Communication and Action

We know a great deal about what doesn't work for the inner city and the truly disadvantaged. (See What Doesn't Work.) We know a great deal about what does work, and can find the funds, if we so choose, to replicate what works to scale. (See What Works.) And we have the knowledge for how to build the capacities of and replicate organizations that have been successful in implementing what works at the grassroots.(See Lessons for Capacity Building and Replication.)

Given that we know all of this, what is the problem in America? The problem is lack of political will and lack of action by our leaders. For example, at the federal level, too much legislation in recent years has sought to expand funding for what doesn't work (like tax breaks for the rich and prison building for the poor) and to reduce funding for what does work (like preschool and safe havens). Nor has any federallegislative strategy been proposed to replicate what works to a scale equal to the dimensions of the problem.

To create political will and get action, we need to:

  • Recognize that there already exists considerable public support for what works;
  • Pursue campaign finance reform as the reform that makes all other reforms possible;
  • Develop a communicating what works movement that better informs the public about what works. Pursue both conventional media strategies and alternative media strategies. Secure adequate funding fora communications strategy; and
  • Seek a new political alliance and voting majority.

See the Citations at the end of this section. For more information, visit the web sites of the Benton Foundation, the Center for Community Change, the Children's Partnership, Common Cause, the Development Training Institute,Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, the Ford Foundation, the National Center for Children in Poverty, Public Agenda, Public Campaign, and TomPaine.com.
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