Most often, the issues at the
center ofpublic
policy debates arise from complex interrelations among a number of different
forces, some of which may not be
readily apparent. Thus many public policy issues have no simple solutions.
One could even argue that the problems our country faces now are more complex
than in the past. The information revolution has
hastened the pace of life; globalization has meantthat problems increasingly
cross national boundaries. These trends pose challenges, but they
also offer opportunities. In this era of considerable
affluence, and our knowledge and wealth can be used not just to add to
the number of gizmos we possess but to actually improve the quality of
life. Finally, keep in mind that for any public policy debate how
an issue is framed significantly affects how it will be addressed.
Seek out and listen to, not just both sides of a debate, but to the full
range of viewpoints.
ABORTION
American Life League
National Right to Life Committee
National Abortion and Reproductive Rights
Action League
Planned Parenthood Federation
of America
BUDGET/SPENDING
Congressional Budget Office
Concord Coalition
Citizens Against Government Waste
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
CAMPAIGN/POLITICAL REFORM
Alliance for Better Campaigns
Ballot Access News
Center for Voting and Democracy
Common Cause
Destination
Democracy (A Project of the Benton Foundation)
Essential Information (Ralph Nader)
Public Campaign
U.S. Term Limits
CRIME
Federal Bureau of Investigation
National Crime Prevention Council
DEFENSE
DefenseLINK
Center for Defense Information
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
ECONOMY
AFL-CIO
Bureau of Labor Statistics
Federal Reserve Board
National Association of Manufacturers
National Federation of Independent Business
EDUCATION
Center for Education Reform
National Education Association
U.S. Department of Education
ERIC, the world's largest database
on education
ENVIRONMENT
National Resources Defense Council
Sierra Club
League of Conservation Voters
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Competitive Enterprise Institute
FAMILY VALUES
Christian Coalition
Eagle Forum
Family Research Council
Focus on the Family
National Fatherhood Initiative
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Amnesty International
Council on Foreign Relations
Human Rights Watch
PeaceNet
U.S. Department of State
U.S. Agency for International Development
International Monetary Fund
World Bank
United Nations
HEALTH CARE
Healthfinder (fed. gov't gateway
site)
Health Care Financing Administration
(Medicare and Medicaid)
National Institutes of Health
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Families USA Foundation
IMMIGRATION
Federation for American Immigration Reform
Immigration and Naturalization Service
RETIREMENT SECURITY
American Savings Education Council--tools
Employee Benefit Research Institute
Americans Discuss Social
Security
Social Security Administration
TAXES
Americans for Fair Taxation
Citizens for a Sound Economy
Citizens for an Alternative Tax System
Citizens for Tax Justice
Internal Revenue
Service
Tax Foundation
TRADE
U.S. International
Trade--Current and Historical (U.S. Census Bureau)
NAFTA Net
World Trade Organization
U.S. Trade Representative
International Trade Administration
(U.S. Department of Commerce)
U.S. International Trade Commission