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Indiana Public Good Index
Sagamore senior fellow Troy Riggs became nationally renowned for using data to prevent crime and build healthier Indianapolis neighborhoods. Troy worked to aggregate a wide set of data sources describing Indianapolis’ pain points—crime, hunger, education gaps, more—as well as the city’s positive characteristics (philanthropy, nonprofits, fiscal condition) for the 2017 Indiana Public Good Index.
Welcome to the Public Good Index
We are fortunate to live in a state that is benefiting from strong leadership, resulting in unprecedented achievement economically and culturally for most or our citizens. Unfortunately, there are those who have been left behind by our recent progress.
Hoosiers certainly have a tradition of ensuring all citizens have the opportunity to succeed. This is the fundamental reason why the Sagamore Institute has taken the initiative to develop the Public Good Index (PGI). The goal of the PGI is to assist both government and community leadership in identifying the issues leading to a degradation of the quality of life of many of Indiana’s major city residents. By highlighting what is working well (Green), areas calling for caution (Yellow), and those in crisis (Red), leadership can begin the dialogue necessary to set realistic, long-term goals and objectives to help those fellow citizens who are struggling.
The PGI should be utilized to identify issues and find solutions. It should never be used to criticize current community leadership. Most of the issues facing Indiana’s largest cities were decades in the making and will not be quickly solved. Yet, this index will help citizens hold government leadership accountable for addressing the issues that have led to a degradation of quality of life of many fellow Hoosiers.
This index is just the beginning. We, at the Sagamore Institute, look forward continuing to develop data and analysis to help Indiana cities as we enter the 3rd Century of our great state.
Sincerely,
Troy Riggs
