National Deliberative Poll Reveals Citizens’ Informed Views on Healthcare, Education

Arlington, VA— In September and October 2005, more than 1,000 adult Americans engaged in a national scientific experiment to see what the public would think about education and health care--if people became more informed about the issues and talked about them together. For five weeks, participants engaged online in weekly small group dialogues with trained moderators, discussed balanced briefing materials and posed questions to experts from different points of view. Citizens also participated in 15 face-to-face deliberations, hosted by PBS stations and civic partners that mirrored the online process.