Kettering / NIF
In the spring of 2008, the Wisconsin Institute for Public Policy and Service contracted with the Kettering Foundation, an independent, nonpartisan research organization rooted in the American tradition of cooperative research that has promoted democratic practices for many years. WIPPS is proud to work with the Foundation in training and promulgating the National Issues Forum dialogue model as a means to gather public input on issues of local and state-wide concern. (See www.nif.org for more information on the model.)The process, known as deliberative dialogue, is a hallmark of effective democratic participation.
The Kettering Foundation is an independent, nonpartisan research organization rooted in the American tradition of cooperative research. Everything Kettering researches relates to one central question: what does it take for democracy to work as it should? Or put another way: What does it take for citizens to shape their collective future?
The foundation explores ways that key political practices can be strengthened through innovations that emphasize active roles for citizens. Kettering’s research is distinctive because it is conducted from the perspective of citizens and focuses on what people collectively can do to address problems affecting their lives, their community, and their nation.
The foundation seeks to identify and address the challenges to making democracy work as it should through interrelated program areas that focus on citizens, communities, and institutions by studying how all of these relate to citizens trying to make a difference in shaping their common future.