Case Studies

Case Studies

• Online Health IT and Privacy Discussion.  Citizens and stakeholders from around the nation were part of a unique online dialogue about how we can realize the benefits of Health IT while safeguarding privacy. AmericaSpeaks co-hosted a ten-day citizen-driven online conversation in which participants discussed challenges, generated ideas, and recommended principles.  Read more…

• Participants Join National Discussion at Virtual Tables. An innovative online component was integrated into AmericaSpeaks’ 2009 National Town Meeting on autism policy: dozens of participants joined in the discussion at virtual tables.  Families living with autism, adults with autism, advocates, elected officials, and service providers discussed and prioritized key policies around housing, employment, and community life.  Read more…

• Citizens Remember and Rebuild.  When AmericaSpeaks convened New Yorkers to help decision makers determine how to redevelop the World Trade Center site, 800 individuals joined in a two-week online dialogue about the rebuilding process. Diverse groups of New Yorkers deliberated in small groups and expressed their preferences by voting on polling questions about  for the rebuilding process.  Read more…

• Americans Discuss Social Security.  In the late 1990s, AmericaSpeaks engaged nearly 50,000 Americans in 50 states in a national dialogue about Social Security reform and urged Congress to support legislation that reflected citizen preferences. President Bill Clinton and 120 members of Congress actively participated in town meetings and teleconferences, giving them a unique opportunity to discuss the issue with a diverse group of constituents.  Read more…

• A Region Rebuilds Its Economic Future.  One of the largest public deliberations ever convened, Voices & Choices brought 21,000 people from across Northeast Ohio together to set an action agenda to revitalize the region’s ailing economy.  In tandem with significant face-to-face engagement efforts, online Choicebooks enabled thousands of residents to learn about the regional challenges, weigh the trade offs involved with various proposed solutions, and vote on how to deploy the region’s resources.  Read more…