"An essential project at a critical time." ~ Stephen Zunes, nominee for Dept. of State, Mideast Envoy, Progressive Cabinet
The Progressive Cabinet project demonstrates that progressives have the leaders and ideas to run the country. Check out our NEWEST Cabinet project (as of 7-26-08) Questions for the Candidatesradio spots to elevate the debate in 2008! You can also meet many of these leaders and hear their ideas in greater detail at our Conversations with the Cabinet Archive.
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Conversations with the Cabinet is an interview series connecting grassroots activists with our most effective policy and movement leaders. If you would like to receive invitations to participate in future Conversations, please sign up for our email newsletter below.
History & Purpose:
We created the Progressive Cabinet in 2003 to help progressives overcome the idea that we are defined by what we oppose rather than what we propose. We take every opportunity to spread the word that:
"Progressives belong to a propositional movement with the leaders and ideas to run the country."
We strive to promote those leaders and their ideas while building relationships across movements and between grassroots activists and our nation's most effective progressive policy and movement leaders.
In 2002-2003 the Progressive Government Institute maped the Federal Executive Branch and allowed visitors to sign up to be on a Progressive Cabinet.
In late 2003 the Backbone Campaign assembled a small coalition of organizations to launch the Progressive Cabinet Roster aka the Backbone Cabinet.
In 2004 Progressive Government Institute and Backbone Campaign joined forces to organize web-cast, podcast conference calls with nominees titled: Conversations with the Cabinet producing 61 webcast, podcast interviews with the country's most effective policy and movement leaders.
On June 26, 2007 the Backbone Campaign convened the first ever Progressive Cabinet Summit at the Carter Center in Atlanta, Georgia. Forty-five progressive policy and movement leaders attended the Summit. Download a PDF of the Summit Program. View a slideshow here.
Next Steps: After the Cabinet Summit we established a planning council to explore the long term potential of an actual inter-movement umbrella body of spokespeople. That work goes on, and in the meantime we are promoting the larger idea of progressives' propositional capacity. For the short term we are collecting First 100 Days Statements for online and on air broadcast, and assembling eight Policy Councils to derive an "Eight for '08 Bird-dogging Platform."
The Progressive Cabinet project demonstrates that progressives have the leaders and ideas to run the country. 
The Backbone Campaign P.O. Box 278, Vashon, WA 98070 206-408-8058 ©2007 Backbone Campaign