Think Big: Belonging In and To America

How do we get to a future America for all of us and for everyone, a nation in which belonging is co-created and power is authentically shared?

Over…
February 6, 2024/by De'Jona Mayo

Think Big: Abundance in Narrative

We often define abundance as a contrast. Abundance is NOT scarcity, NOT austerity, NOT competition for resources. So, then, what IS abundance?

What…
February 6, 2024/by De'Jona Mayo

How Democrats Can Beat Republicans on the Economy

Strategists are bewildered at poll results that consistently show voters rating Republicans better on the economy than Democrats. The Biden administration…
October 9, 2023/by Meg Bostrom

Tax Justice Case Study

#Taxday2023 was a day to celebrate hard fought victories for tax justice in Washington State. Last month, the Washington State Supreme Court upheld the…
May 2, 2023/by Topos Partnership

Acting On Our Values is Good Economics

A framework that flips people’s focus from what businesses need for the economy to do well, to a focus on people’s wellbeing (ALL people’s wellbeing) as what is necessary to drive our economy, can be a powerful tool to add to our moral and justice-oriented tools in the box.
April 6, 2023/by Topos Partnership

Think Big: Help Co-Create a Research Agenda!

We are excited to see many of you this Thursday, 10/27 at 3pm ET at our October Learning Community meeting on Democracy and the Will of the People. If…
October 25, 2022/by Topos Partnership

New Yorkers on the Economy

New Yorkers want state policies that make life more manageable for regular, working people.
October 25, 2022/by Topos Partnership

What do we mean when we say “Think Big”?

Think Big grew out of a big idea. Progressive advocates, organizers, and funders who came together to talk about communications strategies to challenge…
October 20, 2022/by Topos Partnership

Think Big October Meeting

Come join our learning community as we Think Big about the Will of the People in this election and beyond.
October 11, 2022/by Topos Partnership

Centering Race, Centering Government

What role, if any, do Americans see for the government in advancing racial equity?
September 29, 2022/by Topos Partnership

An Economy Measured by How People are Doing

The Biden Administration has a new and better definition of what “the economy” is and should be.
December 21, 2020/by Topos Partnership

Anti-Corruption Campaign Messaging

Why is it that accusations of corruption do not seem to stick to Donald Trump?
September 29, 2020/by Topos Partnership

Getting Democracy Back on Track

To serve we-the-people, we need strong laws and processes to keep government on track.
September 25, 2020/by Topos Partnership

Law Can Make Things Better

Law should determine the timing of a Supreme Court nomination, not one man’s whimsy.
September 21, 2020/by Topos Partnership

What Change Looks Like

Adding solutions to the protest narrative.
June 14, 2020/by Topos Partnership

What Must Be Heard – It’s About More than Police Violence

What hasn’t been heard? Obstacles as well as contributions — ideas that combat stereotypes and lead to lasting change.
June 6, 2020/by Topos Partnership

The People Must Be Heard

The uprising has been building for some time. To reclaim our democracy, the people must be heard.
June 2, 2020/by Topos Partnership

Who’s Responsible? COVID Edition

People’s willingness to hold the Trump Administration accountable for the current crisis depends on a chain of reasoning that defines the nature of the crisis and its solution.
May 21, 2020/by Topos Partnership

Two Narrative Strategies for Engaging on Race

As daunting as the challenges are, committed communicators across the country are working hard to address racism in order to create progress. A number…
May 15, 2020/by Topos Partnership

Making the Case for Federal Aid to the States

House Democrats’ HEROES Act proposal puts state fiscal relief in the spotlight. This document is intended to serve as a brief primer on how to make the…
May 14, 2020/by Topos Partnership

Critiquing Without Undermining

How to critique government without inadvertently undermining its importance, an especially crucial lesson now when the federal government is run by an Administration that is dismantling our democratic institutions.
May 5, 2020/by Topos Partnership

The Polarizing Pandemic

Conservatives and progressives demonstrate sharply different perceptions at the level of the Cultural Common Sense.
April 22, 2020/by Topos Partnership

Empowering Perspectives

An interesting tweet caught our attention:
“If we view ourselves as besieged victims who need to go into hiding, then we will cultivate fear and hoarding.…
April 20, 2020/by Topos Partnership

Will COVID-19 Kill Trickle-Down Economics?

Trickle down…Bootstraps…these flawed mental models of the economy – most often used by those speaking from a conservative point of view – might,…
April 3, 2020/by Topos Partnership

Catastrophic Skepticism: Addressing a Public Trained Not to Trust Media or Experts

To some of us, it is baffling how long it is taking for some Americans to do their part to effectively fight the spread of COVID-19.

How hard is it…
April 2, 2020/by Topos Partnership

Health Policy Lesson: Manage the Inevitable

Eat healthy. Exercise. Wash your hands.

We have learned a lot of lessons about health and healthcare, and are learning new lessons now from the current…
March 26, 2020/by Topos Partnership

Voting Rights: Full Participation

Voting rights advocates are moving quickly to advance a range of reforms that will protect and improve voting rights in light of COVID-19. As the specific…
March 25, 2020/by Topos Partnership

Storytelling in the COVID-19 Moment

Right now there’s lots of great advice about messaging in light of COVID-19 and about how to transform engagement strategies with social distancing in…
March 20, 2020/by Topos Partnership

Protecting Public Water: A Public Will Initiative Case Study

“Privatization of our water systems is a threat to democracy and the common good. Topos Partnership understands that and created tools for advocates…
October 1, 2019/by Topos Partnership

Framing Science Brief 2: Metaphors

Metaphors can be indispensable tools for conveying complex or abstract ideas in simple, vivid and sticky ways. This Framing Science Brief discusses…
March 27, 2019/by Topos Partnership

Framing Science Brief 1: Negating Doesn’t – The Downsides of Refutation

Negating or refuting a statement is less effective than we think – and it can even end up reinforcing exactly the wrong perspectives.
May 14, 2018/by Topos Partnership

How to Talk About Saving the NEA

The upcoming debate over funding for the NEA is an opportunity for advocates to build broader support and shift thinking about the arts as a public good. Here are some tips.
March 15, 2017/by Topos Partnership

Lessons from Fast Food Strikes

The most effective communicators on fast food strikes connect the issue to “all of us” in four ways....
May 29, 2015/by Topos Partnership

Framing Job Quality as Common Sense

The common sense idea that thriving communities and a strong economy depend on employers providing reasonable compensation for work has the power to lift a range of job quality solutions.
April 13, 2015/by Topos Partnership

The Tipping Point on Minimum Wage

Recent wins on minimum wage campaigns suggest we're at a tipping point on raising minimum wage.
March 17, 2015/by Topos Partnership

Talking About Income Inequality

We may be better off not using the word "inequality" as a leading idea, and using other words for now.
June 11, 2014/by Topos Partnership

Economy Boosting Jobs + Raising Minimum Wage

A review of our recent research findings on how to clarify for people why raising the minimum wage is good for all of us.
January 23, 2014/by Topos Partnership

Labor Day Boost

A new "Simply-Put" video provides a brief illustration of how to make the core points emerging from Topos research on communicating job quality, including minimum wage and paid sick days.
August 26, 2013/by Topos Partnership

The Power and Pitfalls of Talking Inequality

Should advocates reference inequality and a new CBO paper when promoting policy solutions? Maybe not.
June 7, 2013/by Topos Partnership

The Half the Oil Plan

Building support by animating the research on reducing our use of oil.
May 30, 2013/by Topos Partnership

Reframing Privatization Schemes

Topos is often invited to share our work on reframing privatization with groups that are on the front lines of countering efforts to shift public…
May 22, 2013/by Topos Partnership

Focus on Personal Stories

Close Up vs. Big Picture Stories: The Role of Individual Examples in Advocacy Communications
Research and real-life experience, plus perspectives from…
February 26, 2013/by Topos Partnership

Behind the Kitchen Door

Congratulations to Saru Jayaraman for a successful launch of her new book, Behind the Kitchen Door!
February 15, 2013/by Topos Partnership

The Explanation Gap

Informed citizens are the foundation of effective democracy, but informing citizens depends on providing the context for issues that most mass media neglect
January 8, 2013/by Topos Partnership

Lead, Crime, and Politics

Recent spotlight on the correlation between leaded gas and violent crime offers lessons for communicators.
January 7, 2013/by Topos Partnership

Beyond Winning – Change the Culture

When is a “win” not a win?
December 6, 2012/by Topos Partnership

Topos Around the World

Topos is going global: Joe in Japan and Margy in South Africa.
November 20, 2012/by Topos Partnership

Talking About Talking About Poverty

Writing in The Nation, reporter Greg Kaufmann updates readers on the national campaign to include discussion of poverty policy in the Presidential…
October 19, 2012/by Topos Partnership

Team Topos Tweets the #Debates

Read our real time reactions to the candidates' framing and communicating of the issues.
October 4, 2012/by Topos Partnership

Debate Season: The Olympics of Framing

Which candidate will win the framing debate? Some thoughts about how to watch.
October 2, 2012/by Topos Partnership

Responding to the “Job Killer” Allegation

Big corporations need roads, electricity, an educated workforce, healthcare, government-funded science research, and a strong military as much as anyone. They just want you to pay for it.
June 18, 2012/by Topos Partnership

Topos on Framing

Topos’ unique and innovative approach synthesizes expertise from the cognitive and social sciences as well as public opinion. Most of the insights and…
May 24, 2012/by Topos Partnership

Values vs. Explanations in Advocacy

Issues & Values
Progressive advocates increasingly accept what Conservatives have long recognized – that issue advocacy is often a competition between…
May 24, 2012/by Topos Partnership

Strategies for Debt Ceiling Talk and a Deficit of Understanding

From House Speaker Boehner’s warnings about the next debt ceiling debate to Mitt Romney’s addition of a debt clock prop to his campaign events, conservatives…
May 19, 2012/by Topos Partnership

Trayvon Martin’s Death and the Media Dialogue

The tragic death of Trayvon Martin is sparking a much-needed dialogue about racism and the plight of black men, and commentators are turning to recent…
March 22, 2012/by Topos Partnership

World’s First Game-Sourced Film Brings Topos Research to the Screen

This might be the coolest thing ever.

Here’s the press release about this new film. When you watch, be sure to stay after the credits for the “behind-the-scenes”…
March 6, 2012/by Topos Partnership

The Arts Ripple Effect

Reviving the idea that the arts are a public good
September 2, 2011/by Topos Partnership