2: National Discussions
Convening National Discussions: Millions of Voices at the Table Other Information:
A healthy democracy needs the capacity to involve its citizens in key decisions. Government cannot be left to leaders, experts,
and pundits with the public only weighing in on election day. People from all walks of life should be encouraged to wrestle
with tough questions, seek common ground, and develop and articulate their views. Policymakers should see themselves as part
of this larger process, not as a world unto themselves. The next President should call for regular national discussions of
one million Americans or more on the issues of highest public concern, like foreign policy, energy, taxes, health care, and
jobs. Every citizen should have a seat at the table. National Discussions could be one of the signature initiatives of a new
civic engagement agenda that signals a new way of governing. We see them as a way to: Provide policy makers with an independent,
non-partisan means of assessing the informed opinions and collective priorities of the American people Help public officials
- and the nation - get past instinctive (and often adversarial) positions on difficult questions Dilute the influence of special
interests and build political will for policymakers to act in the common good Stimulate local and regional action on national
problems by public agencies, private businesses, nonprofits and citizens themselves Forge a stronger link between Americans
and their government, while providing policy makers with positions that command wide public support More than 80 percent of
the respondents in a recent survey expressed support for the idea of organized national discussions on critical issues. The
sentiment was bipartisan: 60 percent of Republicans and 70 percent of Democrats described themselves as “strongly” in favor
of the idea.
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