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Civic Engagement and Advocacy

The Civic Engagement program at the Project On Government Oversight empowers members of the public to engage with policymakers and encourage them to prioritize anti-corruption reforms that make our federal government more accountable to the people it serves.  

Although many Americans see corruption as one of the most important challenges of our time, many are also at a loss on how to fight it. POGO works with people across the country to make sure they have the tools and research they need to communicate effectively with their U.S. senators and representatives around core anti-corruption issues. 

Hearing from constituents is incredibly important, and it persuades lawmakers to act. Members of Congress pay attention when they hear about the issues from the people they represent: Direct constituent interactions have measurable influence on more than 90% of undecided lawmakers, according to research by the Congressional Management Foundation.  

Constituent lobbying can help counter the influence of the powerful companies seeking to profit from government decisions. A community of citizens pushing for anti-corruption reforms can promote policies that will ensure the government actually serves the people. Our network of citizen advocates help build the pressure needed to push our elected officials to challenge the status quo and enact genuine reform for government accountability. 

How to Get Involved in Citizen Advocacy with POGO

By getting involved in POGO’s citizen advocacy program,you can take concrete action to uplift core pro-accountability reforms, and you can put real pressure on your elected officials to adopt policies, laws, and reforms to prevent government corruption and the abuse of power. 

To start taking action, email [email protected]. 

When you reach out, you’ll receive information about special virtual trainings, invitations to closed-door roundtables about the most pressing corruption issues facing our country, and opportunities for mentorship on organizing and advocating within your congressional district. Our civic engagement team will work closely with you on actions you can take in your own hometown that can — and will — reverberate all the way up to Capitol Hill. 

When working with POGO on our advocacy efforts, you pick the issues you care about most. We’ll help you engage others in your community and hold your members of Congress accountable. This might mean sending a letter to the editor of your local paper, planning a personalized call or email to your members of Congress, hosting a virtual or in-person event with POGO, or more!   

Email [email protected] to join our movement now. 

Frequently Asked Questions

There are several types of actions you can take, from calling your members of Congress to add support on a timely issue, to writing letters to the editor of your hometown paper, to hosting events with POGO. Our civic engagement team will be there to help you every step of the way.

There’s no minimum time commitment, just a desire to join the fight and put pressure on Congress to tackle core issues of corruption, injustice, and abuse of power in the federal government.

Please email us at [email protected] and tell us a bit about yourself and the issues you care about. We’ll reach out to you.

Our Priorities for 2023

By focusing our civic engagement efforts on a few core issue areas each year, we can maximize the impact we can have on those issues. This year, we’re prioritizing

  • ensuring federal spending reaches those it's meant to serve by increasing transparency and oversight;
  • preventing conflicts of interest and building public confidence in our policymakers by banning members of Congress from owning stocks; 
  • fighting for defense spending that actually makes us safer by preventing price-gouging and waste in the Pentagon budget; 
  • protecting our civil and human rights by reining in federal government overreach; and 
  • preventing malign influence on U.S. policy by implementing key reforms to our financial system.

POGO Ambassadors

POGO ambassadors are leaders of local and state organizations as well as other community champions who lend their voice, together with POGO, to effectively engage members of Congress in their districts and who we recognize for helping elevate transparency and accountability reforms in our federal government. 

To learn more about our POGO Ambassadors, check out our Ambassador spotlights in the action center. 

Want to Act Now? 

Visit our action center for a list of steps you can take, like signing petitions or contacting your members of Congress, to get involved in key anti-corruption reforms today.