public agenda you cant get there from here: talking to the public on the deficit and national debt...
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Public Agenda
You Can’t Get There From Here: Talking to the Public on the Deficit and National Debt
Presentation at The Human Side of the Fiscal CrisisCommittee for a Responsible Federal Budget
10 March 2011Scott Bittle, Executive Vice President
Public Agenda
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What is Public Agenda?
• A nonpartisan, nonprofit organization devoted to public opinion and public engagement
• Founded in 1975 by social scientist Daniel Yankelovich and former Secretary of State Cyrus Vance
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The Problem on the Budget• Inside the Beltway
– Most say practical solutions to the budget exist– Most also say partisanship will keep us from
achieving them
• Outside the Beltway:– Increased public concern– Knowledge levels are low– Few solutions have clear support in surveys
• This can’t go on, but how does D.C. get “permission to act?”PUBLIC AGENDA 2011 3
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The Problem
• Much of the current debate is too wonky to work– In D.C., focused on details, bargaining
positions, brokering a deal– The public is only partially paying attention;
have busy lives, and are more concerned with the values and consequences than the tactical maneuvering
– More info doesn’t necessarily make for better decisions; its all about context
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The Public’s Learning Curve
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Consciousness raising
Resolution
Wishful thinking/denial
Lack of understanding
Lack of practical choices
Deliberate confusion
Lack of urgency
Potential barriers :
Mistrust
Working throughRequires facts, choices, time
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What the Public Needs • The Strategic Facts:
– A sense of proportion: the spending pie chart– Tax rates historically low– What’s driving the long-term problem (health
and demographics)• Focus on Priorities:
– People understand the government can’t do everything, so what should it do? What can it afford to do?
– Not the same as bargaining positions• A sense of options
– What are the real choices, and implications?
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Resources Public Agendawww.publicagenda.org
Choosing Our Fiscal Futurewww.ourfiscalfuture.org
Where Does the Money Go?www.wheredoesthemoneygo.com
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For more information, visit PublicAgenda.orgFor questions, contact Scott Bittle at [email protected]