that nearly half their time is spent responding to constituent emails and calls. Another 20% of their time is spent answering other emails. Because officials and aides are dedicating most of their energy to constituent services, policy research — the core reason so many people choose to work in government — actually makes up the smallest chunk of their day.
One respondent said:
I wish I had known just how much of the work is constituent-services based… Because we are an urban district, the constituent-services aspect of the job constitutes the majority of my time. I don’t necessarily mind, but it was not what I had envisioned the duties would mostly consist of when I started working as a legislative aide.
2. The work is all-consuming
Since nearly 70% of their time is spent responding to emails and phone calls, it comes as no surprise that elected officials and staff members have little time to manage their other work duties, nevermind their personal responsibilities. As one State House staffer noted, balancing home and work life can be virtually impossible for new employees:
“I… wish I had known that if you don’t make a work/life separation, this can easily be a 24/7 job. Looking back, I wish I had never put my and my boss’s work email on my phone… I can be eating dinner with my family on a Saturday night, and an email comes in about someone who is requesting assistance with an unemployment claim, and feel that I have to respond right away.”
Even for those with prior experience in government, the all-encompassing nature of the job is a major burden:
“…I was a staffer before becoming the rep, so I had a good idea of what I was getting into. That being said, the time commitment is always difficult to juggle, which is something I did not know before I started working at the State House. This is a 24/7 type of job and taking days off can be difficult.”
3. Public service takes a serious emotional toll
For political science students and policy nerds, working in a State House or City Hall may seem like a dream come true; however, the emotional stress of constituent services can be staggering. Many of these professionals find themselves feeling overwhelmed and underprepared to help constituents access the resources they need:
“As a legislative aide, I didn’t realize until about a month into working that perhaps the background of an aide should not necessarily be political science or public policy, but rather social work. I found early on that the bulk of the work is constituent-services based, whereby you are trying to solve issues for people around housing, addiction, mental health services, healthcare, child welfare, and employment.
Although I’ve grown into the position, for a then-22 year old with a background in political science, I wish I was more adequately prepared to deal with the emotional stress of some of these heartbreaking constituent cases.” — Survey Respondent
How can legislative offices work more efficiently and effectively?
While working for local or state government can be incredibly rewarding, legislators and aides are struggling to keep their heads above water. With high stakes and few resources, elected officials and aides need to work smarter — not harder.
Here’s how we can help.
Legislata is the workplace productivity tool uniquely designed for state and local officials. By allowing users to track constituent messages, manage office tasks, and collaborate with peers, Legislata helps officials and staff members keep on top of their work and push progress forward.
Interested in trying Legislata for yourself? We are now accepting applications for our beta version. To express interest, visit: https://www.legislata.com/contact-us.
