Jordan- Have you ever actually written to your representatives? I don't mean signing an internet petition, as well-intentioned as those are. I mean a letter with a name, an address, and a position on something.

Because sometimes it takes a long time, but they write back. Not a personal response- a staffer puts together something, and if they get boxes of letters on the same subject, the same response usually goes out to everyone who wrote in on that issue, whatever position you took.

Congresspeople have to get elected. In the House, they have to do it every two years. Which means they're always running for re-election, which means they're always eager to find out what issues are the ones that matter to their constituents so they can get some headlines in their local papers about how much progress they are making on those issues. Apparently actual scientific polls are really, really expensive, especially if you have a narrow target like a Congresional district, which doesn't necessarily fit geographic or governmental boundaries. So public input is something that they keep track of carefully. The numbers I have heard are these- for every letter a Congressman gets about a topic, the staffer assumes that it represents a the views of a hundred people in the district. These days, with e-mail, the calculus may have changed, but a written letter still has impact.

It may or may not get them to do what you want- you need a lot of people to agree with you, or you need to be especially knowledgeable and persuasive, to get attention. One or two letters on crazy, throw-away subjects aren't going to do much. It also helps to know what the heck you're talking about. Don't write Congress about local government issues- don't complain about things that they have no control over- try to be constructive. Take a specific issue and look up the legislation Congress has in front of it at any given time, take a position on the legislation and explain why the people in your district generally would agree with you on the position. Be as detailed as you can. It may not produce results, but at least it's heard, and if enough people are mobilized on something, it can be heard loudly.

Of course there are exceptions. Until two months ago, my Congressman was the Speaker of the House. Not only did the opinions of people in his district mean absolutely nothing to him, as a completely political creature with the national perspective at the forefront and an ingrained 'smoky back room' mentality, but he didn't even vote on a large proportion of House legislation (traditional for Speakers). These are the kind of people who create the sort of cynicism that you seem to be exhibiting. All I can say is- don't give up! Write to people in other districts if necessary. After all, things change. Nancy Pelosi is far more MY representative now than the former Speaker ever has been, even though he's from around here and has been chosen by some of my neighbors.