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Image of a hand lowering a voter registration sheet into an orange box with stacks of voter registration papers on both sides

Threats to Ballot Access: New Report Examines Risks of Wrongful Voter Removals Across the Country

Dēmos examines ballot access issues, voter suppression in AZ, GA, OH, CA, IN, WI, MI, NC, TX, LA 

Press release/statement
August 10, 2023

We are changing the conversation around our democracy and economy by telling influential new stories about our country and its people. Get our latest blog and media updates here. For more in-depth explorations and analyses, visit our Resources page.

Featured
Ground level view of the Wall Street Stock Exchange

Unfinished Business: Revisiting Dodd-Frank and the Path to Economic Progress

On the anniversary of the Dodd-Frank Act, we reflect on recent banking failures and the inequities inherent in our current financial system. 

Blog
Daniella Zessoules
Black mother and daughter looking at the city river

A Supreme Court Power Grab: Attacking Federal Agencies to Advance an Extremist Agenda

Why the Court's decision to limit the EPA's power to regulate water access is yet another case of eroding the power of the other branches of government at the expense of Black and brown people.

Blog
Ashley Tjhung
supreme court

Supreme Court's Rejection of Affirmative Action Widens the Divide: Dēmos Calls for Renewed Efforts to Combat Systemic Racism

“The 14th Amendment is supposed to be a shield against racism, and now it’s being used as a sword.” 

Press release/statement
Taifa Smith Butler

Detroit Accused of Exaggerating $18bn Debts in Push for Bankruptcy

Detroit's debts are a fraction of the $18bn lawyers pushing for bankruptcy say they are, and their costs are "irrelevant, misleading and inflated," according to a report released Wednesday.
In the media
Dominic Rushe

Report: Detroit's Collapse Caused More by Declining Revenue than Legacy Costs

A former Wall Street investment banker is taking Detroit Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr to task for blaming the city’s financial collapse, in part, on escalating pension and retiree health insurance costs.
In the media
Chad Livengood

Here's How Tax Policy Could Downsize the Suburbs

The best policy measures are those that solve two or more problems at once. So consider this idea: Let's tackle Washington's revenue challenges through tax hikes that mainly hit suburbanites and incentivize urban living. The need for more revenues is clear enough: federal taxes are near a 60-year
Blog
David Callahan

Pension Debt Did Not Cause Detroit Bankruptcy, Report Says

Declining revenue, a drop in employment and large, risky Wall Street deals are the real causes of Detroit’s bankruptcy, according to a report by Demos, a liberal public policy organization. Pension debt gets a bad rap in Detroit, but it isn’t the true cause of Detroit’s financial problems, said
In the media
Paula Aven Gladych

Report Casts Doubt on Detroit’s Estimated Debt: ‘Simply Inaccurate’

The official story about Detroit goes something like this: Decades of mismanagement and out-of-control spending have left the city with a crushing $18 billion in debt.
In the media
Ned Resnikoff

Filibuster or Not, Divided Government Will Remain the Norm

Be careful what you wish for is good advice, and I'll be the first to admit that progressives may rue the day they celebrated historic changes to the Senate's filibuster rules. Like when President Paul Ryan is packing the courts with pro-life judges in 2023.
Blog
David Callahan

Report: Detroit's Pension Fund Liabilities Not to Blame for Bankruptcy

Pension fund liabilities are not to blame for Detroit's descent into Chapter 9 bankruptcy protection, according to a report released Wednesday by Demos, a public policy advocacy group. Detroit's bankruptcy was caused by a decrease in tax revenue due to a population decline and long-term unemployment
In the media
Christine Williamson

Giving Thanks for What, Exactly?

At the new Walmart superstore in the Chinatown district of Los Angeles, a Thanksgiving turkey costs a little over $30 (£19). The shop is kind enough to distribute ready-made holiday shopping lists to its customers, reminding them to buy cornbread mix and cranberry sauce, ground ginger and pumpkin
In the media
Tim Walker

Walmart Workers Strike At Seven Stores In Dallas

On Wednesday, Walmart workers called out or walked off the job at seven stores in Dallas, according to OUR Walmart activists, the group that has been organizing strikes and protests against the company. The company says that these were not independent actions but the result of activists being bussed
In the media
Bryce Covert

Demos Praises Senate's Decision to End Washington Gridlock

(NEW YORK) – Today, the Senate voted to put an end to one aspect of Washington’s gridlock by changing the rules governing the use of the filibuster for executive-branch appointees and most judicial nominations. Senate Republicans most recently filibustered three qualified judicial nominations to the
Press release/statement