One thing that seems to be lacking in our public discourse is a solid foundation. Many of us simply don't understand enough about these issues to have an opinion but we seem to express them anyway.
My idea is to appoint a sort of, Explainer Laureate who would pick hot button issues and provide a basic primer on what they are.
My idea would be that the EL would produce multi-media presentation to provide overviews of issues of the day. The mandate would be that only unassailable fact be used. Opinion, if any would be kept to the end and identified as such.
Example: the NPR program, "This American Life" aired an explanation of the financial meltdown that was widely viewed as the best overview of what happened.
In fact, I would nominate Ira Glass as the first Explainer Laureate.