Carnegie Forums are an occasional series of roundtable discussions that bring together policymakers, educators, foundation leaders and others to discuss ideas and issues of critical national importance. During the final months of the 2004 presidential campaign, Carnegie Corporation of New York held a series of three forums focusing
on concerns central to the Democratic and Republican platforms. Vartan Gregorian, president of the Corporation, hosted the events.

The first in the series, the Carnegie Forum on Income Inequality, held in August 2004, explored the widening gap between rich and poor Americans and the political and social ramifications resulting from this disparity (see Carnegie Reporter, Fall 2004, Vol. 3/No.1, p. 47).

The Forum on Foreign Policy and the Media, which took place in September 2004, centered on the “quality” of America’s foreign policy debate and the critical need for deep discussion about the serious issues facing the nation as the threat of terrorism replaces the threat of Communism and the danger of weapons of mass destruction in the hands of rogue nations grows.

Americans’ perceptions of U.S. foreign policy are greatly influenced by the news media, thus the forum concentrated on how the presidential campaign might be affected by news reporting on critical issues such as the war in Iraq, the role of the United States in the global community and the question of preparedness in an increasingly unstable world.

Tom Brokaw, NBC Nightly News managing editor and anchor (he retired in December 2004), served as moderator for a panel of journalists from leading news organizations: Richard Cohen, columnist for The Washington Post; James F. Hoge, editor of Foreign Affairs; and Cynthia Tucker, editorial page editor for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Reprising a 2000 forum, the Carnegie Forum on Education, held in October 2004, focused on the education platforms of the Democratic and Republican presidential contenders. This time, surrogates for George W. Bush and John Kerry engaged in a lively debate
over learning standards, urban school reform, access to college, teacher education, Pell grants, literacy and other issues critical to American education.

Expressing the views of the Bush-Cheney campaign was Sandy Kress, widely acknowledged as the architect of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, President Bush’s major education initiative. A partner in the law firm of Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer &
Feld of Austin and Dallas, Kress has continued to advise the White House on education issues.

Laying out the Kerry-Edwards platform was Jon Schnur, a seven-year veteran
of the Clinton administration who, during his tenure, served as policy advisor on K-12
education and White House associate director for educational policy. Schnur is founder and chief executive officer of New Leaders for New Schools, a nonprofit organization focused on attracting and preparing principals for America’s urban public schools.

John Merrow, executive producer and host of The Merrow Report, an award-winning series of PBS Television programs about education issues, served as moderator.