The Forward Party is soliciting supporter feedback on a variety of policy issues as part of its new “Controlling What You Can” series. The party announced the initiative over the weekend, stating the first installment would examine healthcare reform.
The party launched the series on March 15, stating it sought input on the “top-polling issues among independents.” The surveys are intended to help the organization develop policy perspectives based more closely on the needs and concerns of its supporters while maintaining an open dialogue on longer-term solutions.
“Building a resilient and representative democracy takes time and energy from us all,” the party said. “We need to keep having these conversations continually so we can drive towards real solutions.”
The series follows a membership survey last week, where members expressed support for a clearer and more defined party identity and other outreach requests. To that end, the Forward Party stated that it would engage members through social media, its website, and direct communications, with healthcare as the first topic of discussion.
In a follow-up statement Wednesday, March 19, the party shared its initial results, noting significant dissatisfaction among supporters with the current healthcare system. It said its X poll received almost 2,000 responses, with results showing that more than two-thirds of participants identified the high cost of care as the most pressing issue, while another nearly one-fifth cited the lack of preventative care.
Additional feedback pointed to frustration over insurance accessibility, claim denials, long wait times, and the overall complexity of the healthcare system. Members also contributed specific policy proposals, with over 70% of those making recommendations advocating for a single-payer system or public option. Others supported reforms addressing inefficiencies and expanding preventative care to reduce costs, without specifying particular policies.
The Forward Party said that future installments of the series will continue to highlight feedback, which will help it shape discussions on other key issues. It has not yet announced the next topic in the series but will continue to gather data.
The Forward Party began soliciting feedback for its second topic on Saturday, similarly asking members for their thoughts on the environment and current environmental and climate policies.