public allies
The late February Gallup poll had somewhat more negative results: 40 percent of the public thought “the surge of U.S. troops in Iraq” had made the situation better, compared to 58 percent who thought it had not made much difference (38 percent) or made things worse (20 percent).
Two cases of airport developments are compared: the EIA process for the planned extension of the airport in Orebro, Sweden and the public inquiry process for the planned extension of the airport in Manchester, UK.
There are many incentives to improve public participation involvement in Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and public inquiries not least because the conflicts arising from protests against new developments are practical problems that need to be solved. In doing this, it illustrates how legal or quasi-legal processes, such as EIA and public inquiries facilitate or restrain public involvement.
And, in the January NBC/Wall Street Journal poll, 39 percent of the public thought the surge was helping the situation in Iraq, compared to 57 percent who thought it was making no difference or hurting the situation.
A little over a third (36 percent) said the United States is more safe compared to 62 percent who said we were less safe (24 percent) or it has made no difference (38 percent). It therefore appears that reports of a tsunami of optimism on Iraq washing over the United States public are considerably exaggerated.
In an early March ABC/Washington Post poll, the public, by 63-to-34, said that, “considering the costs versus the benefits to the United States,” the war with Iraq was not worth fighting.
In the same CNN poll, the public, by a 62-36 margin, thought the situation in Iraq was not worth going to war over.
In February 2007, when the troop buildup began, 34 percent of the public thought the war with Iraq was worth fighting, compared to 64 percent who did not (ABC/Washington Post).
Last week was the fifth anniversary of the U.S. It’s a good time to ask: What does the public really want on Iraq? There is considerable confusion about the answer to this question, despite an abundance of public opinion data that suggest the public has a clear and consistent viewpoint on the Iraq situation.
Many polling organizations ask questions that tap the public’s basic judgment on the Iraq war. The wording of these questions varies, but the story they tell is consistent and clear: The Iraq war, in the public’s view, has been a mistake, with the costs of the war far exceeding its benefits.
The conclusion is inescapable: The surge has had very little effect on the American public’s support for troop withdrawal from Iraq.
What the Public Really Wants on Iraq
Public Allies is an American non-profit organization dedicated to youth leadership development.
Public Allies Eagle Rock is the only exception to this format. At Eagle Rock School & Professional Development Center, 12 Allies are recruited as Instructional Fellows, generally spend most of their time at the residential school where they also reside, have 2 hour Professional Development Trainings, and also work in 4-person teams to complete a TSP.
Public Allies advances new leadership to strengthen communities, nonprofits, and civic participation.
Public Allies is an AmeriCorps national youth leadership organization that places service-minded young people in apprenticeships in nonprofit organizations throughout the community. It identifies talented young adults from diverse backgrounds and advances their leadership through a 10-month program of full-time, paid apprenticeships in nonprofit organizations, leadership training and team service projects.
“Childhelp”s experience with the Public Allies program the past two years has been excellent,” says Mark Publow, Childhelp”s vice president of strategic initiatives.
