Initiatives
CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
Commentators, scholars, and people in public life have worried for many years about the fall off in civic engagement among adults, especially younger adults. Foundations from coast to coast have been created to fund research and community programs to counter (read more about civic engagements)
COUNTY GOVERNANCE
Questions on issues, budgets, and personnel to deal with them confronted Truman as a local and county leader and they confront us today. The Truman Center is addressing these same concerns of today’s (and tomorrow’s) leaders in its public issues forums, internships and research sources for counties and smaller cities. (read more about county governance)
CIVIC EDUCATION
Meaningful democratic governance requires aware, as well as, engaged citizens. Recent trends indicate declines in both, especially among younger adults. Research for more than fifty years has shown that young people who have accurate knowledge of government and politics are more likely to become involved in their communities and be informed voters. Current news stories tell of very low voting turnout in local elections, vacant seats on governing (read more about civic education)