New York City –The nonpartisan survey research and civic engagement organization Public Agenda, released a statement today calling on citizens to acknowledge their own role in the current economic crisis and to take a more active role in holding leaders accountable.

“The real reason citizens are to blame for our current financial mess is that most have never taken responsibility for learning about the basic approaches for creating economic well-being for the greatest number of Americans and haven’t forced our nation’s leaders to have a coherent strategy that reflects their priorities,” said Michael Hamill Remaley, Director of Communications for Public Agenda. “But the current economic downturn provides an opportunity for normal folks to get up to speed on economic issues and exert some influence with their leaders.”

The first thing angry and skeptical citizens should do is take a step back from the talk of “crisis” and put things in perspective. It does look like we’re headed into a serious recession that will adversely affect families across the nation, but after the market shake out, the United States will still have an economy with strong, innovative companies, healthy financial infrastructure and incomparable assets. Growth and widespread prosperity will return, but we should be more conscientious about the direction we’re heading. Here are three basic approaches to building a strong economy that voters should learn more about…

Read the full statement at: http://www.publicagenda.org/articles/economic-crisis-opportunity-citizens

Public Agenda’s issue guide on the economy is part of the Voter’s Survival Kit at PublicAgenda.org and is in the hands of citizens across America, who are using its frameworks to weigh how the candidates’ positions line up with the choices outlined in it. The Voter’s Survival Kit issue guides 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 explain more about the choices the country faces in down-to-earth, easily understandable terms, on the following topics:

• The Economy

• Iraq and Beyond
• Climate Change
• Health Care
• Immigration
• Taxes, Spending and Debt

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, both on an interactive web platform and in a downloadable PDF format. 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, “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, www.PublicAgenda.org, which has been twice nominated (in 2005 and 2007) for a Webby Award for best political site.