Elevating Social Justice Values in an Election Year
Community Values and Opportunity

Americans understand that we prosper most when our policies reflect that we’re all in it together. The election of 2008 presented an opportunity to elevate this idea in the political conversation, as presidential elections are unique in focusing the political discourse on our national values and the policies needed to fulfill them. Such discussion can leave a lasting legacy that shapes policy and public opinion for years to come.

The Challenge
Over the past three decades, political discussions have focused on themes of extreme individualism, blaming social ills on individual decisions instead of highlighting our shared fate. The resulting policies have led to a fractured health care system, growing gaps between the rich and poor, and dwindling investment in education, human rights protections, and other programs that protect and expand opportunity. Meanwhile, those working for social justice have lacked a cohesive way to counter this dominant theme, instead fracturing into issue-specific messages that fail to inspire the public.

The Opportunity Agenda's Approach
We use shared values like opportunity and community to connect a wide range of issues. By telling stories through this lens, we challenge the notion that all problems can or should be solved by invoking individual responsibility. We then leverage our active partnerships to provide those narratives with considerable reach and greater impact.

Our Activities
In partnership with the Center for Community Change (CCC) and groups around the country, we developed the concept of community values—the idea that we’re stronger as a country when we work together for the common good. This theme served to articulate a positive vision while creating a unifying theme for disparate groups and issues.

Beginning with the Iowa caucuses and continuing throughout the general election season, we engaged community organizations and advocates with the community values theme through a series of nonpartisan, non-electoral activities. In Iowa, we held workshops and provided communications support for CCC’s pre-caucus activities, including the Heartland Presidential Forum, which featured major presidential candidates and launched the Campaign for Community Values.

Throughout the general election season, we trained hundreds of organizers and advocates in California, Colorado, and Tennessee, provided communications tools to thousands of leaders, and placed a number of important news stories.

Most importantly, we gave groups with wide and varied networks a common theme under which to connect and advance their many causes. This approach, combined with the reach and leverage of our partners, resulted in a powerful shift in political discourse, including the language of candidates, content in the blogosphere, and organizing around the country.