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AMERICAAMERICASPEAKSSPEAKSEngaging Citizens in Governance
Libraries: Making a Difference in the Future of Our Democracy
Florida Public Library Directors Meeting
Theo BrownSenior AssociateAmericaSpeaks
AMERICAAMERICASPEAKSSPEAKS www.americaspeaks.orgwww.americaspeaks.org
Crisis of Democracy
• Political paralysis and hyper-partisanship
• Little or no progress on the big systemic issues
• High public distrust and disengagement
• 21st century problems can’t be solved by government alone; and often don’t align with government jurisdictions
AMERICAAMERICASPEAKSSPEAKS www.americaspeaks.orgwww.americaspeaks.org
Lack of Trust in Government
• Just 22 percent of Americans say they can trust the government in Washington almost always or most of the time. This is among the lowest measures in fifty years.
• Favorable ratings for both major parties, as well as Congress, have reached record lows.
• The proportion of Americans who say they are “angry with the federal government has doubled since 2000, from 10% to 20%.
Source: Pew Research Center
AMERICAAMERICASPEAKSSPEAKS www.americaspeaks.orgwww.americaspeaks.org
Promising Opportunities
• “Profound brokenness” of the system leads to willingness to try new approaches
• New powerful technologies and large-scale change methodologies
• Untapped common ground that crosses traditional divides
• All of these can lead to building public constituency
AMERICAAMERICASPEAKSSPEAKS www.americaspeaks.orgwww.americaspeaks.org
• Create a stronger public constituency and mandate for change
• Educate the electorate about the challenges facing government officials
• Involve the public in being part of the solution and taking action
• Gain unique insight and new options
So, Why Engage the Public?
AMERICAAMERICASPEAKSSPEAKS www.americaspeaks.orgwww.americaspeaks.org
An Organizer’s Credo
• To be an organizer, one must believe one thing and one thing only and it is this: “the people will, if given enough information, most of the time, make the right decision.”
– Saul Alinsky
AMERICAAMERICASPEAKSSPEAKS www.americaspeaks.orgwww.americaspeaks.org
Belief in American Democracy
• With all of our problems, we still have a system that works if we use it
• Churchill on democracy “worst system ever invented. . . . “
• Belief in the American system • Trust in the American people• History of progressive social change
– MLK and his belief in America– Constantly expanding involvement
AMERICAAMERICASPEAKSSPEAKS www.americaspeaks.orgwww.americaspeaks.org
Building Public Involvement
AMERICAAMERICASPEAKSSPEAKS www.americaspeaks.orgwww.americaspeaks.org
Building Public Involvement
• Mass communication efforts
• Active interface with the public
• Basic civic education
• Projects that give citizens a real voice
• Promotion of “active citizenship”
AMERICAAMERICASPEAKSSPEAKS www.americaspeaks.orgwww.americaspeaks.org
“There is not such a cradle of democracy upon the earth as the Free Public Library, this republic of letters, where neither rank, office, nor wealth receives the slightest consideration.“
~Andrew Carnegie
AMERICAAMERICASPEAKSSPEAKS www.americaspeaks.orgwww.americaspeaks.org
Deliberative Democracy Field
AMERICAAMERICASPEAKSSPEAKS www.americaspeaks.orgwww.americaspeaks.org
AmericaSpeaks’ Purpose
AmericaSpeaks’ mission is to reinvigorate American
democracy by engaging citizens in the public
decisions that most impact their lives
AMERICAAMERICASPEAKSSPEAKS www.americaspeaks.orgwww.americaspeaks.org
Finding Common Ground on Our Fiscal Future
Diverse Group of 3,500 Americans Across 57 Cities Weigh In on Nation’s Fiscal Challenges
AMERICAAMERICASPEAKSSPEAKS www.americaspeaks.orgwww.americaspeaks.org
19 Town Meeting Sites
Albuquerque Augusta Casper ChicagoColumbiaDallasDes MoinesDetroitGrand ForksJacksonLos Angeles CountyLouisvilleMissoulaOverland Park PhiladelphiaPortlandPortsmouthRichmondSilicon Valley
3,500 People Across 57 Cities
AMERICAAMERICASPEAKSSPEAKS www.americaspeaks.orgwww.americaspeaks.org
www.usabudgetdiscussion.org
Video: America Speaks: Our Budget, Our Economy
AMERICAAMERICASPEAKSSPEAKS www.americaspeaks.orgwww.americaspeaks.org
Principles for Effective Citizen Engagement
• Linked to Decision Makers• Demographic Diversity• Informed Participation• Facilitated Deliberation• Discover Shared Priorities• Clear Recommendations for Action• Sustaining Citizen Engagement
AMERICAAMERICASPEAKSSPEAKS www.americaspeaks.orgwww.americaspeaks.org
What infrastructure is needed for a healthy democracy?
•Legislative
•Human
•Organizational
•Physical
•Technological
•Media
•Educational
AMERICAAMERICASPEAKSSPEAKS www.americaspeaks.orgwww.americaspeaks.org
Governing body actively promotes public participation, funds it, and receives and acts on citizen input
A Legislative Mandate for Participation
AMERICAAMERICASPEAKSSPEAKS www.americaspeaks.orgwww.americaspeaks.org
• Skills: process facilitation, conflict resolution, deliberative democracy
• Network of facilitators needed in every community
The Human Infrastructure to Undergird it, and…
AMERICAAMERICASPEAKSSPEAKS www.americaspeaks.orgwww.americaspeaks.org
• Mediating organizations needed• Must have trust and confidence of the public
The Organizational Infrastructure to Undergird it
AMERICAAMERICASPEAKSSPEAKS www.americaspeaks.orgwww.americaspeaks.org
• Space in community where everyone feels safe
• No one party dominates the space
• Common or public square
Safe, Accessible Physical Spaces
AMERICAAMERICASPEAKSSPEAKS www.americaspeaks.orgwww.americaspeaks.org
• Commitment from nation or region to provide every person with broadband Internet access
• Commit as a society to imparting skills necessary to use the Web
The Necessary Technology
AMERICAAMERICASPEAKSSPEAKS www.americaspeaks.orgwww.americaspeaks.org
• Free flow of information is critical to the core of democracy
• Need to teach media literacy• Technology, especially broadband, is changing the
ways people access and process information
The Knight Commission Report on the Information Needs of Communities in a Democracy
www.knightcomm.org
A Trustworthy, Fact-based Media
AMERICAAMERICASPEAKSSPEAKS www.americaspeaks.orgwww.americaspeaks.org
• One must learn to be a good citizen
• Counteract damaging effects of political campaigning, ineffective media
Robust Civic Education
AMERICAAMERICASPEAKSSPEAKS www.americaspeaks.orgwww.americaspeaks.org
Libraries’ Natural Assets
• Accessible to the whole community• Respected source of factual information• Trusted as a neutral convener• Ability to attract partners and create alliances• Talented, committed staff• RENEWED commitment to building community and
playing a leading role in community life
AMERICAAMERICASPEAKSSPEAKS www.americaspeaks.orgwww.americaspeaks.org
Rethinking Libraries
• Innovative and exciting ideas about libraries of the future
• David Lankes and others--”new librarianship”• Knowledge is created through conversation and
therefore libraries are in the conversation business• Libraries enrich, capture, store and disseminate the
conversations of a community
AMERICAAMERICASPEAKSSPEAKS www.americaspeaks.orgwww.americaspeaks.org
Challenges to Libraries Playing a Strong Role in this Arena
AMERICAAMERICASPEAKSSPEAKS www.americaspeaks.orgwww.americaspeaks.org
To meet the challenges of the 21st century, we have to learn new ways of meaningfully linking public will and political will to take action on
the major problems we face.
AMERICAAMERICASPEAKSSPEAKS www.americaspeaks.orgwww.americaspeaks.org
“A popular government without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to a farce or a tragedy, or perhaps both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance, and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives.”
~Andrew Carnegie
AMERICAAMERICASPEAKSSPEAKS www.americaspeaks.orgwww.americaspeaks.org
“..and although the practical problem of revitalizing citizenship is enormous, it is challenging rather than insuperable.”
~Wilson Carey McWilliamsRedeeming Democracy in
America
AMERICAAMERICASPEAKSSPEAKS www.americaspeaks.orgwww.americaspeaks.org
Thank You!
www.americaspeaks.org