Public Works: mos Center for the Public Sector Talking...

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Dēmos: A Network for Ideas & Action220 Fifth Avenue, 5th FloorNew York, NY 10027phone: 212.633.1405www.demos‐usa.org

Public Works: The Dēmos Center for the Public Sector

Houston, Texas April 25, 2007

Patrick Bresette – [email protected] Kinsey – [email protected]

Talking about Government

4/23/2007 2Public Works

That government is the strongest of which every man feels himself a part.

Thomas Jefferson


Why Does Government Exist?What Distinguishes It

What Does Government Do?

Back to the Foundation


But what first comes to mind when you think of Government?

Big……………………..Inefficient…………….Bureaucracy………..

…………..Too controlled…………….…..Corrupt……………………

…………..Controlling……High Taxes……………Red Tape……..

Confusing…….. Crooked………Wasteful……..Cronies…..……

……Big and powerful……Out of Touch…….Talking Heads....

………………Invasive………….Nanny……….…Big Brother…….…

…..Partisan bickering…………………………………….Polarized….

……………………….……Grid-locked…………………………………...

For most Americans, top of the mind associations are negative

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What do you think of the Government? Video, part 1


Problematic Perceptions• 67% feel government generally pursues its own agenda.

• 64% feel distant and disconnected from government.

• 64% believe the federal government creates more problems than it solves

• 63% think government serves only special interests.

• 57% believe that when something is run by the government it is usually inefficient and wasteful

• 71% think poor people have become too dependent on government assistance program

Source: Hart-Teeter, CBS News, Pew Research Center, as analyzed in “By, or for the People?” a Meta-analysis of Public Opinion of Government, by Meg Bostrom, Public Knowledge.


Competing Views of Government“I’ve always felt the nine most terrifying words in the English language are, ‘I’m from the government and I’m here to help.’”

-- Ronald Reagan, 1986 (repeating a well-worn one-liner)

Let us never forget that government is ourselves and not an alien power over us. The ultimate rulers of our democracy are not a President and senators and congressmen and government officials, but the voters of this country.

-- Franklin D. Roosevelt

Sometimes it . . . feels as if it has been 65 years since anyone talked about “the government” in the approving tone that John Steinbeck’s characters do . . . To judge from the ambient chatter -- the cable talk shows . . . the jokes about how many bureaucrats it takes to change a light bulb (1000-plus hits on Google) -- it seems to be a truth universally acknowledged that government is a really terrible idea. People may be willing to defend particular government programs, but it’s hard to find anyone with a good word for the institution of government itself.

-- Geoffrey Nunberg, “Thinking about the Government”The American Prospect 5/6/05


The Dangerous Demise• We have witnessed 30 years of decline in faith and trust

in government.• This has paralleled other cultural changes and “civic

disconnections.”• Government’s own stumbles have exacerbated the trends.• It has both fueled and been fueled by a “small

government, low tax, free-market primacy” that has dominated for two decades.

• Inadequate defense by those who care about a public sector role.

This has resulted in:• a downward spiral in the capacity of and support for the

public sector• a government hobbled and suspect, and all policy

agendas with it.

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Both direct and indirect consequences

• A lost understanding that certain challenges can only be addressed at scale and effectively by our collective “ability” through the public sector.

• A disconnect between taxes and what their purpose is.

• Any notions of the “public purposes” of government have been displaced by “government as political theater”.

• Cynicism and disconnection.

The Dangerous Demise


Getting back to the Foundation• There may be new openings in the public mind for

reconsiderations of the dominant “anti-government” stance

• But, renewing an aspirational vision of what government could and should be about will require all of us to play a role:

• Business and Community Leaders• Non-profits• Public Officials and the Public Sector itself• Policy and Program Advocates

• Can we balance our own frustrations and critiques with an articulated notion of what we, as a society, need from our government and engage the public in that goal?


Talking About GovernmentA year and a half of multi-method, multi-disciplinary research

conducted by the FrameWorks Institute:

• How people perceive and think about government

• What “frames” dominate their perceptions

• What alternative—and more constructive—frames are available to them

With the goals of:

• Identifying ways to shift (reframe) public perception

• Rebuilding awareness of and support for government’s role in society

• Creating tools for social policy advocates, community leaders, policymakers and all who seek broader support for government capacity to address and solve social challenges.


This is about:

• Valuing a proactive role for competent government

• Encouraging the public to aspire to a government it can believe in

• Promoting a non-partisan, reasonable, problem-solving perspective

• Making people smarter about government’s role

This is not about:

• “Liking” government as it currently exists

• Promoting satisfaction with government

• Being partisan or even bi-partisan

• “Spinning” government’s role

Copyright © 2006The Frameworks Institute

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A Multi-Discipline Approach to Communicating and “Framing”

Our work is informed by the “framing” perspectives of multiple disciplines and fields:

• Cognitive Science

• Linguistics

• Public Opinion Research

• Cultural Anthropology

• Behavioral and social sciences

• Communications, journalism and media studies

• Social Movement Studies


What Research Suggests About How People Process Information

• People are not blank slates

• People use mental shortcuts to make sense of the world

• Understanding is frame-based, not fact-based

• Incoming information provides cues that connect to the existing pictures in our heads

• People get most information about public affairs from the news media, which creates a framework of expectation, or dominant frame

• Over time, we develop habits of thought and expectation that configure incoming information to conform to this frame

• To change opinion, you must shift the frame Copyright © 2006The Frameworks Institute





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What we are seeking to understand

Issue Visible Attitude

Hidden Reasoning




So, what does the “swamp” of public perception about government look like?


Good News:It may not be as bad as we think it is.• Americans can respond positively to the

idea, mission and role of government.

• People want to exercise their role as responsible citizens.

• If you can get people out of the context of daily affairs, they are interested in collective action, respecting consensus, and safeguarding the public good.

• People can see a unique role for government as a long-term planner.


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The Bad News

• The word “government” is loaded with negative baggage.

• Strong, entrenched frames consistently misdirect public thinking.

• Distinctions between public and private hold little meaning for the average American.

• People expect business and government to be at odds.

• Consumerist thinking does not help.


Government as Mind:The Tip of the Iceberg

• Mind of the country: leadership and decision-making

• Government necessary but . . .

• Spectator stance

• Politics exaggerated

• Government = current administration



Elect

LEADERS

PUBLIC

Govern

The “Interpersonal” Model of Government

Most of the time Americans default to a collapsed model of Government –one that includes two terms: Government and People. This simple picture is rooted in the social metaphor of an interpersonal connection to the exclusion of other aspects of Government.

Government acts on People, and is acted on by the People (voting).

Missing are any images of the breadth of government's active role in all aspects of society its management and operational duties.


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Government as MonolithEverything below the surface

• Everything except elected leadership

• Huge, undifferentiated, bureaucratic

• Less visible

• Obscures public/private sector distinctions

• Exaggerates waste, bloat and inefficiency

• Confused about where tax money goes



The Bureaucratic Blob


Another Overarching Challenge

The dominance of:• Consumerism• Government as

"them"

Is overtaking:• Citizenship• Government as

“us”



Consumer Stance:Governmentas Vending Machine

Not a productive image to reinforce

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Consider the Contrasts:

The Consumer Perspective

• Government takes money that people could use.

• Government redistributes income – think taxes

• Government is a drag on the economy and a barrier to business.

• Government services are for the lazy; those who work hard will succeed.

• Government is the problem.


The Citizen Perspective

• Government is a necessary agent in maximizing quality of life.

• Government redistributes risk –think Social Security.

• Government works with citizens and business to create economic opportunity.

• Government services offer protection and empowerment when needed.

• Government is our tool for solutions.


Reframing “Responsibility”

• Consumer Stance – Responsibility for Me

• Altruistic Stance – Responsibility for Them

• Manager Stance – Responsibility for It/Us



What Story Is Being ToldRep. Mike Pence speaking on The Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for FY 2006:

"Mr. Speaker, President Bush sent to Capitol Hill . . . a strongconservative budget that represented a good start down the road to fiscal discipline. . . under the skilled guidance of Chairman Jim Nussle . . . many conservatives insisted we change the way Washington spends the people's money . . . Simply put, Mr. Speaker, this process adds accountability to the process of spending the people's money . . . thanks to the leadership of Chairman Nussle and the conservative shepherds in the House, this budget changes the way that Washington spends the people's money.And while we are heartened by the creation of this check on rampant spending, we know that it is only the first step. The culture of big spending in Washington has grown over many years, and it won't be reversed overnight."


Consumer vs. Citizen - Frame Clash

Massachusetts Gubernatorial Debate

Healey: The way you grow a stronger economy is to allow people to keep their own money and to allow businesses to have more money so that they can add jobs. That's how you grow the economy, Deval.

Patrick: It is their money, but it's also their broken road. And it's their over-crowded school. It's their broken neighborhood and broken neighbor. . . it's not this idea that people earn what they earn and have no responsibility for the Commonwealth. We have a responsibility, in addition to personal responsibility, to take charge of shared responsibility.

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Why Government Exists; What

Distinguishes It

What Government Is and Does

Missing frame ingredients in the discussion about government

mission, protector, responsible manager, watchdog, long-term

planner, the people’s voice, shared opportunity,

stewardship, common good, public purpose

clarity: what govt is and does; concrete and vivid images of the enduring

systems and structures we have created, that we rely

on, and which must be maintained


Why Government Exists; What

Distinguishes It

CommonGood Protection

What Government Is and Does

PublicStructures

Missing frame ingredients in the discussion about government


Government as Protector. . . we rely on our public institutions to set and enforce the regulations that will protect us from physical and financial harm . . .

. . . food quality standards, environmental controls, financial securities regulations, consumer fraud protections, workplace and product safety standards . . .

. . . with the support of citizens and business, public sector institutions can set and enforce these protections on behalf of the public good . . .



Invoking Government’s Mission: Common Good

. . . our nation’s success is based upon the power of people working together and each in his own way. . .

. . . we all benefit when citizens work with the public sector to identify problems and come to consensus on a vision to address those problems . . .

. . . our nation’s quality of life now and into the future depends upon citizens and public agencies working for the common good . . .


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Government as our Public Structures

. . . the main advantages that make America so successful come from the Public Structures it has created

. . . these Public Structures include the physical structures (highways, airports, and communications grids) and the organizational structures (the postal system, courts) we need to get things done, and the social support systems that help to ensure the health and well-being of our communities

. . . it is our well-functioning and supported Public Structures that are essential for overall success . . .



Public Structures Video: part 2


What were they saying in this video?


Elect

Build, maintain

Yield

LEADERS

PUBLIC BENEFITS

PUBLIC STRUCTURES

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Public Structures Model• Overcomes the dominant relationship models between

government and citizens

• Provides a more complete and vivid picture of what government is and does

• Avoids relying on individuals (civil servants, elected officials) to be the face of government

• Elevates an appreciation for collective responsibility and mutuality as a force in society

• Reduces rhetorical nature of the public conversation

• Promotes a practical, intelligent orientation to collective problem-solving

• Based on language that can slip into common useCopyright © 2006

The Frameworks Institute


Survey ResultsMoving in a Good Direction

When people are primed with values (common good, protection) and a more concrete and vivid description of what government is and does (public structures) they answer attitude and policy questions about government in more positive ways. Compared to the control group “primed” respondents were more likely to suggest that:

• government had a positive role in people’s lives, • regulation of business is necessary to protect the public interest • government should do more to solve problems

There were also a decreases in the numbers of respondents who believed:• The role of the public sector should be to promote the principle of self-

reliance • government is doing too many things that should be left to individuals

and businessThere were also positive improvements in policy questions that supported a more active role for government and a more balanced approach to budget and tax decisions.



The Government We Need and DeservePlanting the Seeds of Aspiration

• Fighting cynicism, raising awareness and creating a constituency “for” the public sector

• Helping to create public imagination and aspiration for a government: • that works for everybody• that embodies Americans’ values• with the capacity to meet the challenges ahead• that can engage the public and be accountable

• Working with people like you on the slow, steady tasks necessary to address this challenge


We’ve believe this Works

• Quantifiable results from research project

• Anecdotal evidence from community leaders, advocates and government officials

• Examples of creating a new conversation about the public sector role in a number of issues

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What Can YOU Do with this Knowledge?Business and Community Leaders

• Look for and elevate successful partnerships with the public sector, recognize different but equally valuable roles in creating quality of life

Non-profits• Help connect the dots between public structures, public funding and

the network of services and supports provided by NGOs and CBOsPublic Officials and the Public Sector itself

• More transparency and opportunities for citizen participation, excellence in service and public interaction, no “running against government”

Policy and Program Advocates• Place budget and policy decisions in the context of the values we all

share and the future we want, balance criticism with support forpublic solutions to shared problems

We must all elevate notions of shared fate and collective solutions – the impetus for government in the first place


Discussion Questions• Do these findings and recommendations resonate with

your own experiences?

• Do you recognize the negative frames about government at play in Houston? Can you see possibilities for a more positive discourse?

• Are there unique challenges in translating the implications of what is debated and decided at the state Capitol to the people of Houston?

• How could we deliberately change the conversations in Houston about the role of both local and state government in creating the kind of Texas we all want?


Links to Our Project Team

Public Workswww.demos-usa.org/page283.cfm

The Council for Excellence in Governmentwww.excelgov.org

The FrameWorks Institutewww.frameworksinstitute.org


Use of this PresentationThis presentation was developed by Public Works: the Dēmos Center for the Public Sector and the FrameWorks Instituteand may contain visual elements with time-restricted usage. It is intended for limited use solely by individual participants in educational trainings conducted by Public Works, the FrameWorks Institute and their research partners. This presentation and the research findings contained herein may not be reproduced withoutthe express permission of Public Works and the FrameWorks Institute, and may not be altered in any way.

© FrameWorks Institute, 2006

© Public Works: the Dēmos Center for the Public Sector, 2006

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