INFORMING SOCIETY IN THE 21st CENTURY

OECD World ForumMeasuring and Fostering the Progress of Societies

June 29, 2007Washington, DC

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“If we could first know where we are and whither we are tending, we could better judge what to do, and how to do it …”

-- Abraham Lincoln

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OVERVIEW

The Problem Americans have no single trusted source for quality

information on their country’s progress

The Solution The State of the USA – a public/private partnership to

educate and inform the American people

The Results Enhance the policy process with a new level of shared

understanding and civic dialogue

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What We Know About The USA: Rich in data and opinion, poor in information and insight

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Americans Want Answers and Can’t Get Them

- What key facts measure national progress?

- What is the difference between quality facts and spin?

- What’s going well and what isn’t?

- Who is being affected and how?

- Compared to what?

- How can government be held accountable?

- How could independent quality information be used?

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The Need and the Opportunity

Available factual information on the USA is either encyclopedic, vague, fractured, or biased. This makes it very hard to know where we are, how we are doing and where we might be going.

Large investments (over $4B annually for the Federal Government) have produced much valuable data on the US, but they are not easy for most people to find and use.

There is a pressing need for independent, reliable, transparent and high-quality information sources on the state of the nation.

Existing information technologies offer a historic and economical opportunity to make key indicators of US position and progress available to tens of millions of Americans in an engaging and useful form.

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Audiences For More Insight and Understanding

Government policy makers at all levels of society

Non-governmental organizations and interest groups

Editors, journalists and media organizations

Business leaders and wholesale information providers

Students and educators

Interested and engaged civic leaders and citizens

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Now is the Time for a U.S. Key Indicator System

Demand for new sources of information continues to grow.

Major new technical innovations have occurred.

The practice of key indicator systems is developing quickly.

Massive economies of scale exist for a national system.

Marginal investments in dissemination have high payoffs.

A substantial opportunity and obligation exists for civic leadership.

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“ Knowledge is in every country the surest basis of public happiness. In one in which the measure of government receive their impressions so immediately from the sense of the community as in ours it is proportionally essential.”

-- George Washington

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OVERVIEW

The Problem Americans have no single trusted source for quality

information on their country’s progress

The Solution The State of the USA–a public/private partnership to

educate and inform the American people

The Results Enhance the policy process with a new level of shared

understanding and civic dialogue

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The State of the USA: A Premier Source

Compelling Content: Selected key indicators on a

comprehensive range of topics that is created and continually improved through an extensive process of civic engagement.

A Valuable Product: A free internet-based portal for use by policymakers and the public that allows search and research capabilities on major issues (e.g. crime, health, education, jobs, environment).

A Trusted Institution: Make a lasting contribution to American democracy through an independent, enduring public/private partnership.

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The State of the USA’s Mission

To provide information, including quantitative indicators, to the American public on key changing societal, economic, and environmental conditions that:

a) educates the public about the state of the United States of America,b) increases the public’s awareness of what we know, how we know it, and what we don’t know,c) encourages an enriched civic dialogue about the progress of the nation, andd) supports more informed decision-making on issues affecting our collective future

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Our Guiding Principles

Open, inclusive and transparent process

Content shaped by extensive dialogue and diverse perspectives

Combine audience value, political legitimacy, and scientific credibility

Independent reporting of quality, reliable data

Non-partisan, non-ideological, fair and balanced

Assembly not collection; dissemination not interpretation

Grounded in a broad-based public/private partnership

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Issue Areas – Version 1.0

- Animals, Plants & Ecosystems- Business- Children & Families- Civic Involvement- Crime & Safety- Ecosystem Goods & Services- Education- Employment & Labor Markets- Financial Markets- Government Finance- Health- Housing

- Income & Poverty- Landscape- National Security- Population- Prices & Inflation- Production and Output- Research and Development- Soil, Water & Air- Values & Culture- The World Economy

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Candidate Key Indicators – Version 1.0

• Biological community condition• At-risk native species• Corporate profits• Leisure time use• Perception of neighborhood safety• Elementary math/reading proficiency• High school completion rate• Unemployment rate• Living arrangements of children• Federal funds (interest) rate• Food, Fiber, Water withdrawals• Fuel production/Fuel consumption• Federal budget deficit/surplus• Self-reported health status• Life expectancy at birth• Real disposable household income• Poverty rate• Change in ecosystem area

• Proximity to hazardous facilities• Crime victimization• Population size and composition• Inflation• Real Gross Domestic Product (GDP)• Output per hour• Research and development• Chemical contamination of water/soil• Water quality (Nitrogen levels)• Air quality Index• Changing stream flow• Mean precipitation• Mean temperature• Population in religious groups• Tolerance• Trade deficit/surplus

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State of the USA – Web Site Features

Covers multiple levels of society Covers issues and society as a whole Always available, one-stop shop Interactive, engaging and educational Rigorous quality assurance Incorporates multimedia visualization Allows self-customization Responsive to feedback

Selective

Authoritative

Comparative

Versatile

Valuable

To View The Demonstration Web Site, Click Below:

http://dev.knii.n4m.net ; username: susa001; password: demosite

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Example – Unemployment by Country

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Example – U.S. Unemployment Over Time

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Example – Unemployment by State

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Example – Unemployment by Gender and Race

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Example – Unemployment and Education

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The State of the USA Organizational Structure

Board of Directors

President

Content Management

Product/Service Management

Institutional Management

Advisory Group

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The State of The USA - Advisory Group*

* Does not include Government Observers

Ron Blackwell, Chief Economist, AFL-CIO Donald Borut, Executive Director, National League of Cities William Clark, Harvey Brooks Professor of International Science, Public Policy

and Human Development, Environment and Natural Resources Program, Harvard University

Michael X. Delli Carpini, Dean, The Annenberg School, University of Pennsylvania William J. Dennis, Senior Research Fellow, National Federation of Independent

Business - Educational Foundation Harvey Fineberg, President, Institute of Medicine, The National Academies Robert Groves, Director, Survey Research Center, University of Michigan Joel Gurin, Senior Vice-President, Rodale Publishing Charlotte Kahn, Executive Director, The Boston Indicators Project Marvin Langston, Chief Technology Officer, SAIC Patricia McGinnis, President & CEO, The Council for Excellence in Government Sara Melendez, Professor, George Washington University Jane Ross, Director, Center for Economic, Governance, and International Studies,

The National Academies

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A Variety of Institutions Have Been Involved During Our Development*

The Conference Board National League of Cities, ICMA National Council of State Leg. Council of State Governments OMB, CEQ BLS, Census, BEA, HHS, BES GAO Senate and House Science Ctes The National Academies National Academy of Public Adm. CICS, ARS, NNIP, NICS AFL-CIO Leadership Council on Civil Rights The Heritage Foundation Harvard, MIT, CMU, USC, UMd.

OECD, UN NASACT National Science Foundation Brookings Institution Center for Public Integrity Committee of Concerned Journalists Nat’l Association of Counties National Consumer’s League Council for Excellence in Govt. NAAAP The Hewlett Foundation The Rockefeller Foundation The MacArthur Foundation The F.B. Heron Foundation The Russell Sage Foundation

*This list has been selected to give a sense of the diverse types ofinstitutions that have been represented. Inclusion in no way signalsa formal endorsement of The State of The USA.

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“ I know of no safe depository of the ultimate powers of the society but the people themselves; and if we think them not enlightened enough for control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them, but to inform their discretion.”

-- Thomas Jefferson

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OVERVIEW

The Problem Americans have no single trusted source for quality

information on their country’s progress

The Solution The State of the USA–a public/private partnership to educate

and inform the American people

The Results Enhance the policy process with a new level of shared

understanding and civic dialogue

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The State of The USA’s Aspirations

Transform the policy-making process by establishing The State of the USA as the definitive source for quality information and tools to help Americans assess how the country is doing.

Create a shared and ever-evolving factual frame of reference for the nation.

Foster increased understanding, enriched civic discourse, better public and private choices, and a greater sense of collective accountability.

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The Public Policy Implications Are Significant

The US lacks a generally accepted way to define and measure the progress of the country.

With a weak shared factual understanding to inform policy making, decision making leads to inefficient policy outcomes.

The stakes are high given complex issues that require massive constituencies for change (e.g., Medicare/Medicaid, Social Security, trade deficit, immigration, energy security, environment)

The State of the USA can help by providing a shared quantitative frame of reference for assessing progress through independent, reliable and relevant key indicators.

Once in place – no major policy, civil initiative, media or business report will be considered fully credible without reference to it.

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Impact and Value

Broader audience understanding of changing conditions

Improved base of shared factual knowledge

Enriched civic dialogue

More informed choices

Enhanced collaboration and problem solving

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Impact and Value – Illustrations by Audience

Non-Profits and Governments – Better strategies & resource

allocation choices on investments in complex issues

Media – New information and tools that improve productivity, depth of coverage and accuracy

Business – Better insight into broad societal patterns and trends for planning, investment and product/service creation

Education – Improved quality of curricula, increased statistical literacy, better understanding of public issues, and increased levels of meaningful civic engagement

Citizens and Interest Groups – Increased confidence and better understanding of issues and how they are affecting their interests

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Progress to Date (2003 – 2007)

Attracted an experienced, talented leadership team Assembled a diverse community of interest Engaged with all sectors and levels of society Gained over $5M in private financial support GAO recommendation to Congress for Key National Indicators Incubated and advised by The National Academies Established national and global partnerships Produced State of the USA indicator set (version 1.0) Established formal institutions and governance Operating prototype web site for design and user testing