Probably not, according to a survey by the Congressional Management Foundation. Most Congressional staffers polled – 75 percent – said they believe the cookie-cutter e-mails from constituents are sent without the constituents’ knowledge.

The staffers’ skepticism over the e-mails may be related to findings from another CMF survey. That survey found that the number of letters and e-mails received by Congress has quadrupled in the past 10 years. Meanwhile, the number of people hired to read them has stayed the same.

The good news is that e-mail is encouraging more people to participate in the political process, the staffers said. The bad news is the avalanche of electronic and postal mail isn’t improving the quality of the debate.

The smart grassroots organizers already know that.

Mass e-mails have a place in grassroots activism – as long as they are part of a plan that includes personalized, customized communications between constituents and lawmakers. Even in today’s digital democracy, any credible, experienced grassroots activist will tell you that a good campaign culminates with an old-fashioned lobbying technique – face-to-face meetings with legislators and their staffers. The problem is grassroots organizers have spent too much time organizing their online troops and not enough with their ground infantry.