How big of an effect does your organization's digital work have when it comes to shaping public policy? The answer is maybe more than you would think. Edelman today released its Capital Staffer Index, a five-country survey of almost 400 senior staff in the U.S. Congress and European Parliaments. The results:

96% use online resources for public policy research

54% reported learning of policy issues for the first time online

19% actually changed policy positions based on information and opinions they found online

On the other hand, 60% of staffers reported that they use Facebook more for personal usage than professional reasons. Complete survey results are available at the agency's website.