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Immigration reform is back in the spotlight, with a major demonstration set for March 21. As the policy debate heats up, it's worth noting that to craft a policy that works, it helps to hear the voices of the immigrants themselves. In our survey, A Place to Call Home: What Immigrants Say Now About Life In America, immigrants talk about why they're here, the challenges they face, and their views on reform proposals. Majorities told us they adapted quickly to life in the U.S. and made the right choice in coming here. Click here to see our report, funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
CAN I GET A LITTLE ADVICE HERE?
Young Americans tell us they're not getting much help from their high school counselors when choosing a college, career, or in getting financial aid. In the second of our series of reports on college completion, Can I Get A Little Advice Here?, six in ten of young adults who went on to further education gave their high schools poor grades for college advice. Nearly half felt like "just a face in the crowd." With costs rising and college completion rates sinking, this raises serious questions about what kind of help young people need, and whether they're getting it. Read the full report, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
WRAPPING OUR MINDS AROUND EARTH DAY
With a new poll showing environmental concern by the public at a 20-year low, what should we do about the energy issues we face? We've got great resources to get ready for Earth Day, including an energy quiz and other classroom materials for teachers and students; the "Who Turned Out the Lights? Your Guided Tour to the Energy Crisis" web site and Twitter feed and our Energy Learning Curve™ study. Our researchers found common ground among Americans on many proposals and a lot of agreement on what not to do, especially anything making it more expensive to drive.
WORKING TOGETHER ON SOLUTIONS - ONLINE
Public engagement – bringing people together to address issues and solve shared problems – might be a public meeting, with a lot of talking and listening in a search for common ground and solutions. Digital tools for engagement are also increasingly important. But which ones? There are already a lot of "musts" to keep in mind when it comes to how to build and use communities on the web. To learn more, check out our online resources page, our video presentation on this topic, and Promising Practices In Online Engagement, a new paper from our Center for Advancement in Public Engagement (CAPE).
ABORTIONMore than a generation after the 1973 Roe v. Wade U.S. Supreme Court decision that made abortion legal in the U.S., public debate on the subject continues to follow the well-worn path between condemnation and choice. Public attitudes do not.
Where advocates on both sides tend to lay out their arguments in terms of absolute moral rights and wrongs, the public seems to see conflicts and conditions. Solid majorities support a woman's right to choose abortion - if her reasons seem sound and if it's not too late in the pregnancy.
On an individual level, medical technology is making the issue more complex. In some respects, changing technology - such as the "abortion pill" and ultrasound-guided abortions available as early as eight days after conception – have made abortion both easier and more accepted. In other respects, new technology – such as ultrasound photos from the womb and developments making a fetus viable at earlier stages of pregnancy – has sparked new questions.
Think of us as the town hall for real engagement on public policy. You can start a forum, or, join the discussion by being a part of the comments online. Here are some of the latest – click on a topic you like and jump in.
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