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Increase in Test Taking, Not Marred by Typical Decrease in Score

Paul Gasbarra — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 16:35:51 -0400

According to two articles today, SAT scores remained flat this year. A graph in the Wall Street Journal’s coverage illustrates that this news comes after two years of decline from a peak reached in 2005. While WSJ’s headline “Class of ’08 Fails…” sets a dour scene, the people who run the test are actually encouraged by the results.

Fewer Americans Without Health Insurance, But the Good News Ends There

Jenny Choi — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 14:07:05 -0400

The number of Americans without health insurance decreased by one million last year, down by half a percentage point from 2006, according to annual figures from the U.S. Census Bureau released today.

How Important Is The Sticker Price?

Paul Gasbarra — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 11:51:33 -0400

A couple of interesting items have come up in the past few days on the cost of college as well as the pay off that college provides to its graduates. The Associated Press revealed the results of a report by the Sallie Mae foundation, which showed that when looking for a college, 40 percent of families don’t limit their school searches based on cost.

"Fifteen Things Every Journalist Should Know About Public Engagement"

Francie Grace — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 10:53:31 -0400

"Fifteen Things Every Journalist Should Know About Public Engagement", by Michael Hamill Remaley, National Civic Review, Summer 2008

Public Engagement: Questions & Answers

Shaheen Hasan — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 10:00:37 -0400

Although the movement to engage citizens in public life is growing, a lot of folks – citizens, leaders and policy-makers included– don’t “get” public engagement and how it works to foster a more meaningful and participatory democratic process. Journalists, in particular, often tend to express skepticism and uncertainty about how public engagement efforts advance community participation in the decision-making process.

Medicare's Self-Inflicted Wounds

Scott Bittle — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 11:50:31 -0400

Today's New York Times story on Medicare fraud raises an interesting question: Who pays the medical bills when a government bureaucracy shoots itself in the foot?

Inflation Up, Housing Starts Down

Scott Bittle — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 13:39:36 -0400

Inflation is up and housing starts are down, according to new government statistics. Higher energy costs started the surge, which pushed up wholesale prices 1.2 percent in July, but economists now worry the rising costs are spreading throughout the economy. New housing starts haven't been this low since 1991, a mere 965,000 units, according to a separate report.

Debt: The Movie

Scott Bittle — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 12:22:21 -0400

Can a movie get people fired up about the national debt? I.O.U.S.A. is going to try.

Tensions Mount With Russia Over Georgia War

Scott Bittle — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 11:26:58 -0400

This has been a wild week for U.S. foreign policy – relations with Russia have deteriorated dramatically over the war with Georgia, and Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, a longtime U.S. ally, may be forced out of office.

Census Projects an Older, More Diverse America

Scott Bittle — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 13:59:03 -0400

The Census Bureau sums up one of the nation's biggest trends very neatly today: "An Older and More Diverse Nation by Midcentury." Minorities are projected to become the majority of Americans in 2042. It's hard to think of a public issue that won't be affected by this change. But one of the nation's most persistent problems is the education achievement gap between white and minority students.

Census: U.S. Will Be Older, More Diverse

Scott Bittle — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 13:35:35 -0400

The Census Bureau sums up one of the nation's most significant trends very neatly today: "An Older and More Diverse Nation by Midcentury ." There will be a lot of more of us, too, with the U.S. population projected to hit 400 million by 2039.

Minorities, who are now about a third of the total population, will become the majority of Americans in 2042. And by 2030 one in five Americans will be age 65 or older.

Anecdotes, Facts, Marriage and Health Care

Scott Bittle — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 12:49:32 -0400

Storytelling is a powerful tool – and never more so than in public policy.

What got me thinking about this was a story in the New York Times, Health Benefits Inspire Rush to Marry, or Divorce." According to the Times, "it is not uncommon" for couples to get married or break up at least partly in order to have health insurance.

Reading Between the Lines of the Latest ACT Results

Jenny Choi — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 13:12:31 -0400

New ACT results were released today, indicating a slight drop in scores for the 2008 graduating class (details of the results can be found here). But ACT officials were quick to point out that a record number of students took the test this year.

Federal Taxes Not So Inevitable For Two-Thirds Of U.S. Corporations

Francie Grace — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 12:25:16 -0400

Death and taxes are said to be the only certainties in this world, but for 1.2 million U.S. companies, and over 38,000 foreign companies doing business in the fifty states, the federal income tax bill for 2005 was zero. That's according to a General Accounting Office study which says the combined sales of the companies was $2.5 trillion dollars. About a quarter of the U.S. corporations on the list have at least $250 million in assets or $50 million in receipts.

World Hunger and The Global Poverty Act

caroline — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 01:17:53 -0400

World hunger is one of the most pressing issues facing the human population in the 21st century. An FAO study estimates that hunger and poverty claim 25,000 lives every day and 854 people around the globe do not get enough to eat each day. The Global Poverty Act, currently being held in the the US Senate, will address the issue of global hunger and poverty by committing the United States to an action plan. I would like this discussion to reflect on what that plan should entail, and general thoughts and stories about hunger, poverty and food insecurity.

No Loan, No College?

Scott Bittle — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 13:09:15 -0400

Tuition bills start to come due in the next few weeks, and there's more bad news for anyone in the market for a student loan. More banks have dropped out of the business because of the credit crunch, and those who are sticking with it are tightening standards. This Wall Street Journal story is particularly notable because it focuses on the students who need private loans to go to technical or trade schools.

Younger Minorities Becoming the Majority?

Jenny Choi — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 13:41:12 -0400

We’ve certainly seen a growing number of stories in recent years about a rise in the minority population of the U.S., but each new statistic seems to drive the point home further: America is becoming more diverse than ever. According to newly released Census figures, blacks, Hispanics and Asians comprise more than half of under-20 populations in one-quarter of all counties across the country.

Spotlight on China As Olympics Take Center Stage

Jenny Choi — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 12:09:05 -0400

The 2008 Summer Olympics kicked off in a dramatic fashion, with concern about human rights in China among the undertones behind the pageantry in Beijing. President Bush arrived on the heels of some stern words aimed at China’s leadership for its treatment of political dissidents.

Will Gas Days Replace Snow Days?

Paul Gasbarra — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 10:48:10 -0400

Imagine coming home one afternoon to find your nine-year-old jumping up and down in front of the TV. Not an uncommon sight, only this time instead of a cartoon or an Elmo's Jazzercise video, she's watching a hyperactive character of a different sort: Mad Money's Jim Cramer. Why is your child watching Jim Cramer? Because she's into oil and like many speculators out there, she likes her oil high. Is she a mini-tycoon?

And Now, The DNA Evidence

Francie Grace — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 14:15:41 -0400

Hollywood has done a great job trumpeting the benefits of DNA – the double-edged sword that can free a wrongly convicted inmate and force a killer to face his or her legal fate – but the reality of DNA's impact on the criminal justice system is quite something else.

Paris Hilton? Energy Policy? Really?

Scott Bittle — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 14:05:43 -0400

The most frightening thing about Paris Hilton issuing a statement on energy policy is that she suggested something that, at least on the surface, might actually have public support.

Are Kids Really Getting a Break in the Summer?

Jenny Choi — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 13:04:33 -0400

With August now in full swing and just a few weeks left until the school year resumes, many students may be scrambling to finish their summer homework assignments. But the Washington Post reports that there may, in fact, be a trend away from the kind of rigorous and often heavy workload of recent summers in and around the nation's capital. In some districts, students have been assigned as many as four books to read and report on and a whole packet of math problems to solve.

Anthrax, Fear and the Public

Scott Bittle — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 12:34:29 -0400

The anthrax killer, whether it was Army scientist Bruce Ivins or somebody else, has the deaths of innocent postal workers and elderly women on his hands. But what else is he responsible for?

Public Agenda and Syracuse University's Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs Policy Breakfast

Peiting Chen — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 16:12:12 -0400

The speaker at the October policy breakfast series event, co-sponsored by Public Agenda and Syracuse University's Maxwell School of Citizenship, will be Drew Altman, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.

One Sure Fact About the Anthrax Attacks

Scott Bittle — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 12:37:37 -0400

The suicide of an Army scientist may mean that we'll never know the whole story about the anthrax attacks of 2001. Amid all the speculation, there's one thing we can say for sure: whoever was responsible for the attacks had a major impact on public opinion. Surveys show the American public's fear of terrorism peaked in October 2001. With the anthrax attacks spread through the U.S.

Memo To The Next President

Francie Grace — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 12:24:12 -0400

"How much do you trust our government to tell the public the truth about our relations with other countries?" More than half of the American public told pollsters for our Confidence in U.S. Foreign Policy Index that the answer is "not too much" or "not at all." That stunning lack of trust may be one of the biggest obstacles the new President will face in January 2009. Even so, there are ways to win back the public trust – and important reasons why it must be done.

The Next President's First Foreign Policy Challenge:
Restoring Public Confidence

Ruth Wooden — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 11:01:52 -0400

By Public Agenda's Ruth A. Wooden and Scott Bittle

GOP presidential candidate John McCain, campaigning at the University of Denver.

We are now witnessing the results of the overwhelming loss of public trust in an Administration's foreign policy. If ever there were any doubts about the necessity of maintaining a basic level of public support for an administration's foreign policy, the current powerlessness of the Bush Administration should be a lesson learned for future administrations. But the lack of public trust in our nation's foreign policy isn't just the Bush Administration's own ball and chain. It is a major constraint to which the next administration will also be tethered. "How much do you trust our government to tell the public the truth about our relations with other countries?" According to the Confidence in U.S. Foreign Policy Index, more than half of the American public says not too much (26 percent) or not at all (26 percent). That stunning lack of trust may be one of the biggest obstacles the new president will face in January 2009. Fifty-seven percent of Americans say it is at least partially justified to say that the United States is only concerned with its own interests and disregards the interests of other counties. These attitudes will not be different come January simply because "change," in whatever form, comes to the Oval Office. It is not just that the American public thinks our nation's relations with the rest of the world are on the wrong track (nearly two-thirds say this), but the public also believes we are perceived internationally to be "arrogant" (73 percent) and "a bully" (60 percent). Over the past three years, the public's perception of whether or not the government can do much of anything to improve a host of foreign policy issues has eroded significantly, including on key challenges such as establishing good relations with moderate Muslims, preventing the spread of weapons of mass destruction, decreasing our dependence on other countries for our supply of energy and slowing illegal immigration to the United States. On some vitally important issues, like maintaining a stable energy supply, protecting American jobs and stopping the spread of nuclear weapons, strong majorities question whether solving them is even realistic.

On foreign policy,
leadership means listening
and progress requires
public trust.

These are not attitudes that can be turned around easily, even if the next president pursues policies more heavily weighted toward diplomacy and building international partnerships, as both of the candidates have promised. But there are several things the next President can do to rebuild the public's trust on foreign policy that will contribute to the wider success of a new administration, both on international and domestic policy fronts. First, listen to the priorities of the American public – which are sometimes very different from those of the policy elite. According to the CFPI research, there are a number of actions that have consistently rated very high on the public's priorities for U.S. foreign policy. At the top of the list, three quarters (75 percent) say preventing the spread of nuclear weapons and cooperating with other countries on problems like the environment or control of diseases should be very important. Almost as many say assisting countries in developing clean water supplies (74 percent) and helping other countries when they are struck by natural disasters (73 percent) should be very important to U.S. foreign policy. When it comes to the strategies that will improve U.S. security, the public has moved rather quickly to see our need for energy independence as the top priority. A president who wants to rebuild public trust will put these priorities at the top of the new administration's list – even though some of them, like disaster relief, are rarely priorities for foreign policy experts. At the very bottom of the public's list is "actively creating democracies in other countries." But for those who think Americans are turning isolationist, think again. The second lowest priority for Americans is "minding our own business and getting less involved with global issues."

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, visiting U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

The second, but equally important task for the next Administration in rebuilding trust is to help the American public think through many of the international issues on which it remains unsure. International trade is a prime example of where the public is confused and uncertain. A staggering 41 percent say they are unsure who benefits more from international trade, the United States or other countries, while 42 percent say other countries benefit more and a mere 14 percent think our nation benefits more. The link between global poverty and terrorism is another unresolved question for the public. Fifty-one percent say that if there is less poverty in the world there will be less terrorism, but 46 percent say no. There are many such unresolved questions in the public mind and a new President can truly show leadership by publicly discussing the pros and cons and focusing leaders and citizens alike on the real, tough choices that have to be made. Many policy experts still hold that public opinion on foreign policy is not particularly important, since Americans generally give deference to their leaders on how to proceed. But once public disapproval on foreign policy surpasses a certain threshold level, the negative implications are broad and deep. We now see the political and international implications of ignoring public opinion. This kind of crisis of public confidence occurred during the Vietnam War and it is happening again now. For a variety of reasons, the public's skepticism of government efficacy did not return to prior levels after the Vietnam War ended, and it won't improve quickly with the election of a new Administration this year. It is sad that we have to state the obvious, but after the last eight years, here it is: On foreign policy, leadership means listening and progress requires public trust.

Ruth A. Wooden is President of Public Agenda and Scott Bittle is Executive Vice President for Public Issues Analysis. Public Agenda, which is nonpartisan and nonprofit, produces the Confidence in U.S. Foreign Policy Index, in partnership with the journal Foreign Affairs.

Strange Times, Indeed: A Used Car Price Higher Than Showroom New

Francie Grace — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 12:07:58 -0400

Painfully high gas prices are producing some unexpected phenomena. USA Today reports long waiting lists for the hybrid Prius have pushed prices for used models with about 8,000 miles on them to about $1,300 more than you'd shell out for a new one. Meanwhile in L.A., a new type of road rage has emerged – not at the gas station, as one might expect – but in the form of clashes between folks who've recently begun bicycling to work and those who are sticking with their cars.

Public Agenda In The News

Peiting Chen — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 14:33:18 -0400

The Principle's Priority 1 (Education Leadership, September 2008)

The Rise of Fantasy Politics (Newsweek, August 23, 2008)

'Copers' and 'Transformers' (Education Week, Aug 13, 2008)

Poll Finds Drop in Public's Regard for Schools (Education Week, Aug 12, 2008)

Building Bridges to the Future (Education Week, July 30, 2008)

Drowning in Debt (Dodge City.com, July 28, 2008)

A Silent Crisis: The Underrepresentation of Latinos in STEM Careers (Education Week, July 21, 2008)

Talking to Iran Is Not So Controversial (The American Prospect, June 25, 2008)

Going For Broke, American Style (San Francisco Chronicle, June 12, 2008)

Let's Make it Cool to Save (Washington Post, May 22, 2008)

Priming the pump (The Economist, May 1, 2008)

A Proposed Diet for the U.S. Budget (The New York Times, March 16, 2008)

Different Sides of the Cost Conversation (Inside Higher Education, February 21, 2008)

Dead on Arrival (Barron's, February 11, 2008)

Is Illegal Immigration on the Decline?

Jenny Choi — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 12:09:38 -0400

The number of illegal immigrants in the United States has declined by roughly 1.3 million, or 11 percent, in the past year, according to a new report from the immigration think tank and advocacy group, Center for Immigration Studies, which analyzes the latest data from the Census Bureau's Current Population Survey.