Kettering Foundation

Media Center

Videos

  • "The process of involving people, even if they have different points of view, maybe conflicting points of view, is very important."

    Svetlana Chernikova

  • Coping With the Cost of Health Care:

    What Is The Public Voice?

    Video Podcast

  • "We can improve the conversation and that directly impacts people's lives."

    Martin Carcasson

  • DDEX

  • Ibtesam, Rhanda Slim

    Mideast Network

  • "In our research, we look at what ideas community leaders have about the role of the public in deliberating issues and forming policy."

    Alberto Olivas

  • "When I'm working with the different Pacific Island communities, I must make sure that their way of being is always respected and regarded."

    Moerangi Falaoa

  • "You can't sustain an urban community without the voice of its citizens."

    Louise Spiegel

  • "Students have more of a sense that 'maybe we can do that, too.'"

    Katy Harriger

Podcasts

  • David Mathews discusses Education Research
  • Speaking of Politics Interview

Kettering's Research


What does it take for democracy to work as it should?


“Democracy” translated is “self-rule.” According to the text of the United States Constitution, we, as a people, as a collective citizenry or public body, are the sovereign power. For sovereigns to rule, they must act. And good sovereigns must make sound decisions that will result in doing the things that serve the best interests of the public.

But democracies face perennial challenges to working as they should. As an operating research foundation, the Kettering Foundation asks its partners how citizens can address these challenges.

Three Core Hypotheses

Through our research, Kettering has developed three hypotheses that guide the questions we are asking. Our workshops and experiments test the propositions that democracy requires:

If our hypotheses are correct, no one of these requirements is sufficient without the other two. All three fit together in a way that allows our democracy to work as it should.





Publications

READ MORE PUBLICATIONS
© 2010 Kettering Foundation | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Site Map | Contact Us | Dayton , 200 Commons Road, Dayton, OH 45459 ,800.221.3657