About this Project

What is The American Voice 2004?

American Voice 2004 was launched to fill a need, the need for reasoned debate. The bedrock of good government is an informed citizenry. An informed citizenry comes from hearing both sides of the issue. American Voice 2004 intends to be a place which cultivates good citizenship. The American Voice 2004 is a project of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance.

What is the Institute for Local Self-Reliance?

The Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) is a non profit, non-partisan organization based in Washington, D.C. and Minneapolis, Minnesota. ILSR was founded in 1974. Its mission is to strengthen geographical communities. To fulfill that mission ILSR offers research, technical assistance and a library of "rules" that foster local self-reliance.

Strong communities depend on an active and involved population. The American Voice 2004 strives to nurture such a population by providing substantive and reasoned information regarding national issues.

For more information go to www.ilsr.org

Who is Dr. Dave?

David Morris is Vice President of the Minneapolis and Washington, D.C. based Institute for Local Self-Reliance. He is the author of five books ranging from a history of Chile to an inquiry into the future role of neighborhoods and cities in America's political and economic life to an assessment of the future of the American electricity system. Mr. Morris serves on a congressionally created advisory committee to federal agencies on energy policy. He was appointed by the Clinton Administration and reappointed by the Bush Administration. He holds degrees in Industrial and Labor Relations (BS), Political Science (MA) and Public Policy (Ph.D.). Dr. Dave was a general interest columnist for 14 years for the Saint Paul Pioneer Press.

How do we choose the content for American Voice 2004?

For the Ask Dr. Dave questions we try to be responsive to those of you who email us. On the other hand, as the sign in the restaurant says, "We reserve the right to refuse service to any customer." We prefer inquiries that help us illuminate a part of the political terrain. In almost all cases the question relates to a subject that has been on the 6 o'clock news or the front pages of the newspapers in recent months. We stay away from loaded questions like, "Isn't George Bush a liar?" or "Isn't the Democratic Party a tool of organized labor?"

The subjects we choose in our Issues and Allegations section also are often proposed by you. But here our staff is more actively involved. We try to address a range of issues. Some are well-known and central to the political campaigns (e.g. minimum wage, same-sex marriage, social security). Others involve issues that clarify differences in the political parties and candidates but may be less familiar (e.g. Country of Origin Labeling).

We'd love to hear from you about what issues you'd like us to examine and what questions you'd like me to answer. Keep those emails coming.

-Dr. Dave