Identity Statement
Vision
To create the common ground where "We the People" can achieve the common good.
Mission
The Citizens League builds civic imagination and capacity in Minnesota by:
- Identifying, framing and proposing solutions to public policy problems;
- Developing civic leaders in all generations who can govern for the common good; and
- Organizing the individual and institutional relationships necessary to achieve these goals.
Principles
- We believe in the power and potential of all citizens. All Minnesotans are capable of developing an in-depth understanding of complicated public problems, of imagining innovative and effective policy solutions and ideas, and of governing for the common good. This capacity must be developed and encouraged.
- We believe in democracy and good governance. Democracy requires that citizens have the interest in governing for the common good; the facts needed to make informed decisions; and the practical skills and "common ground" to analyze, debate, and solve public problems in light of shared democratic ideals and the long-term interest of Minnesota. The Citizens League has demonstrated that an open and transparent process, where citizens with a wide range of expertise can invest their time and energy, is the best means to develop effective public policy solutions and to build civic capacity.
- We believe in civic leadership and active citizenship. All Minnesotans have both the right and the responsibility to be active citizens and govern for the common good. This role of active citizen is integrated into all other individual roles; it cannot be delegated to experts or elected officials. Active citizenship is the shared identity that allows people with diverse interests to work together on important public problems, building the common ground necessary to achieve the common good.
- We believe in good politics and political competence. If democracy is "rule by the people," then politics is the practice of democracy -- the means to solve public problems. Politics is what citizens do -- how they govern. Effective politics makes it possible to implement good public policy and to organize to achieve the common good, despite our very real differences. When governed by democratic ideals, the skills of politics give citizenship relevance, dignity and worth. The Citizens League will support the development of political leadership and the skills of non-partisan political competence.
- We believe that individuals and institutions must sustain these ideals from one generation to the next. Minnesota's public policy successes and our quality of life were made possible by individuals working within and across all types of institutions. These institutions and systems of policy-making are our civic legacy in Minnesota, and they must be re-made and re-imagined by each generation in order to maintain and sustain our quality of life and our ability to solve public problems.
Civic Operating Guidelines
- Defining a problem: People who are affected by a problem help to define the problem in keeping with our mission and principles. All Minnesotans have the capacity to help define policy issues. They do so according to the current realities of the particular policy question (e.g. their direct and indirect role in an issue, the known facts and long-term trends, the real political/social/economic dynamics) and the civic ideas in our mission and principles. It is our goal to involve representatives from a broad range of groups and institutions that are affected by a policy question
- Demonstrating transparency and good governance: Leaders will establish a transparent governance process that expects all participants to engage in decision and policy making. Our belief in democracy means that Citizens League activities will have a clear agenda and purpose that is connected to our mission and goals. All participants are expected to contribute to the discussion, to connect their self-interest with the common interest, to evaluate outcomes and to help set recommendations and next steps.
- Contributing resources: All participants will help identify and contribute resources to address the problem or issue. All participants are expected to come as contributors to the process, bringing those resources they have at their disposal. These resources include the time, knowledge, in-kind support, relationships and money that they can leverage in the places where they spend time (work, family, congregations, boards, community, etc.).
- Sustaining solutions: All participants will help advance and sustain recommended policy strategies. Participants in Citizens League work will not only contribute ideas and solution strategies, they will also help to advance and sustain these recommendations in the institutions where they spend their time (work, family, congregations, community, etc.) and have the authority and influence to act.