On February 1, 2013, National Issues Forums Institute (NIFI) released an Issue Advisory that contains materials that communities might wish to use in deliberating over the issues raised by the tragic events in Newtown, Connecticut in December 2012. This “issue advisory” is not a full NIF issue guide, but a basic outline of the options, entitled How Can We Stop Mass Shootings in Our Communities? It can be downloaded here. The 4-page issue advisory was written by NCDD member Brad Rourke, a Kettering Foundation program officer. (continue)

The National Issues Forums Institute provides many resources for teachers.  Along with an entire section of their website dedicated to educators (including classroom material, issue guides and course descriptions), NIF has created an online forum space where educators can share experiences using NIF material. Are you looking for new ways to engage students in productive, deliberative conversations in your classroom? Are you interested in connecting with other teachers who are thinking about ways to instruct a new generation of citizens? Have you used National Issues ... (continue)

This 2012 report describes findings from National Issues Forums held in 2012 during which people deliberated about possible approaches to dealing with the national debt. Download the 33-page PDF here. After months of paralyzing partisan disagreement, the nation’s political system now is struggling to avert a fiscal calamity. President Obama and congressional leaders, spurred on by business leaders and a broad range of interest groups, speak of the need to find ways to act. But even amid these hopeful signs, Democrats and Republicans remain divided on nearly ... (continue)

This 206-page book by Patricia Moore Harbour asserts that the relationships between education, community, and democracy are inseparable and illustrates that education is broader than just schooling. “Harbour challenges current thinking about education and reveals how the public participates in the education and development of youth.”  Continued from the book’s description… “This book is a call for action and responsibility—both individual and collective—to transform education beyond simply reforming schools. The author’s professional educational experiences, combined with stories from the field by and about youth and community ... (continue)

One of the National Issues Forums Institute’s issue guides, Jobs: Preparing a Workforce for the 21st Century outlines this public issue and several choices or approaches to addressing the issue. National Issues Forums do not advocate a specific solution or point of view, but provide citizens the opportunity to consider a broad range of choices, weigh the pros and cons of those options, and meet with each other in a public dialogue to identify the concerns they hold in common. From the issue guide… Welcome ... (continue)

One of the National Issues Forums Institute’s issue guides, Admissions Decisions: Should Immigration Be Restricted? outlines this public issue and several choices or approaches to addressing the issue. National Issues Forums do not advocate a specific solution or point of view, but provide citizens the opportunity to consider a broad range of choices, weigh the pros and cons of those options, and meet with each other in a public dialogue to identify the concerns they hold in common. From the issue guide description… Besieged by ... (continue)

One of the National Issues Forums Institute’s issue guides, Gambling: Is it a Problem? outlines this public issue and several choices or approaches to addressing the issue. National Issues Forums do not advocate a specific solution or point of view, but provide citizens the opportunity to consider a broad range of choices, weigh the pros and cons of those options, and meet with each other in a public dialogue to identify the concerns they hold in common. From the issue guide… Americans have mixed feelings ... (continue)

One of the National Issues Forums Institute’s issue guides, How Can We Be Fair? The Future of Affirmative Action outlines this public issue and several choices or approaches to addressing the issue. National Issues Forums do not advocate a specific solution or point of view, but provide citizens the opportunity to consider a broad range of choices, weigh the pros and cons of those options, and meet with each other in a public dialogue to identify the concerns they hold in common. From the issue ... (continue)

This 2011 Kettering Foundation working paper by Laura W. Black focuses on the question: To what extent can digital media truly offer potential opportunities for deliberative decision making, particularly the practice of deliberation itself? To address this question, this working paper assesses features of online deliberation by reviewing online deliberative tools, examples of other potentially deliberative websites, and relevant academic research. (continue)

One of the National Issues Forums Institute’s issue guides, From Welfare to Work: Who Should We Help and How? outlines this public issue and several choices or approaches to addressing the issue. National Issues Forums do not advocate a specific solution or point of view, but provide citizens the opportunity to consider a broad range of choices, weigh the pros and cons of those options, and meet with each other in a public dialogue to identify the concerns they hold in common. From the issue ... (continue)