The Vox Populi Project

A Project of The Center on Policy Attitudes

The Vox Populi Project seeks to discern the voice of the American majority public on public policy issues. To this end, the project will rely upon three major initiatives: a Web site, a PBS television series and an outreach campaign.

Research has shown that Americans have lost faith in the way their government makes decisions and that this is due in large part to the belief that policymakers do not understand, do not listen to and do not follow the voice of the majority public. In fact, research also has shown that politicians, policymakers and the media have a poor understanding of the public and that government decisions frequently are out of step with the majority’s views. Clearly, this has a corrosive effect on democracy. 

• The Web site: This site will offer comprehensive analysis and interpretation of all publicly available public opinion data on a wide variety of public affairs issues. These initially will include healthcare, education, America’s role in the world, the environment (including global warming), Social Security and Medicare, globalization, international trade and international security. Additional topics will be added over time. The Web site will be built as an ongoing, ever-present resource for policymakers, journalists, scholars and the public itself.    
• A PBS Television Series: The series will explore key public policy issues and public attitudes about them. A pilot will air in May 2000 and a full series will air in the future. Marvin Kalb, Washington director of Harvard University’s Joan Shorenstein Center for the Press, Politics and Public Policy, will serve as the program’s moderator. Each television program will be designed to interface with the Website, providing more in-depth information on the topics explored.
• A Pro-Active Outreach Campaign: The Project will actively distribute information about public opinion on public policy issues to several critical audiences -- Congress, the Executive Branch and the larger policy community; the media; and the public itself. This will include the release of advisories that summarize public opinion on current public policy topics, as well as seminars and briefings.

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