New York City – Public Agenda, the nonpartisan public opinion research and civic engagement organization, announced today that it has updated its Voter’s Survival Kit online issue guides on the economy and taxes, spending and debt to reflect the fast-changing situation on Wall Street, in Washington and on Main Street. The updated issue guides include new perspectives on the role of regulations and tax policy on the one hand and the actions of corporations and the larger financial system on the other.

“The economic crisis, the housing crisis that spurred it, and the political maneuvering in Washington have catapulted the country’s economic health into the stratosphere of public concerns, Yet many Americans are struggling to grasp what’s really going on as politicians hurl accusations at one another, skimming right over the fundamental economic decisions the country faces," said Jean Johnson, Public Agenda Executive Vice President and co-author of the Voter’s Survival Kit. “The Kit’s issue guides on the economy and federal debt are essential reading for citizens who want to think through the choices the country faces and the pros and cons of each. I expect a lot of voters will find it a welcome change from the political spin and daily hyperventilating from the pundits."

The Voter’s Survival Kit issue guides are designed to help typical voters sort through the campaign rhetoric and make up their own minds about which candidates have the best ideas. The issue guides highlight fundamental facts voters need to know and explains more about the choices the country faces in down-to-earth, easily understandable terms, on the following topics:

• The Economy
• Iraq and Beyond
• Climate Change
• Health Care
• Immigration
• Taxes, Spending and Debt

Each issue guide includes a brief overview of the topic, an evenhanded review of possible solutions and the pros and cons of each approach, both on an interactive web platform and in a downloadable PDF format. The Voter’s Survival Kit also includes online discussion, links to candidate positions on issues and other sites with extensive information on issues, blogging opportunities, links to voting information sites, “Smash the Political Spin” and “Election Countdown” widgets and more.

Public Agenda has presented citizen issue guides focused on key election topics in every Presidential campaign season since 1996. The 2004 election guides were downloaded by hundreds of thousands of users. With 2.6 million visitors last year, PublicAgenda.org is the site journalists, policymakers, educators and average citizens who want nonpartisan, balanced information with thorough discussion of the pros and cons go for help to clarify the issues.

PUBLIC AGENDA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to nonpartisan public policy research and civic engagement. Founded in 1975 by former U.S. Secretary of State Cyrus Vance and Daniel Yankelovich, the social scientist and author, Public Agenda is known for its influential public opinion surveys and balanced citizen education materials. Its mission is to inject the public’s voice into crucial policy debates. Public Agenda seeks to inform leaders about the public’s views and to engage citizens in discussing complex policy issues. It is also known for its destination web site, www.PublicAgenda.org, which has been twice nominated (in 2005 and 2007) for a Webby Award for best political site.