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From cutting-edge policy research to illuminating analysis, we bring a racial equity lens to the most pressing issues facing our country. For our latest blog posts and media updates, visit our Media page.

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The U.S. Supreme Court building against a blue sky, overlaid with a map of Louisiana and a chain of "I Voted" sticker footprints being cut by scissors on either side

Voting Rights and Representation in the Aftermath of Louisiana v. Callais

This brief examines what the Supreme Court's Callais decision means for communities of color, what has already changed in its wake, and what reforms — from state voting rights acts to proportional representation — can meet this moment.

Policy Briefs
Angelo Ancheta
Cover of 'Solving the Affordability Crisis' by People's Action and Dēmos: a rising staircase of icons representing groceries, health care, energy, housing, and child care, each topped with dollar bills."

Solving the Affordability Crisis

The affordability crisis is the result of policy choices — and different choices can reverse it. This report from Dēmos and People's Action traces why housing, utilities, food, health care, and child care have become unaffordable, and five structural solutions for building a people-powered, racially just economy.

Policy Briefs
Demos
People's Action
A Black care worker in scrubs reviews a clipboard with an older Black woman seated on a couch. In the background, composite images show caregivers working with children and supporting elderly adults, overlaid with illustrated icons representing justice, economic opportunity, and care.

Empowering Care Workers: The Key to a Better Care Economy

Good care jobs are the foundation of a good care economy. Empowering care workers through better pay, stronger protections, and collective voice would improve care quality, reduce workforce shortages, and advance racial and economic equity.

Policy Briefs
Nick Wertsch

Testimony of Amy Traub before the U.S. Senate on “Economic Security for Working Women”

Chairman Harkin, Ranking Member Alexander, and Members of the HELP Committee: I greatly appreciate this opportunity to speak to you about economic security for working women, particularly the experience of women in the retail industry. My name is Amy Traub and I am a senior policy analyst at Dēmos
Testimony and Public Comment
Amy Traub

Virginia’s Great Cost Shift: How Higher Education Cuts Undermine the State’s Future Middle Class

Virginia’s investment in higher education has decreased considerably over the past two decades, and its financial aid programs, though still some of the country’s most expansive, fail to reach many students with financial need.

Research
Mark Huelsman

New Jersey’s Great Cost Shift How Higher Education Cuts Undermine the State’s Future Middle Class

New Jersey’s investment in higher education has decreased considerably over the past two decades, and its financial aid programs, though still some of the country’s most expansive, fail to reach many students with financial need.

Research
Mark Huelsman

The Debt Disparity: What Drives Credit Card Debt In America

What differentiates households that accumulate and carry balances on their credit cards from those that don’t have debt? Building on a national survey of 1,997 households, this study examines two groups of working age low- and middle-income households that are statistically indistinguishable in
Research
Amy Traub

Dollars and Sense: How Undisclosed Money and Post-McCutcheon Campaign Finance Will Affect the 2014 Election and Beyond

Chairman Schumer, Senator King, Ranking Member Roberts, and Members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to submit this testimony for this hearing on the harm of secret political spending, the impact of the Supreme Court’s recent decision in McCutcheon v. FEC, and solutions to address the
Testimony and Public Comment
Liz Kennedy

How State Banks Can Reduce Student Debt

In 2013, student debt surpassed $1.2 trillion,1 highlighting a disturbing new reality: for an increasing share of students, higher education comes at the cost of long term debt. In 1989, 41 percent of graduating college seniors left school with student loan debt, which averaged $26,600. By 2012, two
Policy Briefs

Fast Food Failure: How CEO-to-Worker Pay Disparity Undermines the Industry and the Overall Economy

Extreme wage gaps within the fast food industry has made its sector the most unequal in the American economy

Research
Catherine Ruetschlin

Letter to the White House on the Affordable Care Act and the National Voter Registration Act

Dear Mr. President:
Testimony and Public Comment
Project Vote

What is McCutcheon v. FEC?

McCutcheon struck down the limit on the total amount that one wealthy donor is permitted to contribute to all federal candidates, parties, and political action committees (PACs) combined.

Research

The Hidden Costs of Repealing Same-Day Registration in Montana

In November 2014, voters in Montana will face a very important choice: to repeal or to continue SDR. They should keep it.

Research
Damon L. Daniels