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.
Our discussion starters, available here for free download, outline several different approaches to solving specific public policy problems, along with the pros, cons and trade-offs of each choice. We use everyday language, not professional jargon, and focus on the kinds of concerns and values that non-experts can readily understand. Many of our discussion starters have corresponding videos available here and on YouTube; some of our written discussion guides are also available in Spanish. Ready to get more involved in shaping the world we all live in?
Choicework Discussion Starters Available for Download:
Citizens' Solutions Guides
CITIZENS' SOLUTIONS GUIDE - HEALTH CARE
Media Type: PDF / YEAR: 2012
The newest addition to Public Agenda's Citizens' Solutions Guides series arms voters with the knowledge they need to understand our health care challenges.
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Issue Area(s): Civic Education, Health Care, Voting & Government
Early Childhood & Preschool
Childcare & Afterschool Programs
K-12: Kids, Parents, Teachers, Schools
Higher Education
Interfaith Relations
Public Safety & Police-Community Relations
Taxes & Spending
A CITIZENS' ASSEMBLY ON NEW JERSEY'S TAX SYSTEM
Media Type: PDF / YEAR: 2003
This Choicework Discussion Starter is intended to help citizens in New Jersey take stock of the taxes in their state and talk about the ways the state can raise resources for the public services citizens want.
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Issue Area(s): Jobs & Economy, Voting & Government