Bernard L. Schwartz – Political Initiatives

Third Way

Washington, DC

Bernard Schwartz is chairman emeritus of the board of trustees and program sponsor of Third Way, a non-profit, non-partisan strategy center for progressives. Third Way promotes a 21st century progressive agenda by working with elected officials, candidates, and advocates creating policies and marketing those ideas in the public debate. Since its launch in January 2005, Third Way’s work on security, economics and culture has been used widely by progressive leaders. Its work is divided into four programs:

The Culture Program: Develops a cultural agenda that adheres to progressive principles and resonates with moderate Americans. Its aim is to strengthen American communities and families by developing fresh policy ideas and messaging that provide common ground approaches on cultural issues like abortion, gay equality, faith, family, guns, crime, and immigration.
The Economic Program: Third Way is designing a moderate economic agenda and narrative for the 21st century. It advances progressive pro-growth ideas to promote American economic vitality and ensure that this country embraces its role in the global economy in ways that benefit all Americans. It believes that the strength of the middle class is the key to economic growth, and its policies are designed to help today’s middle class succeed in a new economic era.
The National Security Program: Develops a new moderate approach on national security that is tough and smart. It rejects the recklessness of the neoconservative worldview and believes that America can be both resolute in battling our enemies and open and cooperative in seeking solutions to global problems. The program develops policy ideas on the major security issues and offers framing strategies to help progressives most effectively communicate about these issues.
The Clean Energy Program: A new, major initiative on clean energy to help elected officials craft moderate policy and frame the issues as they move the United States toward a clean energy revolution. Third Way is offering new policy ideas as well as extensive public opinion research and communications tools to help progressive leaders most effectively articulate the economic benefits of clean energy.