Alabama Issues Forums

Alabama Issues Forums (AIF) is a project with one primary goal – to bring Alabama citizens together to deliberate and take community action on a public issue. Often times, individuals engage in polarizing discussions and debates when discussing issues of public concern. Through deliberation, citizens are encouraged to actively listen and think through real solutions to issues, while also considering the trade-offs and consequences associated with the actions discussed. Whether the issue being deliberated upon is health care, gun violence, or civic engagement, deliberation assists communities in making innovative public decisions while factoring in a number of different approaches.

AIF works to bring deliberative experiences to local Alabama communities using National Issues Forums (NIF) materials, as well as issue maps created by the Mathews Center. Using the information gathered through forum reflections and post-forum questionnaires, the Mathews Centers provides annual reports to the public on how citizens are thinking on issues in the areas of: