lectures/talks
08/07/23
“Representation Gone Viral: Digital Demand and Congressional Capacity”
Annelise convenes a discussion on changes in digital communication by Members of Congress and how those changes affect relationships between staffers, journalists, and policymakers. Panelists Sam Carter, Matthew Lira, and Steve Dwyer bring a wealth of experience from the executive and legislative branches as well as the business of social media to the conversation.
10/19/22
“Using Social Media to Drive the Political Conversation”
Social media is a key tool for candidates and lawmakers to share policy positions, connect with voters, and fundraise. This seminar presented new research on how congressional candidates and officeholders use social media to gain media attention, raise money, respond to crises, and shape the broader political conversation.
Tweeting is Leading
10/15/21
Social media has given lawmakers new opportunities to define themselves and connect with journalists and constituents, aggregating lawmakers’ reputation-building on a single platform. My new book, Tweeting is Leading, explains how senators use social media to build a reputation that matches the expectations of the constituents they aim to please.
9/9/21
“Guest Post: Annelise Russell on Her New Book ‘Tweeting is Leading’”
Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley once took to Twitter to let people know that the “Windsor Heights Dairy Queen is a good place for u kno what.” Well, the internet had some suggestions!
Blog Posts
9/28/23
“Representation Gone Viral: Communication Capacity in Congress”
Unlike most of my academic colleagues, I came to Congress with the radical notion that communication was cool, and I got a somewhat chilly reception. My passion for politics stemmed from my time as a new reporter in D.C., and the only things I really knew about Congress were what a more seasoned press person told me. But the nuance of Congress, the way information moved and the strategic political dance were what propelled me to academia.
6/16/23
“Not all sugar and spice: How women running for Congress communicate”
Women running for Congress is a good thing for the institution. Women not only bring a unique perspective, research shows they are more likely to introduce legislation, are better at delivering dollars back to their home districts, and they get more bills passed in Congress. But could more women running for Congress also be good for the rhetorical tone of the institution?
3/26/16
In a primary season filled with outlandish policy promises, one has stood out: Donald Trump’s pledge to strong-arm Mexico into paying for and building a wall. Many observers view Trump’s remarks as nothing more than “cheap talk,” aimed at consolidating support during a competitive primary season. But what happens when the public demands action? A new website by the Comparative Agendas Project, comparativeagendas.net, offers tools to answer this and other questions about how leaders actually govern.
9/17/15
Donald Trump is offending someone. Ben Carson says we’re all the same under the skin. Hillary Clinton is losing support among women (or is she?). Voters like to complain that the news media cover the most superficial aspects of political campaigns: the horse race, the jockeying, the outrage of the day. And candidates are finding a way to bypass the news media’s focus on scandal, and convey their real agendas — through their Twitter accounts.
Podcasts
2/16/23
“Reporters, Social Media, and Congress”
Annelise joins Matt Chervenak and the Sunwater Institute to talk about the realities of communicating without Congress the impact of digital platforms for congressional governance, reporting, and representation.
2/8/23
In this episode, I join Matt Grossman and Lindsey Cormack to discuss how communications in Congress have evolved and what it means to have digital diversity lawmaker communication.
12/8/16
"The Connector: The Comparative Agendas Project"
In this episode, I join Rebecca Eissler and Stuart Tendler to discuss the Comparative Agendas Project, an international effort to systematically measure, compare, and research public policy across the globe.
OP-EDs
“Although Trump may be gone, Twitter will continue to influence politics and policy”
Unlike Trump, President Joe Biden is not offering round-the-clock updates and the collective temperature of Washington communications may have come down a few ticks as policy changes or breaking news are less likely to come in the middle of the night. But absent the visceral nature and frequency of the former president’s tweets, there remains the question about the next chapter of social media as a mechanism for political engagement in Washington.