Public Agenda

05/13/2026

NEW from Public Agenda: There is widespread agreement that young men in America are not thriving. While there has been a great deal of talk about young men, there has been far less listening to young men.

To that end, new Public Agenda research does precisely that: listens to what young men think and believe, providing a deep look at their values, experiences, aspirations, and attitudes in areas such as higher education, economic opportunity, social connection, and civic participation.

We found that there is much more than meets than eye to these individuals. Dig into the insights here: https://publicagenda.org/resource/young-men-26/

Thanks to The Kresge Foundation, Lumina Foundation, AFT, New Voters, and more for their support and assistance of this work.

“The biggest challenge men face today is identity. Historically men would have a tribe, have a local community, whether it’s church and you are kind of just part of the organization. Now we live in a globalized world, and so we fix our identity to whatever we are politically or a video game or i...

04/28/2026

New from Public Agenda: distrust toward Washington is high, but that's not the whole story.

Despite skepticism toward politicians and elite actors, Americans still see their place in a government by the people, especially at the ballot box and within their own local communities.

Unpack the nuances in the latest piece from Public Agenda: https://publicagenda.org/news/distrust-confidence/

02/12/2026

Public Agenda is launching new research on what makes higher education workforce partnerships actually deliver—for both learners and employers. The goal: identify the design principles behind pathways that lead to quality employment and stronger regional economies.

Supported by College Futures Foundation, this work joins Public Agenda's broader Pathways to Economic Mobility initiative. We're also collaborating with the Burning Glass Institute to provide labor market analysis and State Business Executives to identify partnerships to profile.

Full release here:

February 12, 2025 – Public Agenda, a non-profit research-to-action organization dedicated to building a democracy that works for everyone, announced today a new research initiative examining multi-sector workforce partnerships that connect low income Californians with jobs that provide financial s...

12/10/2025

Public Agenda is excited to announce a new quantitative analysis of U.S. higher education institutions, revealing key areas for interventions to drive positive economic outcomes for students from low-income households. This analysis expands a broad toolkit of resources for policymakers, higher education system leaders, and institutions seeking to improve outcomes and strengthen the economic vitality of their regions.

Full findings here:

Quantitative Research Explore the Findings Colleges and universities drive upward mobility for students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds by providing access to affordable, high-quality certificate and degree programs that lead to well-paying jobs. Recent work from the American Council on....

12/02/2025

For 50 years, Public Agenda has turned insight into impact, discerning the real priorities of the American people and driving change to address them. This Giving Tuesday, consider supporting Public Agenda with a gift to help us continue this important work.

Learn more here:

Make a donation to Public Agenda today to help strengthen our democracy.

11/20/2025

New research: Public Agenda, in partnership with the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University, finds that Americans are deeply concerned about U.S. democracy, with partisan divides sharpened by Republican disagreements over how the Constitution should guide presidential authority and the balance of powers.

The report identifies three distinct groups of Republicans with other key findings on democracy, media consumption habits, and more. Access the full report:

Public Agenda and the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University are working together to understand Americans’ beliefs about democratic practices and principles. Previous work led by the SNF Agora Institute identified a distinct group of Republicans whose attitudes diverged from their fellow ...

10/02/2025

New from Public Agenda and the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University: Amidst growing political divides, Americans continue to trust each other. However, this varies across generations, with younger Americans being more skeptical of others' intentions.

Nonetheless, younger Americans are also more likely to say they can learn something by talking to people whose political views are different than their own. Dive into the data here: https://publicagenda.org/news/pa-snf-trust/

09/30/2025

Public Agenda is excited to announce the release of new case studies examining how four Texas colleges and universities are driving economic mobility for students from low-income households through data-informed practices, holistic support, and deep community partnerships. Findings include insights from:

—Houston City College
—Lamar University
—Prairie View A&M University
—UTEP - The University of Texas at El Paso

These studies are the latest addition to Public Agenda’s growing library of resources for policymakers, higher education system leaders, and institutions seeking to improve outcomes for students of modest means and strengthen the economic vitality of their regions. Thanks to Greater Texas Foundation for supporting this work.

Full findings here:

During the spring semester of 2025, with support from Greater Texas Foundation, Public Agenda conducted case studies of four high-performing Texas institutions—public colleges and universities that are effectively serving as levers of economic mobility for students from low-income backgrounds. Fea...

09/04/2025

Apprenticeships and college degrees both open pathways to success—but is one "better" than the other?

Comparing earnings between apprenticeships and degrees isn't as straightforward as looking at topline numbers. Unravel the data in a new piece from Public Agenda: https://publicagenda.org/news/apprenticeships-and-college/

07/10/2025

New qualitative research from Public Agenda: how do colleges and universities serve as drivers of economic mobility? With support from College Futures Foundation, we visited four top-performing institutions to better understand.

These case studies are the newest addition to our broad set of resources for policymakers, higher education system leaders, and colleges & universities seeking to create pathways to economic prosperity for students of modest means and deliver on the American promise of economic opportunity.

See what we learned here:

During the spring semester of 2025, with support from College Futures Foundation, Public Agenda produced case studies of four high-performing California institutions—public colleges and universities that are effectively serving as levers of economic mobility for students from low-income background...

05/21/2025

A half-century ago, social scientist Dan Yankelovich and former Secretary of State Cyrus Vance came together and began to envision what is now Public Agenda. Today, we’re excited to announce the commencement of our 50th anniversary year.

From our earliest days to this milestone moment, we’ve been guided by one powerful commitment: A democracy for all. Join us as we look back on five decades of impact—and ahead to the future we’re building together.

Read the full release:

May 21, 2025 – This date marks the start of the 50th anniversary year of Public Agenda, a research-to-action organization dedicated to building a democracy that works for everyone. Founded in 1975 by social scientist Daniel Yankelovich and former secretary of state Cyrus Vance—and publicly launc...