Bill Overview
Title: Building Civic Bridges Act
Description: This bill establishes the Office of Civic Bridgebuilding within the Corporation for National and Community Service to administer a grant program that addresses local issues and fosters social cohesion across diverse communities.
Sponsors: Sen. Coons, Christopher A. [D-DE]
Target Audience
Population: people globally living in communities that could benefit from increased social cohesion initiatives
Estimated Size: 250000000
- The bill aims to foster social cohesion across diverse communities, indicating a wide range of racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups.
- The establishment of a grant program suggests targeting organizations or projects that serve community members, hence impacting both service providers and beneficiaries.
- Local issues addressed by the grant program likely include a variety of social challenges, touching numerous facets of community life.
Reasoning
- The U.S. has numerous diverse communities where social divisions might hinder overall social cohesion.
- Given that social cohesion can affect community well-being, mental health, and local economic participation, this policy has the potential to produce varied impacts depending on community and individual involvement.
- The budget constraint indicates that not all communities will be equally impacted or will experience the policy's benefits immediately.
- Cantril wellbeing scores can vary significantly, especially in communities already experiencing hardships or divisions, so the intensity and duration of policy impacts can be diverse.
Simulated Interviews
Community Organizer (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 34 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy could provide much-needed funding to expand our programs and reach more community members.
- Building bridges in our community of diverse backgrounds is crucial, and this can enable us to make tangible progress.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 4 |
Student (Des Moines, IA)
Age: 22 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- As a student and volunteer, I see how important it is to connect different community groups. This policy might help highlight best practices and fund new initiatives.
- I hope grants will encourage more youth-led projects.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 4 |
School Teacher (Houston, TX)
Age: 45 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Our community desperately needs bridging initiatives.
- This could transform our school programs by incorporating more community-focused activities.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 3 |
Farmer (Rural Kansas)
Age: 29 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Not sure if this policy will reach us out here; most focus is on urban areas.
- If we are included, maybe it could help revitalize local events and gatherings.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 4 | 4 |
Small Business Owner (New York City, NY)
Age: 52 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This grant could help fund local events that my café participates in.
- Promoting cultural cohesion is good for both business and the community.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Retired (Atlanta, GA)
Age: 65 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 8.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Incorporating bridging activities into our local events could make retirement more fulfilling.
- There's always been a sense that we're struggling to connect, despite living so close.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 3 |
Social Worker (Chicago, IL)
Age: 39 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Very hopeful about this policy easing some systemic barriers.
- More funding means more programs, but will we see the resources distributed fairly?
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 4 |
Community Health Supervisor (Detroit, MI)
Age: 50 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 3
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- More trust-building is needed in our healthcare initiatives.
- These grants could really push us towards deeper social ties.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 3 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 3 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 3 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 3 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 3 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 2 |
Artist (Phoenix, AZ)
Age: 31 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 7.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It would be great to see more funding for art projects that can bring people together.
- Artists want to work more with communities but need the support this policy promises.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Tech Entrepreneur (Miami, FL)
Age: 28 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Tech can play a big role in building bridges, and this policy might encourage more tech-community partnerships.
- If this leads to apps or platforms that foster dialogue, I'm all for it.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $300000000 (Low: $250000000, High: $350000000)
Year 2: $320000000 (Low: $270000000, High: $370000000)
Year 3: $340000000 (Low: $290000000, High: $390000000)
Year 5: $380000000 (Low: $330000000, High: $430000000)
Year 10: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Year 100: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Key Considerations
- Ensuring effective oversight and accountability for the newly established Office of Civic Bridgebuilding.
- Determining the distribution criteria and evaluation process for the grant program to maximize social impact.
- Coordination with existing federal, state, and local initiatives to avoid duplicating efforts and ensure efficient use of resources.
- Monitoring and measuring the program’s impact on social cohesion across diverse communities.