Constituent Engagement in San Joaquin Valley Communities
BY NICK DOKOOZLIAN
Introduction: “It doesn’t matter who we send”
Engagement between constituents and elected representatives is a fundamental pillar of governance. In an ideal world, constituents play a vital role in shaping the policies, priorities, and actions of their government at every level. When constituents actively participate in the democratic process, they ensure that their voices are heard, their needs are addressed, and the government remains accountable to the people it serves. In addition, an emphasis on constituent engagement creates open dialogue between the representative and the community, which helps build trust between the two parties.
The founders understood the importance of this dialogue between elected officials and their constituents. The right to petition, enshrined in the First Amendment, gives constituents the right to engage with their elected officials to ensure that they stay accountable to the people they serve. Despite the fundamental role of constituent engagement in the American system of representative democracy, participation and engagement in government is not uniform across different geographical areas. In many cases, the constituencies who may need the assistance of their Representatives the most may be the most reluctant to engage, or face the highest barriers to doing so.
This paper examines the San Joaquin Valley of California as a case study to discover the various factors that may hamper successful application of new constituent engagement tools. We explore two AI-based constituent engagement tools and their potential applications by elected officials from rural areas at the federal, state, and local level, and feedback from in-depth interviews with San Joaquin Valley elected officials and staff around their identified use cases and potential challenges and factors that may affect effective utilization of these tools. In understanding these challenges, we can better craft solutions to increase engagement and potentially improve upon technologies currently used for engagement, particularly in areas with high levels of constituent alienation and challenges with connectivity.
The San Joaquin Valley
The San Joaquin Valley, part of California’s vast agricultural heartland, has long grappled with issues of poverty, income inequality, and environmental degradation. The persistence of these challenges, coupled with differing priorities between the concerns of rural and urban populations, have led many residents to feel that their elected officials are disconnected from their lived experiences. In response to a 2024 survey showing that a majority of people in San Joaquin Valley do not approve of their elected officials, Congressman John Duarte [R, CA], acknowledged, "There is a lot of pain in the valley.” Duarte's comments underscore the challenges facing lawmakers in connecting with and addressing the concerns of their constituents in this part of California.
Duarte represents California's thirteenth Congressional District (CA-13), a region marked by both its rich agricultural heritage and the struggles faced by its residents. The district, which includes areas like Merced, Madera, and Turlock, is a blend of suburban and rural communities stretching from near Stockton to the outskirts of Fresno. While it is known for fertile lands that produce an abundance of crops like almonds, dairy, and grapes, the district is also home to a population that often grapples with economic hardship. Despite the importance of agriculture to the local economy, many residents live in poverty, and opportunities for economic advancement are limited. Access to healthcare and education remains uneven, further deepening the sense of disenfranchisement. The district’s challenges extend beyond economics. Water scarcity, a critical issue for the farming community, exacerbates the difficulties faced by residents.
This economic struggle as well as frustration with resource management contribute to a widespread sense of apathy toward political engagement. For many in the district, day-to-day survival takes precedence over participation in the political process, leading to low voter turnout and a lack of involvement in civic matters. A recent survey conducted in California's San Joaquin Valley by the Public Policy Institute of California shows a majority of voters in the region express dissatisfaction with their elected representatives. The survey, which polled residents across eight counties in the San Joaquin Valley, found that only 32% of respondents approved of the job their state legislators were doing, while 51% disapproved. The sentiment of “It doesn’t matter who we send, things will not get better,” is a widely shared belief among the demoralized electorate. This reality makes it extremely difficult to foster meaningful engagement between constituents and their representatives.
In areas like the San Joaquin Valley of California, where constituencies harbor distrust or apathy towards their government representatives, it is often difficult to have conversations about persistent issues with their elected officials at all. Economic, social, and political factors have contributed to an erosion of faith in the ability of government to address the needs of local communities, which stymies any meaningful engagement between the community and their representative — leaving elected officials in the dark on how they can really assist the communities they represent.
Given the state of constituent sentiment, rebuilding trust and strengthening lines of communication with constituents is an urgent priority for many elected officials in the San Joaquin Valley.
Overcoming this apathy and disengagement requires a new approach that goes beyond simply trying to encourage participation in the political process. New approaches must involve rebuilding trust, addressing the root causes of constituents' frustrations, and finding innovative ways to amplify constituent voices and ensure that their needs are truly heard and prioritized.
Emerging technology for engagement and governance
Increasingly both in the US and overseas, elected officials and pro-democracy civil society groups have been optimistic about the potential role of purpose-built technology to facilitate and enhance constituent engagement, especially for marginalized communities. New and emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), promise to go beyond social media and telephone town halls by offering the same reach but with more productive and dialogic interactions. However these tools require connectivity — not simply in the technological sense, but connectivity between constituencies and their elected officials. In more rural communities, these are great barriers to overcome.
Many proponents of artificial intelligence have offered compelling visions for the technology’s potential to transform the way public officials and organizations engage with constituents, offering tools that enhance communication, streamline services, and provide deeper insights into public sentiment. While AI tools have not quite hit mainstream use within government yet, three particular approaches are currently being piloted (or have been piloted) in government at multiple levels: chatbots, predictive analytics, and natural language processing.
Chatbots are AI-powered virtual assistants that interact with constituents in real time, providing instant responses to inquiries and facilitating communication 24/7. They can handle a wide range of tasks, from answering frequently asked questions to guiding users through processes like filing a case online or requesting information from a Representative. By automating routine interactions, chatbots can free up staff for more complex tasks, improve response times, and increase accessibility for constituents. Currently, IBM has deployed chatbots in various government settings, such as the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs and Maricopa County, AZ.
Predictive analytics leverage AI to analyze large datasets and forecast future trends, behaviors, or needs of a population. For constituent engagement, predictive analytics can be used to anticipate issues before they arise, identify at-risk communities, and tailor outreach efforts based on predicted needs. For example, government offices can (and do) use predictive models to allocate resources more efficiently, plan for future infrastructure needs, or identify constituents who might need additional support. For example, Data Agility is utilizing predictive analytics across the world to forecast events to develop improved policy.
Natural Language Processing (NLP) is an AI method that enables machines to understand, interpret, and respond to human language in a way that feels natural. In the context of constituent engagement, NLP can be used to analyze feedback from social media, emails, or surveys, extracting key themes, and concerns. This allows public officials to gain deeper insights into constituent opinions and respond more effectively. NLP also powers voice recognition systems and enhances the capabilities of chatbots, making interactions with AI more fluid and human-like. This technology is currently being implemented at governmental agencies such as the Department of Defense to extract important information from large datasets.
These AI technologies have the potential to reshape the way constituents interact with their governments, making communication more efficient, responsive, and personalized.
Case study: contrasting AI-driven approaches of Pol.is and Cortico
Despite some promising case studies and clear potential benefits, the pathway to adoption for these tools in legislative governance is not necessarily straightforward.
Two public engagement solutions, Pol.is and Cortico, offer contrasting yet complementary approaches to enhancing communication between constituents and their elected officials. Pol.is uses advanced AI to facilitate large-scale, real-time dialogue, while Cortico focuses on capturing community narratives through deep listening. Despite their differences, both tools are actively promoted for governance purposes and share a hands-off, subscription-service approach, requiring minimal collaboration from users. This makes them ideal for examining whether and how such tools can be adopted organically to foster ongoing, meaningful engagement between the public and their elected representatives.
Pol.is
Pol.is originated as an open-source project that is now continued by the Computational Democracy Project, which was founded in 2018. Pol.is is an innovative online platform designed to facilitate large-scale discussions and gather public opinion on various topics. It allows participants to share their views, engage in meaningful conversations, and identify areas of consensus or disagreement within a group. The technology has been used in many spaces, most notably in Taiwan following the Sunflower Movement in 2014.
The process begins with participants submitting their opinions or comments on a particular issue. They can also interact with the thoughts of others by agreeing, disagreeing, or choosing to pass on specific comments. As more people engage with the discussion, Pol.is uses machine learning to group participants based on their responses, creating a real-time visualization of how different opinions align or differ across the group. Below is a visual example from the vTaiwan website.
This visualization helps highlight areas where there is strong agreement, as well as where opinions diverge significantly. Such insights are valuable for policymakers, organizations, or communities seeking to understand the landscape of public sentiment and make decisions that reflect the collective views of their constituents.
One of the key features of Pol.is is its emphasis on anonymity, allowing participants to express their opinions freely, which encourages those who may be wary of government participation to engage in dialogue.
Cortico
Cortico is another platform focused on fostering community dialogue and amplifying marginalized voices. The nonprofit platform works in tandem with the MIT Center for Constructive Communication (CCC), an interdisciplinary center at the MIT Media Lab. CCC combines expertise in AI, computational social science, digital interactive design, and learning technologies. It provides tools and technologies that enable meaningful conversations within communities, helping to bridge divides and build understanding among diverse groups.
The platform works by capturing and analyzing conversations, often in a local or community context. Unlike Pol.is, this software is meant for smaller discussion groups or panels. These discussions are then used to identify common themes, concerns, and ideas that might otherwise go unnoticed. An example of an output from Cortico is pictured below, where the organization was utilized in a Youth Voices Conference. The platform listened to various conversations happening at the conference and identified key themes.
Cortico's website highlights its approach, which emphasizes the importance of listening and understanding across different segments of society. Like Pol.is, it seeks to create spaces where everyone, regardless of background or status, can contribute to the dialogue. This can be especially valuable for organizations, policymakers, and community leaders who want to ensure that their decisions are informed by a broad spectrum of voices.
Field work: how could these tools be used in the San Joaquin Valley?
Both Pol.is and Cortico have already been utilized in different settings when it comes to constituent engagement. Pol.is has been used in large-scale conversations in Taiwan, Canada, and other countries, while Cortico has hosted several successful pilots with local governments, candidates, and media outlets like National Public Radio and Univision to help foster better dialogue.
The initial results have been encouraging, yet this technology remains largely untapped in rural settings. Rural areas often struggle with internet and broadband access, as almost a quarter of American rural individuals do not have access to these services. This is compared to only less than 2% of urban residents without access to the same services.
Recognizing this gap, we turned our attention to California’s San Joaquin Valley, exploring the potential for integrating this technology into constituent engagement across local, state, and federal offices.
In thinking about potential pathways to adoption for emerging technologies for constituent engagement, it is critical to recognize the different levels of resourcing available to elected legislators at the local, state, and federal levels. To capture these different needs, we recruited staff for elected representatives at each of these three levels.
For this research, we interviewed Alex Ross, chief of staff for Congressman John Duarte [R, CA-13], Justin Farkas, field representative for California Assemblymember Juan Alanis, and Patrick Shields, field representative for Stanislaus County Supervisor Mani Grewal. In addition, we interviewed Blake Zante, the executive director of the Maddy Institute, a San Joaquin Valley-based 501 (c)(3) that works to advance public policy issues impacting the San Joaquin Valley of California.
We gave them information regarding Pol.is and Cortico and sought to understand how they could potentially utilize these technologies into their current constituent engagement strategies.
Federal: Alex Ross — Chief of Staff, Congressman John Duarte [R, CA-13]
Politically, the thirteenth Congressional District is often viewed as a battleground, with elections that can swing between parties. However, the reality on the ground is that many voters feel disconnected from the political system, believing that their voices are seldom heard or that change is unlikely to come from Washington, DC. This disillusionment with politics contributes to a pervasive sense of disengagement, making it difficult for the community to rally around common goals or advocate effectively for their needs.
When discussing what their current engagement looked like, Ross lamented, saying it is difficult to have constituents engage with their Congressman when most are “living paycheck to paycheck.” He continued his point by saying politics is not ‘top of mind’ to residents that are trying to make ends meet, and this creates challenges in understanding the specific needs of these communities.
Nevertheless, Ross said that it is a top priority to increase political engagement across the board and to let their district know their Congressional office is a resource for them. One of the ways they achieve this is through town halls. They have hosted more than ten town halls since Rep. Duarte was elected in 2022, and they average around 50 people in attendance per town hall. Before each town hall, Ross notes that they capitalize on the event itself to do mass email and texting campaigns targeted at the area in which the event is being held, to increase turnout and awareness.
While Rep. Duarte is in Washington DC., the office focuses on staff-level engagement with the community. They have field representatives going to meetings every day, and reporting to local elected bodies three to four nights a week. They prioritize “being there and being present.” Ross emphasizes the importance of letting the community know that they are here and they are available to assist. “So much of this engagement with both elected officials and constituents is just letting them know we are here to serve them and can make a positive difference,” Ross said, noting that most of the people they come across are unaware of the assistance they can provide to their community.
In terms of community partners, Ross has found that there are many organizations that have been helpful in connecting with constituents, but the local Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) chapter has been extremely crucial in their engagement strategies. New guidelines from the Committee on Ethics, Committee on House Administration, and Communications Standards Commission have enabled potential future collaboration between these local nonprofits and Member offices for constituent service events.
When asked about utilizing either Pol.is or Cortico, Ross was cautious in how they would approach introducing it to the community. “It all depends on how you pitch it,” he said, continuing: “while these tools, specifically Cortico, could potentially help our staff organize general sentiments surrounding district topics, I am sure there would be questions and distrust from community members if we came in with an AI tool.”
Ross felt that Cortico would be a better fit for their office, given its emphasis on smaller conversations and dialogues, which are particularly prevalent in the numerous rural and unincorporated communities they serve. He also noted that introducing the technology through a third party, rather than directly by their office, might foster greater trust among constituents.
State: Justin Farkas — Field Representative, Assemblymember Juan Alanis [R, AD-22]
California’s 22nd Assembly District, also located within the San Joaquin Valley, is a district that includes parts of Stanislaus and Merced counties, encompassing communities like Modesto, Ceres, and Turlock.
Similarly to CA-13, the 22nd Assembly District has seen fluctuating support between parties, but this competitive landscape echoes the deep-rooted apathy among voters.
Justin Farkas said his office attempts to overcome this apathy by engaging in various constituent engagement methods. “Newsletters, mobile district office hours, and panel-type town hall discussions have been our bread and butter.” He continued that most town halls bring in a plethora of different community leaders, both private and public sector, focusing on certain topics. Some recent town hall topics have included water security, affordability, and crime. “These are the issues that we receive the most inquiries about,” Farkas said, “We want to bring as many resources as possible to let them know what is available at the local, state, and federal levels."
When it comes to mobile district office hours, Farkas said that they do advance work by going to local city council meetings and sending email blasts, letting the community know they will be there. Turnout varies, but Farkas said it averages as few as five to six people per event.
Being a Republican Assemblymember in California means being in a minority party with less staff available. Democratic lawmakers have almost twice the number of staff members as their Republican colleagues (eleven to six employees). This creates problems for Republican members representing rural districts. Farkas finds himself having to jump from meeting to meeting, giving reports and information, but not always being able to engage in meaningful dialogue with constituents. This is where he believes AI technology could help.
Accordingly, Farkas said: “We are not always able to be at every MAC [Municipal Advisory Council] meeting, but these are where real conversations happen.”¹ MAC meetings are often smaller, conversation heavy events that focus on everyday issues that residents of mostly rural unincorporated areas face. It is difficult to be able to reach every single MAC meeting and stay for the duration of what can sometimes be multiple-hour discussions. Farkas believes that integrating technology like Cortico would free staff up to be able to listen and identify themes of concern from residents without necessarily being there. Farkas mentioned that AI technologies like this would be extremely helpful when Members are looking for legislation specifically tailored for their district, also known as a “district bill.”
But once again, introducing the technology was a concern. “You would have to gain trust from those residents and they would have to understand the technology before laying it on them. Because of their existing view of politicians, it probably would not go over well being introduced from a Member office.”
County: Patrick Shields — Field Representative, Stanislaus County Supervisor Mani Grewal
Also located in the San Joaquin Valley is Stanislaus County. The County boasts a population of over 550,000 residents and is known for its agricultural industry and diverse communities. The county, which includes nine incorporated cities such as Modesto, faces a persistent challenge: low civic engagement among its residents.
Patrick Shields is the sole field representative for Supervisor Mani Grewal, who represents the City of Modesto. Shields is currently in charge of handling casework and policy priorities for over 110,000 residents.
Attendance at city council and county board of supervisors meetings is often low, with many residents unaware of these opportunities to voice their opinions on local issues. Community organizations and nonprofits in the area frequently report difficulties in recruiting volunteers and maintaining consistent participation in their programs.
In the interview, Shields identified several factors contributing to this low civic engagement in Stanislaus County:
Demographic makeup: The county has a large population of first-generation immigrants and non-English speakers, who may face language barriers or lack familiarity with local governmental processes.
Economic factors: Stanislaus County has a higher poverty rate than the California average, with many residents struggling to make ends meet. When individuals are focused on immediate economic survival, they may have less time and energy to devote to civic activities. This economic stress can also lead to a sense of disillusionment with political and civic institutions, further depressing engagement. Additionally, a substantial portion of the population works in agriculture, often with long and irregular hours that can make civic participation challenging.
Educational attainment: In addition to economic factors, Stanislaus County has lower educational attainment rates compared to state averages, with fewer residents holding bachelor's degrees or higher. Research has consistently shown a strong correlation between education levels and civic engagement, suggesting that this could be a significant contributor to the county's low participation rates.
Geographic spread: With its mix of urban centers and rural areas, some residents may feel disconnected from county-wide initiatives or find it difficult to access civic opportunities. This can be particularly true for those living in unincorporated areas or smaller towns within the county.
Local government and community organizations have recognized these barriers to participation, and have been actively working to address them. The Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors has implemented various outreach programs aimed at increasing citizen participation. These include town hall meetings, community forums, and efforts to make public meetings more accessible through live streaming and online participation options.
However, Shields said that addressing the barriers to entry is not enough on its own:. “Low civic engagement can create a self-perpetuating cycle. As fewer people participate, those who do engage may not represent the community, leading to further disillusionment among underrepresented groups. We do our best to include everyone in the conversation.”
“It sure is difficult to be able to identify underlying policy issues when you have so much thrown at you,” Shields remarked as he checked his work phone for an incoming call, “Our office receives calls for just about everything. From tree trimming to larger issues such as the homelessness epidemic.”
While constituent services, such as requests to help assist in attaining government benefits or fixing potholes are common, engaging with constituents on solutions to looming issues is very difficult. For the staffers in the area, bringing about these proactive conversations is difficult with a population that is not entirely engaged or trusting of their government officials.
Shields also believes that AI technology would be useful in identifying common themes that are present in various conversations constituents do participate in. While the Supervisor’s office holds town halls, is active on social media, and sends a monthly newsletter, they do not have the capacity to do much else. Going to local in-person meetings are the way they stay in touch with the community and how their constituents are feeling, and integrating AI technology to assist in capturing these conversations would help staff-limited offices like Supervisor Grewal’s in ensuring these conversations lead to actionable insights that help the office demonstrate its accountability and effectiveness.
Civil Society: Blake Zante — Executive Director, The Maddy Institute
After engaging with representatives across all levels of government, the consensus was that while these technologies hold great potential, there is skepticism about their implementation and execution. The question then arises: who will effectively communicate and sell this technology to constituents?
The Maddy Institute, a 501 c3 based in California's San Joaquin Valley, aims to prepare future leaders, foster citizen participation, and elevate government performance. It collaborates with four public universities (CSU Fresno, CSU Bakersfield, CSU Stanislaus, and UC Merced) to address regional issues through nonpartisan public policy analysis. The institute offers legislative internships, fellowships, and public affairs programs like The Maddy Report. Its efforts focus on government leadership, policy analysis, and encouraging active civic engagement.
A key to the work the Maddy Institute does is their lecture series, which host various elected officials together to discuss issues at local universities. An expressed priority of the Maddy Institute is to bring elected officials to the universities, to engage the younger generations on issues that will affect them as they grow older in the area.
“We are aware that in the Valley, many people are just not aware of the impact that legislation can have on the area,” said Blake Zante, executive director of the Maddy Institute. “We take the position of attempting to educate the public on legislation and the legislative process, which will in turn help increase civic engagement across the board.”
When asked about introducing AI technologies like Pol.is and Cortico, Zante shared the same sentiment as the staffers we interviewed earlier.
“I am sure that staffers and elected officials would find it helpful, but the general public would be skeptical of the software," Zante said, “Is there any bias in the software? Does it take a human element out of the engagement with the public? There is already a lack of trust in the government to begin with.”
Zante continued saying that it would be best to have a neutral third party introduce the technology and potentially engage the citizens in overseeing how the AI was integrated into constituent engagement. Oversight committees are extremely common in the San Joaquin Valley and could be potentially useful in this instance.
“If you engage the citizens and give them a stake in their interactions with local elected officials, they will be more likely to trust the new technology being implemented.”
Nonpartisan organizations like the Maddy Institute could potentially be utilized in the introduction and integration of products like Pol.is and Cortico in rural areas. Research conducted by The Ohio State University has shown that “Deliberative Town Halls,” town halls between representatives and their constituents and conducted by a neutral third party civil organization, have resulted in increased trust from participating constituents. Exploring ways in which technology could be introduced through “Deliberative Town Halls” could increase trust and open avenues for these platforms to be utilized in rural areas.
Next Steps
Areas like the San Joaquin Valley can clearly benefit from new technologies that help make government more responsive and effective, but they must be introduced and implemented with sensitivity. In an area that is already skeptical of government responsiveness, introducing AI into constituent conversations has to be done with an emphasis on privacy and an understanding of the base technology that the platforms are built upon.
In our exploration of potential AI integrations for constituent engagement, we identified several promising areas for implementation. Existing AI can already streamline communication, automate responses to common inquiries, and personalize interactions based on constituent data. Tools like Pol.is and Cortico can assist in capturing important dialogue and identify community priorities that can translate into legislative action. Furthermore, AI-driven technology can offer insights into community concerns, helping to prioritize issues and allocate resources effectively.
From our interviews and research, one promising potential strategy is to have highly-trusted neutral civil society organizations take the lead on introducing new technologies. Nonprofit organizations like The Maddy Institute, VFW, and the Stanislaus Community Foundation offer valuable opportunities to introduce AI technology to the community. By partnering with these trusted organizations, we can bridge the gap between constituents and elected officials, ensuring that the adoption of new technologies is perceived as safe and beneficial. This collaborative approach fosters trust and confidence, making it easier for all parties to embrace AI as a tool for enhancing community engagement and communication.
One potential path to integration would start at smaller scale conversations, like capturing those at various MAC meetings across the district. Staffers interviewed believe that AI technology could significantly enhance small, dialogue-focused engagements by identifying problems and proposing solutions that might be overlooked by staffers who are constantly moving from one meeting to the next. By automating some of the analytical tasks, AI allows for deeper insights and more effective communication, ultimately leading to better-informed decisions and more responsive governance. While Cortico was seen as the preferred technology for this type of interaction, as civic engagement increases, we see the potential for AI technology like Pol.is to be integrated as crowd sizes grow and likelihood for meaningful participation increases.
Ensuring that AI technologies like Pol.is and Cortico are implemented, especially in regions like the San Joaquin Valley, will be critical in bridging the gap between constituents and elected officials. This will lead to a more responsive and efficient government, ultimately enhancing the effectiveness of governance and civic participation.
As previously mentioned, new guidelines from the House enable Member offices to partner with existing nonprofits for improved consistent service events. They should take full advantage of this policy to help integrate these technologies to help better serve their constituencies. The tools are there, the government must just work to implement them. The successful integration of AI in these interactions at the local, state, and federal level promises to foster deeper insights, more informed decisions, and a stronger connection between the community and their representatives.
¹ “MAC” is an acronym for municipal advisory committee, which are common in Stanislaus County. They often take the form of 5-6 members from unincorporated areas meeting to discuss issues facing their communities. There are currently nine operating MACs in Stanislaus County.
