What are Centrists.Org's Issue Summaries?
Revised 9/8/2003

Issue Summaries are continually updated outlines of major policy issues and ideas within each general topic area of Centrists.Org research.  Issue Summaries will be revised and updated periodically for clarity and usefulness, and as events and policy ideas change.  Questions or comments?  Please contact us at information@centrists.org .

The purpose of Issue Summaries is to help readers find the information they need quickly, without having to search through dozens of commentaries or research reports. 

For example, suppose a reader wants to quickly learn the basics of Centrists.Org's policy ideas on Medicare reform.  The "basics" Issue Summary for health, called Health (Basics) contains general principles on Medicare reform, and links to more detailed Issue Summaries health policy, including Costs, Competition and Chronic Care, Medicare Reform and Prescription Drugs, Universal Coverage, and Performance and Liability Reform.  Each detailed Issue Summary, in turn, has subsections for even more detailed policy items.

The long-term goal of Centrists.Org Issues Summaries is to provide a continually updated book of policy ideas and analysis for centrist policymakers, with links to helpful outside resources.  It will take time to build up the book. 

The first areas covered will be health care and budget.  The basic and detailed Issue Summaries for health care are mostly complete, although the Performance and Liability Reform section is still very sketchy, and all of the sections need better links to Centrists.Org and outside analysis.  The budget section now includes long-term baselines, but no significant analytic material. 

Note that some Issue Summaries are essentially a group project, with several collaborators.  Some Issue Summaries may therefore be "live" but incomplete, as the group works directly from the web-based versions.  Unfinished Issue Summaries will be completed in coming months, and completed Issue Summaries will be revised periodically to reflect clarifications, events, and new or refined ideas.  Throughout the process, readers should feel free to contact us with suggestions at information@centrists.org . 

"Basic" Issue Summaries (with links to detailed Issue Summaries):  NOTE Many of these pages remain under construction at this time
Health
Wealth Building
Budget and Tax
Economic Growth
Public Trust
Energy and Environment