New York City – Tonight’s debate between John McCain and Barak Obama will no doubt have both the candidates advocating for a greater role for diplomacy in U.S. foreign policy, as they have so many times on the campaign trail. Public Agenda asks the question that debate moderator Jim Lehrer should also be asking: What exactly do you mean by that?

Public Agenda’s issue guide “Iraq and Beyond: Clarifying the Debate on Foreign Policy”- available for free both in an easy-to-use online format and as a downloadable .pdf file - will be in the hands of debate viewers across America who will be listening to hear how the candidates’ positions line up with the choices outlined in it. While the candidates may avoid specifics about the pros and cons of their approaches, Public Agenda’s Voter’s Survival Kit breaks down the policy options in detail.

As the “Iraq and Beyond” issue guide makes clear, beefing up diplomacy is only one option for the United States, but even within that option there are many variables. Should we:

Use more diplomatic pressure and economic sanctions to bring troublesome governments into line?

Use foreign aid more strategically and consider expanded use of disaster relief funds?

Increase international cooperation on finding solutions to problems like energy and global warming?

Put more diplomatic pressure on Israelis and Palestinians to reach a peace accord?

Increase lines of communication with the governments and currently marginalized groups worldwide who have opposed us in the past?

Revamp our diplomacy in specific ways that could more effectively spread our message of democracy, free markets and human rights?

Close the Guantanamo Bay detention center and either try the prisoners in civilian courts or release them?

The Voter's Survival Kit issue guides - available both online in an interactive format and downloadable issue-by-issue in .pdf format or in its entirety, as a zip file - are designed to help typical voters sort through the campaign rhetoric and make up their own minds about which candidates have the best ideas. The issue guides highlight fundamental facts voters need to know and explains more about the choices the country faces in down-to-earth, easily understandable terms, on the economy; climate change; health care; immigration; taxes, spending and debt; and foreign policy.

CNN.com has recommended the guides on its Student News Learning site. Meanwhile, the Talking Points Memo blog highlights the Voter’s Survival Kit in its exploration of the role of real issues in this election, and Everyday Democracy says the Voter’s Survival Kit has “has just the information we all need right now.” And the newly-launched Voter’s Survival Kit Facebook support group is growing quickly as active citizens across America share this resource with others.

Each issue guide includes a brief overview of the topic, an evenhanded review of possible solutions and the pros and cons of each approach. The Voter's Survival Kit also includes online discussion, links to candidate positions on issues and other sites with extensive information on issues, blogging opportunities, links to voting information sites, free "Smash the Political Spin" and "Election Countdown" widgets and more.

Public Agenda has presented citizen issue guides focused on key election topics in every Presidential campaign season since 1996. The 2004 election guides were downloaded by hundreds of thousands of users. With 2.6 million visitors last year, PublicAgenda.org is the site journalists, policymakers, educators and average citizens who want nonpartisan, balanced information with thorough discussion of the pros and cons go for help to clarify the issues.

PUBLIC AGENDA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to nonpartisan public policy research and civic engagement. Founded in 1975 by former U.S. Secretary of State Cyrus Vance and Daniel Yankelovich, the social scientist and author, Public Agenda is known for its influential public opinion surveys and balanced citizen education materials. Its mission is to inject the public’s voice into crucial policy debates. Public Agenda seeks to inform leaders about the public's views and to engage citizens in discussing complex policy issues. It is also known for its destination web site, PublicAgenda.org, which has been twice nominated (in 2005 and 2007) for a Webby Award for best political site.

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