NCJ Number
166177
Date Published
1995
Length
26 pages
Annotation
Focus groups convened in 15 communities in California, Florida, Iowa, and New Hampshire allowed people to talk about challenges facing the United States, such as bad schools, high taxes, moral decay, government waste, crime, family breakdown, health care, and welfare reform.
Abstract
Focus group discussions revealed Americans were generally frustrated about their country and what the future held for them. Participants indicated they were searching for a new kind of leadership that applied not only to politicians but also to the media and citizens, said they had less time for their children and families, and noted a widening of the income gap between rich and middle classes. Participants examined employer-employee relations, fairness in tax and government spending issues, help for those truly in need, and what government could realistically do. They discussed parental responsibilities, messages of hate and violence, materialism, personal responsibility, community involvement, and effects of the entertainment industry on society. In addition, they offered suggestions on how political candidates should be selected, how political campaigns should be conducted, and how citizens should be involved in the political process. An appendix describes the methodology used to facilitate focus group discussions.