Public Agenda

Public Agenda is a national, nonprofit, nonpartisan research and public engagement organization which aims to strengthen democracy and expand opportunity for all Americans. It has focused on many perceived problems, notably K-12 education,[1] higher education [2] and health care,[3] as well as criminal justice reform,[4] immigration [5] and energy.[6]

History

Based in New York City, the organization was founded in 1975 by social scientist Daniel Yankelovich and Cyrus Vance, who served as United States Secretary of State from 1977 to 1980.The organization was established to try to bridge the gap between leaders and the public, ensuring that citizens’ voices are heard in policy-making processes. Over the decades, Public Agenda has evolved to address a wide range of issues, adapting to the changing needs and concerns of the American public.

Recent work

Recent initiatives include:

  • Community Voices for Health: Amplifying the voices of marginalized communities in discussions of health policy.[7]
  • Democracy Renewal Project: Providing evidence and tools for the democracy renewal movement.[8]
  • Healthier Democracies: Gleaning insights from successful democratic practices around the globe aimed at increasing citizen participation.[9]
  • Hidden Common Ground: Helping Americans identify common ground, navigate their differences, and build fair, effective solutions to the challenges of our time.[10]
  • The State of Our Democracy: Understanding the challenges facing our democracy and the promising pathways for meeting them.[11]

Additional Information

Public Agenda engages with advocates, journalists, policymakers, and the philanthropic community to ensure public voices are heard in conversations that shape our shared future. The organization works closely with institutions and leaders to address barriers to democratic participation and build opportunities for engagement. They design expansive programs that help to outline ways to strengthen American systems and create resources that institutions and leaders use to make progress on the challenges facing democracy.

According to Caroline L. Gilson of DePauw University, "The audience for Public Agenda Online is wide-ranging: from researchers and policy-makers to concerned citizens and activists. For an academic audience, this site serves as a starting point for students exploring a topic who want to understand how the public weighs in on key issues".[12]

Controversy

Bloggers have sometimes criticized the organization for right or left-leaning research.[13]

Notes

  1. ^ https://www.publicagenda.org/pages/our-next-assignment-where-americans-stand-on-public-k12-education [dead link‍]
  2. ^ "Public Agenda" (PDF). 4 April 2018.
  3. ^ https://www.publicagenda.org/media/qualities-that-matter-brief [dead link‍]
  4. ^ https://www.publicagenda.org/pages/hidden-common-ground-where-americans-see-eye-to-eye-on-incarceration [dead link‍]
  5. ^ "A Place to Call Home: What Immigrants Say Now About Life in America | Public Agenda". www.publicagenda.org. Archived from the original on 2009-09-13.
  6. ^ "PUBLICAGENDA.ORG - The Energy Learning Curve". www.publicagenda.org. Archived from the original on 2013-12-27.
  7. ^ "Community Voices for Health".
  8. ^ "Democracy Renewal Project".
  9. ^ "Healthier Democracies".
  10. ^ "Hidden Common Ground".
  11. ^ "The State of Our Democracy".
  12. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2008-10-04. Retrieved 2008-10-20.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  13. ^ "Eduspaces.net".