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It's no surprise that the nation's largest private employer has a strong opinion on health insurance – but the point of view is a switch. After years of opposition to a plan for businesses to be required to help fund employee insurance, Wal-Mart says it backs the idea – if that's part of reform legislation, if costs are similar to its current insurance, and if small businesses are exempt. Separately, an independent panel is recommending that the feds begin focusing on comparing the effectiveness of various medical strategies. Get the facts on our health care choices: see the Citizen's Survival Kit.
FACTS, MYTHS & WHAT MOST AMERICANS KNOW ABOUT ENERGY
The more we know about energy, the more likely we are to make good choices for our future. So, how much do you know? Take our Facts, Myths & What Most Americans Know About Energy quiz and compare your answers to those in the national sample for our Energy Learning Curve™ report. Our research on public attitudes, knowledge and opinions about energy use, done in association with Planet Forward, found a lot of consensus on what we should and shouldn't do. But we also found many misconceptions, which could slow progress on these issues. Interested in learning more? Check out our resources page on energy and the environment.
ABORTIONMore than a generation after the 1973 Roe v. Wade U.S. Supreme Court decision that made abortion legal in the U.S., public debate on the subject continues to follow the well-worn path between condemnation and choice. Public attitudes do not.
Where advocates on both sides tend to lay out their arguments in terms of absolute moral rights and wrongs, the public seems to see conflicts and conditions. Solid majorities support a woman's right to choose abortion - if her reasons seem sound and if it's not too late in the pregnancy.
On an individual level, medical technology is making the issue more complex. In some respects, changing technology - such as the "abortion pill" and ultrasound-guided abortions available as early as eight days after conception – have made abortion both easier and more accepted. In other respects, new technology – such as ultrasound photos from the womb and developments making a fetus viable at earlier stages of pregnancy – has sparked new questions.
PROBLEMS, ANALYSIS & SOLUTIONS
Get the FactsElections are all about choices, but how can you choose who you want until you know what you want? Get the facts and consider your options with our Citizens Issue Guides. |
Listen to the PublicFind out how to listen to the public - including how to responsibly interpret polls - and truly engage voters in crafting and implementing public policy solutions. |
Lead the WayThis is the place to get the latest research on getting the public involved in school reform, including our surveys of teachers, parents, students and community leaders. |
In Your HometownYes, you can fight City Hall, but you might do better working together to identify problems and solutions. Organizations faced with an apathetic or angry public can also benefit from the art of public engagement - bringing leaders and communities together. Public engagement is our specialty - click here to learn more about it. |
Objective Tools For JournalistsDeadline looming? No problem. We've got objective facts on a long list of public policy issues, including polls on how the public feels, and hints on how opinion may be changing. Our communications department may also be able to help when you're in a hurry to find an expert to interview as you zero in on various subjects. |
OUR FAVORITE POLITICAL MOVIES
It's hard to top the drama of the times we're in – with enormous decisions facing the White House and Congress – but sometimes we find inspiration in the movies. From scandals to dreams and tears to laughs – we love the way movies let us look at real issues through new eyes. Check out our list of favorites, then log on and add your own picks to the list.
