Will Friedman - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Will Friedman
This Public Agenda/USA TODAY Hidden Common Ground survey, which is also part of Public Agenda'... more This Public Agenda/USA TODAY Hidden Common Ground survey, which is also part of Public Agenda's ongoing series of Yankelovich Democracy Monitor surveys, was fielded in May 2021. The research updates and expands on findings from Public Agenda's two previous Yankelovich Democracy Monitor surveys, published in 2019 and 2020. The report concludes with reflections on the findings and implications for moving towards a less divisive, more collaborative, and healthier democracy
The stark dangers of the Cold War have been replaced by an unpredictable mix of foreign policy cr... more The stark dangers of the Cold War have been replaced by an unpredictable mix of foreign policy crises and surprising breakthroughs, festering problems and untested solutions. How is the American public reacting to these new dynamics? In this essay we examine three ...
This article addresses the challenges of scaling up deliberative democracy beyond the level of in... more This article addresses the challenges of scaling up deliberative democracy beyond the level of individual communities. It begins with a general discussion of the problems that scope poses for deliberative democratic practice. It then proceeds to look critically at a range of initiatives that have, in recent years, attempted to overcome these problems in the American context. The concluding sections suggest guidelines and concepts aimed at helping practitioners approach large-scale public engagement more strategically, as well as areas that research and theory should explore. Acknowledgements I wish to acknowledge the many contributions my colleagues at Public Agenda have made to my thinking about the topics discussed in this paper, with special thanks to Public Agenda's cofounder, Dan Yankelovich, for his seminal work in this field. This essay is available in Journal of Public Deliberation:
Toward Wiser Public Judgment, 2011
Toward Wiser Public Judgment, 2011
Toward Wiser Public Judgment, 2011
This work revisits and expands upon Yankelovich s seminal 1991 book, "Coming to Public Judgm... more This work revisits and expands upon Yankelovich s seminal 1991 book, "Coming to Public Judgment," which argued that people advance through several distinct stages to form politically meaningful judgments about public issues. In particular, citizens must "work through" the temptation to opt for easy answers or engage in wishful thinking, reconcile conflicting values, and come to terms with tough tradeoffs, before they can truly support a new course of action. The present work examines these themes in light of changing societal conditions, from the advent of the Internet and the weakening of traditional media to the proliferation of urgent and complex problems that cannot be put off without courting disaster.In his lead chapter, Dan Yankelovich urges us to move away from a "misleading model of public opinion" that "dominates the expert culture of our society, including journalists, scientists, business leaders, scholars, professional experts, and political leaders." He and the other contributors (Will Friedman, Keith Melville, Robert Kingston, Alison Kadlec, Steven A. Rosell, and Heidi Gantwerk) describe methods used by organizations like Public Agenda, National Issues Forums, and Viewpoint Learning, Inc., to advance the public's learning curve through various forms of civic engagement, education, dialogue and deliberation.They provide case studies of education reform in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and math and science initiatives in the Kansas City area, and examples of programs that have focused on issues ranging from energy and health care to US-Muslim relations. One chapter is a dialogue between Yankelovich and Friedman.While our political culture resonates to the public's desire for a stronger voice, it fails to ensure that this voice reflects anything more than the spin, spectacle, and excessive partisanship that dominate today's public discourse. "Toward Wiser Public Judgment" offers insights and strategies to counteract these troubling trends."
Regular Issue, 2007
Among the most interesting contributions to contemporary deliberative democratic theory are a num... more Among the most interesting contributions to contemporary deliberative democratic theory are a number of arguments against deliberation leveled by radical democratic theorists such as Iris Marion Young and Lynn Sanders. These theorists question the meaning and efficacy of deliberation based on deep and vital insights about the impact of structural inequalities and entrenched relations of power. We consider these insights to be critical cautions that deliberative democrats must confront, and offer a response that draws on both theory and practical experience. In particular, we suggest that careful attention to three fundamental challenges of deliberative practice, those of control, design, and democratic change, can go a long way towards ensuring that meaningful and effective deliberation is possible in the face of deep structural inequalities and complex power relations.
Lumina Foundation For Education, 2009
Stakeholder engagement is critical to the success of Achieving the Dream. Broad-based support for... more Stakeholder engagement is critical to the success of Achieving the Dream. Broad-based support for the college's student success agenda and institutional change efforts requires engaging faculty, staff, students, community members, and others in the change process. These stakeholders can bring to light critical obstacles to student success and help generate solutions that close achievement gaps. When done skillfully, involving stakeholders in planning and implementing institutional change minimizes resistance and fosters a sense of shared responsibility. It can also create "distributed leadership" that complements leadership from the Achieving the Dream core and data teams and can help maintain momentum in the face of presidential transitions and other potential "derailers." The experiences of Achieving the Dream colleges show that it is especially important to involve faculty in efforts to improve student success. Faculty are well positioned to know what works and to design and implement innovations to better help students reach their goals. By "engagement" we mean more than simply communicating with faculty to keep them informed about the initiative and encourage their "buy-in." Rather, we mean involving faculty early, often, creatively, and authentically in the change process, because "institutional change means changing behavior of people across the institution, and their support will come most readily when they share responsibility for diagnosing the problems and crafting solutions." 1 This guide offers principles and strategies for engaging faculty in efforts to create a culture of evidence and student success, along with specific examples from Achieving the Dream colleges. Challenges to Faculty Engagement Evaluation research on Achieving the Dream indicates that colleges that are more successful in engaging faculty are able to make much faster progress on their success agenda than are those where faculty engagement is limited. 2 At the same time, research and the experiences of Achieving the Dream colleges indicate that there are a number of challenges to engaging faculty. A few of the most common ones are: Reaching beyond early enthusiasts Expanding beyond a select group of faculty "early adopters" (such as those who are participating on core and data teams or whose work is directly connected to the college's Achieving the Dream intervention strategies) can be challenging. In addition, bringing part-time or adjunct faculty on board always poses special challenges.
Public Agenda, 2005
the social scientist and author, Public Agenda is well respected for its influential public opini... more the social scientist and author, Public Agenda is well respected for its influential public opinion polls and balanced citizen education materials. Its mission is to inform leaders about the public's views and to educate citizens about government policy.
Public Agenda, 2005
ow w F Fa ac cu ul lt ty y, , F Fa am mi il li ie es s a an nd d C Co om mm mu un ni it ty y L Le... more ow w F Fa ac cu ul lt ty y, , F Fa am mi il li ie es s a an nd d C Co om mm mu un ni it ty y L Le ea ad de er rs s R Re es sp po on nd d t to o C Co om mm mu un ni it ty y C Co ol ll le eg ge e R Re ef fo or rm m
Public Agenda, Dec 9, 2004
Introduction……………………………………………………………………………..3 III. Findings 1. Nebraskans have an expansive vision... more Introduction……………………………………………………………………………..3 III. Findings 1. Nebraskans have an expansive vision of the educational opportunities that should be available to all students. The views of regular citizens are generally consistent with the State Board's thinking ..
SSRN Electronic Journal, 2007
School Administrator, 2006
... More Info: Help Peer-Reviewed: No. Publisher: American Association of School Administrators. ... more ... More Info: Help Peer-Reviewed: No. Publisher: American Association of School Administrators. 801 North Quincy Street Suite 700, Arlington, VA 22203-1730. Tel: 703-528-0700; Fax: 703-841-1543; e-mail: info@aasa.org; Web site: http://www.aasa.org. ...
The Hastings Center report
This Public Agenda/USA TODAY Hidden Common Ground survey, which is also part of Public Agenda'... more This Public Agenda/USA TODAY Hidden Common Ground survey, which is also part of Public Agenda's ongoing series of Yankelovich Democracy Monitor surveys, was fielded in May 2021. The research updates and expands on findings from Public Agenda's two previous Yankelovich Democracy Monitor surveys, published in 2019 and 2020. The report concludes with reflections on the findings and implications for moving towards a less divisive, more collaborative, and healthier democracy
The stark dangers of the Cold War have been replaced by an unpredictable mix of foreign policy cr... more The stark dangers of the Cold War have been replaced by an unpredictable mix of foreign policy crises and surprising breakthroughs, festering problems and untested solutions. How is the American public reacting to these new dynamics? In this essay we examine three ...
This article addresses the challenges of scaling up deliberative democracy beyond the level of in... more This article addresses the challenges of scaling up deliberative democracy beyond the level of individual communities. It begins with a general discussion of the problems that scope poses for deliberative democratic practice. It then proceeds to look critically at a range of initiatives that have, in recent years, attempted to overcome these problems in the American context. The concluding sections suggest guidelines and concepts aimed at helping practitioners approach large-scale public engagement more strategically, as well as areas that research and theory should explore. Acknowledgements I wish to acknowledge the many contributions my colleagues at Public Agenda have made to my thinking about the topics discussed in this paper, with special thanks to Public Agenda's cofounder, Dan Yankelovich, for his seminal work in this field. This essay is available in Journal of Public Deliberation:
Toward Wiser Public Judgment, 2011
Toward Wiser Public Judgment, 2011
Toward Wiser Public Judgment, 2011
This work revisits and expands upon Yankelovich s seminal 1991 book, "Coming to Public Judgm... more This work revisits and expands upon Yankelovich s seminal 1991 book, "Coming to Public Judgment," which argued that people advance through several distinct stages to form politically meaningful judgments about public issues. In particular, citizens must "work through" the temptation to opt for easy answers or engage in wishful thinking, reconcile conflicting values, and come to terms with tough tradeoffs, before they can truly support a new course of action. The present work examines these themes in light of changing societal conditions, from the advent of the Internet and the weakening of traditional media to the proliferation of urgent and complex problems that cannot be put off without courting disaster.In his lead chapter, Dan Yankelovich urges us to move away from a "misleading model of public opinion" that "dominates the expert culture of our society, including journalists, scientists, business leaders, scholars, professional experts, and political leaders." He and the other contributors (Will Friedman, Keith Melville, Robert Kingston, Alison Kadlec, Steven A. Rosell, and Heidi Gantwerk) describe methods used by organizations like Public Agenda, National Issues Forums, and Viewpoint Learning, Inc., to advance the public's learning curve through various forms of civic engagement, education, dialogue and deliberation.They provide case studies of education reform in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and math and science initiatives in the Kansas City area, and examples of programs that have focused on issues ranging from energy and health care to US-Muslim relations. One chapter is a dialogue between Yankelovich and Friedman.While our political culture resonates to the public's desire for a stronger voice, it fails to ensure that this voice reflects anything more than the spin, spectacle, and excessive partisanship that dominate today's public discourse. "Toward Wiser Public Judgment" offers insights and strategies to counteract these troubling trends."
Regular Issue, 2007
Among the most interesting contributions to contemporary deliberative democratic theory are a num... more Among the most interesting contributions to contemporary deliberative democratic theory are a number of arguments against deliberation leveled by radical democratic theorists such as Iris Marion Young and Lynn Sanders. These theorists question the meaning and efficacy of deliberation based on deep and vital insights about the impact of structural inequalities and entrenched relations of power. We consider these insights to be critical cautions that deliberative democrats must confront, and offer a response that draws on both theory and practical experience. In particular, we suggest that careful attention to three fundamental challenges of deliberative practice, those of control, design, and democratic change, can go a long way towards ensuring that meaningful and effective deliberation is possible in the face of deep structural inequalities and complex power relations.
Lumina Foundation For Education, 2009
Stakeholder engagement is critical to the success of Achieving the Dream. Broad-based support for... more Stakeholder engagement is critical to the success of Achieving the Dream. Broad-based support for the college's student success agenda and institutional change efforts requires engaging faculty, staff, students, community members, and others in the change process. These stakeholders can bring to light critical obstacles to student success and help generate solutions that close achievement gaps. When done skillfully, involving stakeholders in planning and implementing institutional change minimizes resistance and fosters a sense of shared responsibility. It can also create "distributed leadership" that complements leadership from the Achieving the Dream core and data teams and can help maintain momentum in the face of presidential transitions and other potential "derailers." The experiences of Achieving the Dream colleges show that it is especially important to involve faculty in efforts to improve student success. Faculty are well positioned to know what works and to design and implement innovations to better help students reach their goals. By "engagement" we mean more than simply communicating with faculty to keep them informed about the initiative and encourage their "buy-in." Rather, we mean involving faculty early, often, creatively, and authentically in the change process, because "institutional change means changing behavior of people across the institution, and their support will come most readily when they share responsibility for diagnosing the problems and crafting solutions." 1 This guide offers principles and strategies for engaging faculty in efforts to create a culture of evidence and student success, along with specific examples from Achieving the Dream colleges. Challenges to Faculty Engagement Evaluation research on Achieving the Dream indicates that colleges that are more successful in engaging faculty are able to make much faster progress on their success agenda than are those where faculty engagement is limited. 2 At the same time, research and the experiences of Achieving the Dream colleges indicate that there are a number of challenges to engaging faculty. A few of the most common ones are: Reaching beyond early enthusiasts Expanding beyond a select group of faculty "early adopters" (such as those who are participating on core and data teams or whose work is directly connected to the college's Achieving the Dream intervention strategies) can be challenging. In addition, bringing part-time or adjunct faculty on board always poses special challenges.
Public Agenda, 2005
the social scientist and author, Public Agenda is well respected for its influential public opini... more the social scientist and author, Public Agenda is well respected for its influential public opinion polls and balanced citizen education materials. Its mission is to inform leaders about the public's views and to educate citizens about government policy.
Public Agenda, 2005
ow w F Fa ac cu ul lt ty y, , F Fa am mi il li ie es s a an nd d C Co om mm mu un ni it ty y L Le... more ow w F Fa ac cu ul lt ty y, , F Fa am mi il li ie es s a an nd d C Co om mm mu un ni it ty y L Le ea ad de er rs s R Re es sp po on nd d t to o C Co om mm mu un ni it ty y C Co ol ll le eg ge e R Re ef fo or rm m
Public Agenda, Dec 9, 2004
Introduction……………………………………………………………………………..3 III. Findings 1. Nebraskans have an expansive vision... more Introduction……………………………………………………………………………..3 III. Findings 1. Nebraskans have an expansive vision of the educational opportunities that should be available to all students. The views of regular citizens are generally consistent with the State Board's thinking ..
SSRN Electronic Journal, 2007
School Administrator, 2006
... More Info: Help Peer-Reviewed: No. Publisher: American Association of School Administrators. ... more ... More Info: Help Peer-Reviewed: No. Publisher: American Association of School Administrators. 801 North Quincy Street Suite 700, Arlington, VA 22203-1730. Tel: 703-528-0700; Fax: 703-841-1543; e-mail: info@aasa.org; Web site: http://www.aasa.org. ...
The Hastings Center report