- Opportunity for public to interact with experts and policy makers
"Overall, this method of encouraging public debate on policy issues offers
great promise for the future. For a relatively small investment of expert
time and effort, a large number of citizens can become a real part of the
policy debate. It is an educational experience for them and for the
experts who get a chance to see how the public is viewing problems and
interpreting facts and arguments."
--Robert Reischauer, Brookings Institute
"The National Dialogue offered the public a rare and unique opportunity to
interact directly with policy makers and nationally-recognized experts....
This kind of interaction is critical to enhancing knowledge (among both
expert and public participants) and to promoting more civilized discourse
on public policy."
--Carolyn Weaver, American Enterprise Institute
- Public policy issues getting needed attention
"I look forward to working with you in the future to bring similar forums
before the American people so that informed and constructive options on
important public policy issues can be given the attention they deserve."
--U. S. Senator Rick Santorum
- Link to legislative process
"It was very good to participate at the same time as the panel of
Congressperson. This gave us a chance to link well to the legislative
process."
--Anna Rappaport, Past President, Society of Actuaries
- Access to hard to obtain information
"The Info-Ren Internet-based dialogue gives people easy access to
information that would be difficult to obtain otherwise. It puts ordinary
people in touch with players in the political process they would otherwise
hear about only through newspapers and TV".
--Ron Gebhartsbauer, American
Academy of Actuaries
- Non-partisan
"Your non-partisan electronic discussion and debate on Social Security has
been instrumental in helping to educate the public and policy makers and to
engage them in an open, honest debate."
--U.S. Senator Rick Santorum
- Influence on elected officials
"When elected officials hear the same message from enough people across the
country they start listening and reacting. Web-based forums like those of
Information Renaissance will help us get something done."
--U.S. Representative Mark Sanford
- Improve relations with Hill staffers
"The Dialogue also helped us at the Academy improve relationships with
staffers on the hill our primary audience."
--Ron Gebhartsbauer, American Academy of Actuaries
- Quality of discussion
"The time and thought our congressional panelists gave during the two weeks
was remarkable!"
--Ron Gebhartsbauer, American Academy of Actuaries
- Organized
"The format was well organized, Information Renaissance staff did a fine
job of preparing panelists in advance, and the posting of questions from
the public and responses by the panel was timely."
--Kilolo Kijakazi, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
- Educational value
"I came to appreciate what a powerful educational tool we have with the
world-wide web and yet what a crucial role is played by those who manage
information so that it is useful and accessible to target audiences."
--Carolyn Weaver, American Enterprise Institute
"The number of public participants who wrote comments was much larger than
I had anticipated and they expressed a wide variety of views, views that
were reflective of the diversity in the general population."
--Robert Reischauer, Brookings Institute
"When [the Internet] is used wisely, it can inform the public on a host of
topics in which we should be engaged in order to produce policy that is
really reflective of the public's views."
--Kilolo Kijakazi, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
"This vehicle is an excellent way to help inform the public and to enable
productive exchanges between decision makers and the public."
--Ron Gebhartsbauer, American Academy of Actuaries
- Open to all
"This forum was open to all and we responded to all, experts and ordinary
citizens".
--Anna Rappaport, Past President, Society of Actuaries
- Useful archive
"The exchange of questions and answers was left online so that anyone going
to that website has a wealth of information available on Social Security."
--Kilolo Kijakazi, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
