Issues

Staff

Dianne Stewart - Director of Public Works
Patrick Bresette - Associate Program Director
Michael Lipsky - Senior Program Director
Kym King - Program Associate
Marcia Kinsey - Program Associate

Public Works: The Demos Center for the Public Sector

Public Works has been working for more than five years to build a new understanding among Americans of our public systems and structures and of their role as stewards of our nation's quality of life. Our country must support a public sector that acts effectively for the common good, that plans for our future, and that builds and maintains the structures and systems necessary to confront the challenges we face together as a nation. For our public sector to succeed, the public must comprehend its critical mission and view themselves as having a role and a responsibility as citizens to ensure that this mission is realized.

Public Works is working to broaden and deepen support for the public sector by:

Working with leaders across the country to build a broad support for the role and mission of the public sector;
Commissioning research that resulted in recommendations to counteract the cynicism Americans have about government. This research also formed the basis of concrete and proven strategies for helping people adopt a more aspirational attitude toward the public sector and a more constructive perspective on government activities and policies;
Providing trainings, consultations, and ongoing educational series to nonprofit and public sector employees, elected officials, and community leaders to assist them in communicating more effectively about public issues and government’s roles;
Building a constituency of supporters for the public sector--who in small ways and large--are working to revitalize Americans' perception of citizenship and of a public sector dedicated to addressing the fundamental challenges of our nation.