Lessons We Share

Our field experience has revealed that organizations and individuals are hungry for a fresh perspective--a new way to approach the tough issues they face and to discuss the unique role of government in meeting our nation's challenges.

We begin our trainings, workshops and educational series by looking at the current landscape and discussing stereotypical patterns of thinking about government and how these prevent the public from having a broader conception of government's purposes.

Along with our audiences, we explore ways to overcome these stereotypes by communicating the ideals of a public sector. Specifically, we highlight roles of government as a long-term planner, responsible manager, and steward of the common good. We discuss how to evoke an understanding of citizens as managers of government-not simply consumers of services. We explore strategies for explaining the necessary systems and structures that make up government to help inoculate against common stereotypes of government as corrupt, bickering politicians. We discuss how to portray government as an entity that helps us accomplish together what we cannot accomplish alone and its unique roles in protecting and promoting security, safety, and opportunity for us all.

We also share techniques for effective communication. Our goal is not to help our partners discover "messages" that poll well at a point in time. We are not teaching three magic words-or even four or five. Instead, we are helping our partners explore what communications techniques can be used effectively to create a more productive conception of both their public issue and the role of government in addressing it. We discuss the use enduring values, memorable stories, social math, and explanations of how things work, and the root causes of major societal challenges. We discuss the stories that are told about public issues and ways to tell narratives that tap into stories that both bolster support for specific policies while simultaneously rebuilding public support for the role of government.

Demos
220 Fifth Ave., 5th Flr. New York, NY 10001 | 212.633.1405 | info@demos.org

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Lessons We Share