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Partners

AmericaSpeaks

Citizens & Governance
Strengthening Civic Infrastructure

Headlines across the nation report that citizens feel less connected to—and are more distrustful of—their leaders and institutions of government than ever before. The often reported cynicism of the nation's voters is occurring at a time when citizens experience less and less authority in political processes at all levels. Receding public voice is the result of a widely held perception that citizens' views are no longer valued and are irrelevant to "democratic processes." Disengagement and dissatisfaction is a response to processes that all too often misrepresent and distort citizen will for short-term political gain. In short, the growing gap between individuals and institutions—between citizens and leaders—places the health of America's democracy at risk.

Fortunately, a resurgence in local citizen activism is moving across America—this activism often lacks the rich diversity present in our communities, however, and many citizens of minority or low socio-economic status remain outside the problem-solving process. The need for broad citizen participation must be addressed at several levels, giving all citizens the opportunity to join together in ways that ensure that those voices are heard over time. Likewise, citizen activists at the local level need higher visibility and greater capacity to link their efforts to have state, regional, and national influence.

AmericaSpeaks is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization committed to linking authentic citizen voices to national governance in new ways: we believe it is important to build connections between this voice and governing institutions at the local, state, and national level. We support a diverse network of experts and resources around the nation which can be tapped to strengthen burgeoning efforts to broaden citizen participation in governance. AmericaSpeaks operates as a neutral broker prepared to convene and partner with appropriate players to address issues of citizen engagement in governance. Our unique approach applies the latest technologies in large group processes and telecommunication to governance, deliberation, and citizen participation.

We believe that as citizens, communities, and as a nation we must increase our understanding of social capital, civil society, and governance for America to move towards strong and effective democratic exercise. At the same time, a new civic infrastructure—adaptable and enduring governance mechanisms which form the nexus of civil society—is needed to encourage, nurture, and support citizens and elected leaders in deliberative, collaborative, and consensus-building processes. The processes through which power is shared, visions created, and public priorities set will determine the success of our community and national renewal.

AmericaSpeaks has established a track record of designing and leading community-wide meetings that ensure learning by participants and enable enduring strategic alliances. America Speaks will partner with public, private, and non-profit organizations across the nation over the next two years to initiate processes that strengthen civic infrastructure by focusing on citizens and governance, face-to-face participation and communication technology.

Essays, Stories, and Case Studies

More Information

AmericaSpeaks
915 Fifteenth St., NW, Suite 600
Washington, D.C. 20005

Phone: 202-783-4966
Fax: 202-347-2161
E-mail: amerspeaks@aol.com