In the last four decades, the US has weathered recessions and enjoyed periods of growth and improvements in living standards. In good times and bad, “jobs and the economy” typically ranks at or near the top of the country’s most important issues. There is little disagreement about the goals: growth and prosperity, good jobs, fair wages, and an equal shot for everyone. But there are sharp divisions on how to achieve these goals.

In an unpredictable, interconnected, and sometimes dangerous world, US military leaders and elected officials must make countless decisions that have the potential to impinge on the safety and freedom of US citizens. And everyday Americans must consider similar questions. What does national security mean? What role should the US play in the world’s affairs? What is the appropriate balance between freedom, safety, and protection of the world’s most vulnerable people?

THIS REPORT—PREPARED AT A TIME when the difficulty of achieving a broad consensus about what should be done about health- care reform is once again at center stage—is a summary of insights from hundreds of community forums convened over the course of almost four decades by the network of the National Issues Forums.

Published in 2020, this 4-page report describes what the Kettering Foundation and the National Issues Forums (NIF) network have learned about "what derails useful communication between leaders and the public and what promotes it."

Each year, it seems more difficult for our nation to face and resolve difficult issues. Leaders often avoid important questions altogether. Confidence in governing institutions has fallen. Many Americans see mainstream media as biased, while social media have become a sort of echo chamber where people reinforce their own fixed beliefs. And in many cases, people say they are reluctant even to speak to family members or neighbors about important issues on which they may disagree.