Paying for the Good Life

In January of 1999, representatives from several University of Nebraska-Lincoln colleges (Arts and Sciences, Journalism), centers (Public Policy Center, Sorensen Institute, Bureau of Business Research), and groups (Public Discourse and Human Values, Public Policy Analysis Program) formed a group to investigate tax and spending issues, as well as quality of life in Nebraska.

The main goal of the "Paying for the Good Life" initiative is to engage the citizens of Nebraska in a discussion of their future as it relates to quality of life issues and state and local tax and spending. Through a variety of venues, PFGL hopes to facilitate the enrichment of the public discourse so that (1) more citizens feel empowered to engage in the debate, (2) more citizens feel the debate better reflects their concerns, (3) public officials have a more comprehensive understanding of the diversity of viewpoints held by Nebraskans, and (4) common ground can be identified in order to construct more satisfying solutions.

Current Projects:

Values Survey

A survey was conducted to ascertain Nebraskan's values and perceptions of tax and spending issues. A Q-methodology was used to determine citizen's, government official's, and interest group's (business, education, agriculture, etc.) values and viewpoints on a number of statements about taxes and spending in the state. Lyn Kathlene, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln is the Principal Investigator for this project.

Paying for the Good Life group members: