Delineates Its Application to Energy, Education and Immigration Issues

New York City – Public Agenda, the nonpartisan survey research and civic engagement organization, joined with The Drucker School of Management at Claremont Graduate University to announce that its chairman Daniel Yankelovich will present what promises to be a seminal address that may shape American politics and political theory in the coming years. The keynote address of the annual Drucker Day on Saturday, November 8 kicks off celebrations of the founder Peter Drucker’s centennial year.

In his presentation, Yankelovich will pinpoint the social, political and ideological barriers that stand in the way of solving the country’s major problems, including what he calls “the growth of self-isolating communities” and “technological hubris.” He will lay out a strategy for pursuing “The New Pragmatism” – an approach aimed at overcoming political gridlock and advancing public understanding of issues like energy, education reform and immigration – and will present a new tool called “The Learning Curve” to accelerate public dialogue on divisive issues.

Yankelovich, sometimes called “the founding father of American public-opinion research” and its preeminent practitioner, is also the founder of the New York Times/Yankelovich Poll (now the NYTimes/CBS Poll). He is the author of numerous books including “Ego and Instinct” (1970), “New Rules: Searching for Self-Fulfillment in a World Turned Upside Down” (1981), and the public engagement bible “Coming to Public Judgment” (1991), which is being revisited and discussed by theorists from around the world in a new edited volume to be published in 2009 by Vanderbilt University Press.

Yankelovich’s “The New Pragmatism” address will take place at The Drucker School in Claremont, California. His presentation will be available in PowerPoint form online after the event at http://publicagenda.org/. The site will also have links to video of the address and a full transcript of the speech when it becomes available. Individuals interested in attending the address live, or any of the 2008 Drucker Day events can register at: www.druckercommunity.com/druckerday2008

“We are very pleased that the distinguished thinker Daniel Yankelovich will be anchoring this special day and bringing a new idea to the forefront of the national conversation at a time of global economic meltdown and a crisis of confidence in so many institutions of society,” said Drucker School Dean Ira A. Jackson. “Clearly, our work here at the Drucker School and Drucker Institute is more relevant, timely and needed than ever before.”

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, www.PublicAgenda.org, which has been twice nominated (in 2005 and 2007) for a Webby Award for best political site.