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Seminar receives one of nine grants aimed at strengthening American democracy
Salzburg Global has received funding to help support research on the role of money in politics and efforts to improve election administration.
The MacArthur Foundation has awarded financial support for the seminar, ‘Restoring the Public’s Trust: Delivering on Public Policy Goals’.
This session took place in September with Salzburg Global and The Volcker Alliance co-organizing the program.
The Volcker Alliance was launched in 2013 to address the challenges of effective execution of public policies and to rebuild public trust in government.
Headed by Paul Volcker, former Chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve, the nonpartisan organization aims to catalyze new thinking and action with respect to all forms of government in the U.S. and abroad.
A number of talking points were examined during the three-day workshop, including the most significant barriers to effective policy implementation.
The program featured in-depth presentations from experienced leaders, case studies, and knowledge exchange between regions.
The session concluded with discussions over what role the newly-established Volcker Alliance could play, in partnership with bodies around the world, to strengthen policymaking and implementation to revitalize public trust in government.
In a press release, Robert Gallucci, MacArthur President, said: “The recent government shutdown demonstrated once again that our public debate is too partisan, too shrill, too heavily influenced by campaign fundraising, and too often grounded in ideology rather than evidence.
“Yet virtually all of the work that we do as a foundation requires thoughtful and responsive public policy and an effective government.”
The foundation has been exploring ways in which to strengthen democracy in the U.S., citing the widespread view that the political system has failed to adequately address major issues confronting the nation.
Mr Gallucci believes there is a need for philanthropy to do more to help address the challenges facing American democracy.
He added: “MacArthur is proud to make these additional investments in strengthening our democracy.”
Other organizations to receive grants included: the National Conference of State Legislatures, MapLight, the Pew Research Center, Demos, Public Campaign, the Brennan Center’s Democracy Program, the Sunlight Foundation, and the Foundation Center.