Two new research reports add a layer of provocative interpretation to FrameWorks' experimental survey data (Don't Stay On Message). Recall that this large experiment showed how volatile opinions were on this topic, how forceful the moral argument was, and how important it was to follow up with pragmatic solutions. Now two new FrameWorks reports add depth and clarity to these findings.

Americans toggle between an identification of immigrants as "us" or "them" -- and the frames embedded in discourse determine which sets of understandings become active and shape thinking. This is the conclusion from a series of in-depth cultural models interviews with ordinary Americans about how the immigration system works. This new report, titled  Getting to "We": Mapping the Gaps Between Expert and Public Understandings of Immigration and Immigration Reform, compares this public understanding to the way experts see the system. 

A second report documents the stories being told by the most influential organizations working on immigration and analyzes the effects of these strategies on public thinking. Three narratives are identified in Stories Matter: Field Frame Analysis on Immigration Reform and examined for their narrative coherence. Together, these reports reveal what Americans struggle to understand, what cognitive resources they have available to process new information, and why these patterns in public discourse work to constrain their ability to think about a range of appropriate and effective policy options.

All reports are sponsored by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.