The forums are designed to bring citizens together to find new ways of discussing issues in their communities. General readers will also find the guides, written by former New York Times correspondent Michael deCourcy Hinds , to be helpful introductions to policy debates on the country's most pressing concerns. Click here to order using our fax order form . The majority of Americans tell poll takers that money is corrupting politics, undermining elections, and shutting citizens out of our democratic system. As with other NIF issue books, this one provides an overview of the issue and, to promote public deliberation, outlines several perspectives, or choices.
Every day seems to bring news of a youth suicide or homicide.
This guide looks at possible origins of youth violence and outlines several choices on how to solve the problem. As Winston Churchill once said, we shape our buildings and then our buildings shape us. The same can be said about communities, and today's concern all across America is that we're misshaping communities and, in turn, they are misshaping us. Cities are struggling to survive with fewer middle-class residents, older suburbs suffer from traffic congestion and overdevelopment, and many rural communities are overwhelmed with the explosive growth of new homes and malls. Norman Rockwell would have trouble painting a pretty picture of the average American school today.