w o r k i n g f o r a n e q u a l s ay and an equal chance for all
Dēmos is a p organization an America w have an equa democracy a chance in ou
public policy n working for where we all al say in our and an equal ur economy.
Dēmos means “ t h e p e o p l e ”
I
t is the root word of democracy and reminds us that in America, the true source of our greatness is the diversity of our people. Our nation’s highest challenge is to create a democracy that truly empowers people of all backgrounds, so that we all have a say in setting the policies that shape opportunity and provide for our common future. To help America meet that challenge, Dēmos deploys original research, advocacy, litigation, and strategic communications to reduce both political and economic inequality in order to create the America the people deserve.
3 essential goals
to realize
the promise of A mer i c a
Achieving true democracy by
1
reducing the role of money in politics and guaranteeing the freedom to vote
2
3
Creating pathways to ensure a diverse, expanding middle class in a new, sustainable economy
Transforming the public narrative to elevate the values of community and racial equity
I s B o l d | Dēmos does not constrain our thinking to the politics of the day; we have high aspirations for our nation. We regularly move ideas that have been excluded from the debate on behalf of people who have been excluded from the conversation. Ha s S t o r y | Recognizing the power of narrative in shaping people’s worldview and building public will for change, Dēmos is telling new stories about our country and our future. B u i l d s M o v e m e n t | Our work supports advocates in almost all 50 states who are working to increase economic opportunity and democratic participation in their communities.
O u r I m pa c t: M e d i a Dēmos is changing the conversation around our democracy and our economy by being a constant and increasingly influential voice in the media. Our team is speaking up for economically and politically disempowered citizens in forums where they are too often forgotten. Skilled at communicating a progressive viewpoint, last year Dēmos’ staff and fellows appeared on television an
average of three times a week and served as a critical resource for web and print journalists, pushing forward an honest dialogue about the challenges facing the nation. Our proven ability to raise public awareness on important policy questions is the result of coordinated efforts between Dēmos’ researchers, communications team, fellows, and PolicyShop bloggers.
Expanding and Protecting the Freedom to Vote
A
merica
must
fiercely
protect the freedom
to vote for all citizens, regardless of race or privilege. But that ideal has never been realized and shortsighted politicians continue to restrict our freedom for their
own political advantage. Needless red tape thwarts eligible citizens from registering and voting, distorting the electorate along age, race, and class lines and undermining the guarantee of a truly representative government. Dēmos is holding our nation to a higher standard as we work to empower people who are being left out of the process of making decisions for the direction of the country. We advocate in the courts and for policies at every level that will ensure that the dēmos in our democracy can speak up, be heard, and exert real influence on the decisions that affect all of our lives. By enforcing laws such as the National Voter Registration Act, defending against attacks on voting and promoting a positive voting rights agenda, including Same Day Registration across the states, Dēmos is helping millions of individuals exercise their freedom to vote.
O u r I m pa c t: V ot i n g R i g h ts
B
ecause of Dēmos, nearly
setting the rules that shape
2 million low-income
opportunity for them and their
Americans in over a dozen
children. Dēmos has also led
states have applied to register
the push to expand access to
to vote at state agencies.
registration and voting through
By expanding agency-based
reforms such as Same Day
voter registration under
Registration, which boosts
the neglected National
turnout by making registration
Voter Registration Act, we
and voting a one-step process.
are holding government
Our research, advocacy and
accountable for lowering
coalition-building have helped
barriers to voting. This work
bring Same Day Registration
is empowering low-income
to seven new states plus the
Americans to have a say in
District of Columbia.
Rebuilding Pathways to a Diverse, Strong and Expanding Middle Class
T
he
middle
class
was America’s single greatest
invention, and it was no accident. It was the result of smart public policy and it required business, government and workers all to contribute. But over the past 40 years that
social contract frayed as it expanded to include more Americans that were formerly excluded, including women and people of color. With government and business less committed to ensuring widespread gains, individuals are shouldering virtually the entire burden. This go-it-alone economic system is creating record inequality and it has stalled our engine of mobility for the next generation. Fortunately, America still knows what it takes to create a strong middle class—respect for labor, decent pay and benefits, and investments for the common good such as education, research and infrastructure—and together we can harness the will to ensure that our future middle class reflects our diverse nation. Over the past decade, our team has been ahead of the curve on issues such as credit card debt and the economic decline confronting a new generation. Dēmos’ new agenda includes both short- and long-term ideas to reboot opportunity and reduce inequality: from removing obstacles to jobs by restricting the use of credit checks by employers to creating debt-free college in the 21st century.
O u r I m pa c t: h o u s e h o l d d e bt
N
early a decade ago,
helped expand the coalition
Dēmos identified the
fighting for reform. Our
problem of rising debt among
advocacy contributed to a
working and middle class
historic rewriting of the rules
families. We deployed original
on credit cards to make them
research and communications
more fair and affordable. The
strategies to shift the public
Credit CARD Act of 2009
narrative about the issue
has already saved working
from “irresponsible spending”
families nearly $100 billion
to “irresponsible lending”
and demonstrated that
and from “frivolous debt”
together, we can take on
to “debt for necessities.”
powerful industries and win
Dēmos then generated ideas
greater economic security
for new card protections and
for all of us.
Reducing the Role of Wealth & Corporate Power in Politics & Policy
O
ur democracy is
out of balance. Because courts
have hobbled our campaign finance laws, a small group of wealthy donors and corporate interests can drown out the voices of the rest of us and determine who runs
for office, who wins elections, and what issues our leaders address. This elite dominance of politics has brought us the Inequality Era, where our economic policies reliably favor the wealthy and undermine upward mobility in America. At Dēmos, we believe the strength of a citizen’s voice should not depend upon the size of her wallet. Our “money out, people in” agenda empowers ordinary citizens through public matching funds and incentives for small contributions, and curbs the power of big money by clarifying—through the Constitution or the courts—Americans’ right to prevent corporations and wealthy donors from translating economic dominance into outsized political influence. We are elevating the connection between our unequal political system and our unequal economy, expanding the field of advocates, raising public awareness of the problem and the solutions, and advocating to bring our representatives in line with the overwhelming, bi-partisan support for a more equal democracy.
O u r I m pa c t: M on e y i n po l i t i cs
S
erving as a consistent
the broader public see the
resource for media,
connections between elite
advocacy partners and
control of politics and stunted
policymakers, DÄ“mos is
upward mobility for the rest of
helping set the context for
Americans, linking our broken
the problem of money in
campaign finance system to
American politics. Through
policies that hold back middle
our signature research and
and working class families on
reports, we have exposed the
issues such as consumer debt,
unprecedented role of Super
the minimum wage, higher
PACs, dark money groups and
education, family leave, tax
business spending in the 2012
and trade policy, and workers’
elections. DÄ“mos is helping
right to organize.
Developing a New Economic Model that Prioritizes the Common Good
A
fter the first
Gilded Age of rampant inequality,
those who endured the crash and Depression demanded a new economic order built for shared prosperity. Today we find ourselves in a startlingly
similar moment, facing the consequences of an economy overreliant on speculation and extraction, and yearning for a new direction. Dēmos is focusing on a new role for business in society. We envision a world in which democracy writes the rules for capitalism, not the other way around—where people have the power to set expectations for the way business operates in an interdependent society. We are also building on our record of achievement in the area of financial regulation to promote a vision of Wall Street as a pipeline for productive investment in the real economy, not a casino where insiders win by extracting wealth from the rest of us. And we are promoting an expanded view of progress beyond growth alone, recognizing that the well-being of our people and our planet are poorly captured—and poorly served—by a singular focus on GDP.
O u r I m pa c t: Wa l l S tr e e t r e form
D
ēmos played a lead role in
of 2010. Our efforts helped
shaping the policy design,
end the failed experiment of
rationale and advocacy for the
deregulated financial markets,
historic passage of the Dodd-
asserting a place for good rules
Frank Wall Street Reform and
to promote stability and the
Consumer Protection Act
public interest.
A True American Dēmos: Why Racial Equity Matters to Us All
F
or
too
long,
our country has been
marked by racial and class hierarchy instead of solidarity. Movements of ordinary people helped unite the nation around a civil rights
agenda 50 years ago, yet the population has only grown more diverse since then. Today, across our politics, we suffer the effects of failing to settle the question of who is included in “of the people, by the people, for the people.” Until we address structural racial inequalities and our persistent—often unconscious—biases, our entire society will be less prosperous and secure. That is why Dēmos’ communications, policy and advocacy efforts aim for racial equity. Throughout all of our work we are advocating not just for people but for the very idea of the people—of one nation, united by a shared fate.
Join us!
Learn more: D o n at e :
demos.org
demos.org/donate
Follow our blog:
demos.org/policyshop
At t e n d o u r e v e n t s :
demos.org/events
M e e t o u r s ta ff & f e l l o w s :
demos.org/experts
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