This was the fourth topic of the “Democracy Communications Network,” a 2007-2009 project that encouraged leaders in deliberative democracy to periodically write op-eds and blog posts as part of larger, collaborative media campaigns to raise awareness of the importance of quality public engagement.  Use the “Democracy Communications Network” tag to see the articles  written in association with this project. In the aftermath of an historic election, the Obama Administration is poised to move from a new and more democratic style of campaigning to a new ... (continue)

At the 2008 National Conference on Dialogue & Deliberation, we focused on 5 challenges identified by participants at our past conferences as being vitally important for our field to address. This is one in a series of five posts featuring the final reports from our “challenge leaders.” Action & Change Challenge: Strengthening the relationship between D&D and action and policy change. How can we increase the likelihood that D&D engagement streams of “exploration,” “conflict transformation,” and “collaborative action” will result in community action? How can ... (continue)

The November 5th Coalition was a collaborative initiative dedicated to using the 2008 presidential election as an opportunity to foster deliberation about how we can collectively mobilize the energies and talents of ordinary citizens to address our challenges. Those involved believed the campaign could be a watershed, where citizens reclaim their standing as partners of a government that is truly “of, by, and for the people.” The Coalition was named for the day after the election, when we hoped a new chapter in our civic ... (continue)

Community colleges are often faced with the challenge of helping students who are struggling to overcome the many difficulties they often face. This 2008 Public Agenda Choicework guide explores the question: How can the college and the community work together to close achievement gaps and help all students succeed? Based on decades of research and experience concerning how average citizens think and talk about issues, Public Agenda’s Choicework Discussion Starters are designed to help groups and communities talk productively about public problems. Public Agenda’s Choicework guides and Discussion Starters outline ... (continue)

This 2008 working paper written by Alison Kadlec and Will Friedman for Public Agenda shares the preliminary results of research they are conducting to learn about the impacts of different types of issue framing on the capacity and willingness of diverse groups of individuals to engage in productive dialogue and deliberation about complex issues. The research builds on and tests ideas presented in Will Friedman’s article “Reframing Framing,” in which Friedman distinguishes between typical media framing that presents issues in dualistic ways (debate style) and ... (continue)

This article was written as part of the “Democracy Communications Network,” a 2007-2009 project that encouraged leaders in dialogue and deliberation to periodically write op-eds and blog posts as part of collaborative media campaigns that raise awareness of the importance of quality public engagement. Use the “Democracy Communications Network” tag to see all the articles written in association with this project. Succession planning in organizations is well-represented in theory, but lacking in practice. For more than a year, our country has enjoyed an impressive escalation ... (continue)

This Open Letter for Personal Democracy Forum (PdF) participants was written by Matt Leighninger in June 23, 2008 – right before the PdF conference. It can also be found at www.personaldemocracy.com/blog/entry/1964/an_open_letter_to_pdf_participants. Welcome to the Table of Power, Bloggers: Are you democratic revolutionaries or just another interest group? Dear bloggers, online activists, Internet advocates, and digital journalists: You’ve arrived. No matter what else happens between now and November 5th, with this election you can lay claim to a permanent place at the political table. It is ... (continue)

This was the third topic of the “Democracy Communications Network,” a 2007-2009 project that encouraged leaders in dialogue and deliberation to periodically write op-eds and blog posts as part of collaborative media campaigns that raise awareness of the importance of quality public engagement. Use the “Democracy Communications Network” tag to see all the articles written in association with this project. For our third round in June and July, 2008, members of the Democracy Communications Network are writing about one of two momentous civic opportunities that ... (continue)

This was the second topic focused on by the “Democracy Communications Network,” a 2007-2009 project that encouraged leaders in dialogue and deliberation to periodically write op-eds and blog posts as part of collaborative media campaigns that raise awareness of the importance of quality public engagement. Use the “Democracy Communications Network” tag to see all the great articles that were written in association with this project. Also see the General Tips for Writing Op-Ed Articles. Articles, blog posts and op-eds on this topic: May 4th article ... (continue)

This article was written as part of the “Democracy Communications Network,” a 2007-2009 project that encouraged leaders in deliberative democracy to periodically write op-eds and blog posts as part of larger, collaborative media campaigns to raise awareness of the importance of quality public engagement. Use the “Democracy Communications Network” tag to see the articles  written in association with this project. Philly’s rules of engagement Posted on Wed, Nov. 21, 2007 and currently available online at www.philly.com/philly/opinion/11681542.html. By HARRIS J. SOKOLOFF IT SEEMS THAT the presidential candidates ... (continue)