The University of Denver has created the Center for New Politics and Policy (CNPP), a new nonprofit, nonpartisan policy center encouraging greater public discourse, civic participation and policy analysis in the 21st century.
The CNPP was formerly known as the Center for African American Policy (CAAP), which was founded in 1998 by DU alumnus Peter Groff, president of the Colorado Senate and a DU instructor. Groff remains the executive director of CNPP as the new center replaces CAAP and its flagship Web site, Blackpolicy.org, which had become a leading repository of African-American political and public policy information. The new, more inclusive think tank will host an equally dynamic Web site, www.newpolicycenter.org.
CNPP will offer a unique blend of politics, policy, academia and public service, says Chief Adviser Charles Ellison. He says it is being formed to encourage broader public discourse and a more encompassing flow of information on domestic and international issues, policies and trends. The goal of the center is to work for positive change through vigorous intellectual exchange, fresh political perspective and an aggressive, forward-thinking study of critical public policy.
With a diverse and reputable team of experts, CNPP projects include a daily blog by Groff and Ellison, a weekly political program on Sirius XM Satellite Radio, a new foreign policy blog by CNPP Senior Fellow Webster Brooks III, periodic policy forums, education workshops and a separate Web site — the Virtual Presidency — which will chronicle the activities of the Obama Administration and future presidencies.
“One purpose of the Center for New Politics and Policy is to capture the enthusiasm and energy of this past election,” Groff says. “But more importantly, we need to refresh and reinvigorate our mission as public intellectuals of the 21st century, seeking to enhance the common good.”