At least 85 percent of both policymakers and "opinion elites" surveyed in and around Washington, D.C., agree that "if we do not get the national debt under control, it will overwhelm the federal budget and damage the economy in the long run." But only 13 percent of policymakers and 9 percent of elites cite the national debt as their top priority, according to The Buck Stops Where?, a Public Agenda survey done for the John D. and Catherine T.
Research Studies: Economy, Workforce & Welfare
The Buck Stops Where?: What D.C. Influencers Say About The National Debt
Are We Beginning To See The Light?: Public And Parents Buy Into The Need To Ramp Up Math And Science Education But Most Still Think Their Local Schools Are Doing Fine
Americans are convinced that math and science skills are crucial for the future, according to "Are We Beginning To See The Light?", a Public Agenda survey which found strong majorities who say there will be more jobs and college opportunities for students with those skills.
A Place to Call Home: What Immigrants Say Now About Life in America
Immigrants are holding fast to their belief that America remains the land of opportunity, according to a new Public Agenda study. Majorities of immigrants report they become comfortable in the United States quickly, even as ties to their birth country have become stronger since we last surveyed immigrants in 2002.
The Energy Learning Curve: Coming from different starting points, the public sees similar solutions
The first Energy Learning Curve ™ report, released in association with Planet Forward, finds the American people reaching common ground on at least 10 major energy proposals, particularly on alternative energy. But the public may not yet be prepared for the tradeoffs and challenges needed to make these proposals a reality.
Compassion, Concern and Conflicted Feelings: New Yorkers on Homelessness and Housing
Eight in 10 New Yorkers say homelessness is a major problem both locally and nationally. An overwhelming majority considers shelter to be a basic human right, and two-thirds say people are homeless because of circumstances beyond their control. Affordable housing is named as the chief concern facing New York City, and more than one-third say they feel personally vulnerable to becoming homeless.
A Few Bad Apples?: An Exploratory Look at What Typical Americans Think about Business Ethics Today
In focus groups conducted in collaboration with The Kettering Foundation, Public Agenda found that citizens define business ethics more broadly than executives do. When typical citizens talk about business ethics, they cite executives who enrich themselves while driving their companies into the ground. Protecting employees' jobs, they say, should be a top ethical priority. When executives talk about ethics, they are concerned about the damage recent scandals have done to business' reputation and the need to restore public trust.
Now That I'm Here: What America's Immigrants Have to Say About Life in the U.S. Today
A survey of immigrants finds an overwhelming majority committed to working hard and staying off government assistance. Almost nine in 10 say it's extremely important for immigrants to learn English and their views on bilingual education are similar to the general public. A majority has a favorable view of the INS, although they express frustration with immigration bureaucracy. Three-quarters say the government has become stricter with immigrants since Sept. 11 and six in 10 say there is at least some anti-immigrant discrimination in the U.S.
COMMENTS:
hatred and racism (by Anonymous, on January 27, 2010)
Talking about discrimination, it has always taken me aback how the federal agencies and other authorities did the mass roundup and detention of Arabs and Muslims since September 11. These ethnic groups were highly targeted during that period of chaos bringing a huge wave of racism regardless of their gesture whatsoever. Not surprisingly, hate crimes and other forms of harassment against Arabs and Muslims have risen in tandem with government-sanctioned profiling.
Talking about discrimination, it has always taken me aback how the federal agencies and other authorities did the mass roundup and detention of Arabs and Muslims since September 11. These ethnic groups were highly targeted during that period of chaos bringing a huge wave of racism regardless of their gesture whatsoever. Not surprisingly, hate crimes and other forms of harassment against Arabs and Muslims have risen in tandem with government-sanctioned profiling.
Miles to Go: A Status Report on Americans' Plans for Retirement
A follow-up to the 1994 study Promises to Keep, this new study explores how Americans view retirement; what they see as their own responsibilities; and what policies and programs might encourage them to better plan for retirement. Based on a national survey of not-retired individuals aged 22 to 61, this survey also explores current attitudes toward Social Security. 1997.
The Values We Live By: What Americans Want From Welfare Reform
This study examines public attitudes toward welfare reform: why the public is so frustrated with the system; what kind of change it is seeking. 1996.
Attitudes Toward Welfare and Welfare Reform: A Focus Group Report
Based on a series of focus groups in six cities, this study examines what citizens don't like about welfare and where they believe the system has gone wrong. 1995. For a free single copy call the Kaiser Foundation, 800-656-4533. Ask for Report #1094.
Promises to Keep: How Leaders and the Public Respond to Saving and Retirement
A comprehensive look at why many Americans have difficulty saving for retirement. The report details the major barriers to action, including cultural factors and personality traits. 1994. Technical Appendix: $20.00
Putting the Work Ethic to Work:
A ground-breaking report on the state of the American work ethic and its relationship to America's economic vitality. The report is based on in-depth interviews with 845 working Americans and includes findings from comparative studies conducted in Great Britain, West Germany, Japan, Israel, and Sweden. 1983.
Id do a bit of everything (never happen in DC though unfortunately). Drill on the coasts and in Alaska (a stopgap at best but realistically it would be temporary and eventually the land would return to normal after the oil is harvested), Mine Uranium and Coal (stopgap as well), use natural gas from us (another stopgap), build wind power / solar (Id make it all tax deductable big time), and build nuclear power plants (a stopgap as well but longer term than oil since Canada US and Australia have most of the uranium), and look into oil shale (us has huge reserve) as a last ditch item. Id make Nuclear Power tax free as well (or subsidized by government). Anything to improve overall balance of trade and keep our cashflow here in the U.S. I would Invest in electric cars (like the Tesla company) but Id lean towards make buying them tax free with a hefty tax credit to boot. I feel the answer with alternative is tax credits and tax freedom/incentives, not government splurging and taxing. If you go with the method i propose the market will decide which alternative energy company succeeds. I feel cap and trade is just a way for the congress to find another source of revenue without calling it a tax. A more pie in the sky approach would be to continue to Fund fusion research (National Ignition facility etc and the European one). The problem there is materials science to find materials that can contain the heat of the fusion reaction in the reaction chamber. Id work on that first before building the fusion reactor. On the crazy side, Id move toward for zero population growth (yeah that will be popular LOL) since fundamentally people are the environmental problem when you get down to it. If you really buy into global warming thats the ultimate solution. Nobody will touch that with a 10 foot pole though as it would be political suicide. But I feel methods like cap and trade are just smoke and mirrors for the true environmental issue - we have too many people on the earth.