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New Demos/IASP Report Shows How to Address Debt Crisis and Narrow Racial Wealth Gap

Despite its reputation as an antidote to inequality, the U.S. higher education system has reinforced and even exacerbated racial wealth inequality, by preventing many students of color from accessing college and loading black students with debt when they do attend.

Press release/statement

Demos Calls for Presidential Candidates to Address Domestic Terrorism in Minneapolis

Late Monday night, while protesting the recent police killing of Jamar Clark, a 24-year old Black man, in Minneapolis, 5 people were shot. They were just a block away from the Minneapolis Police Department’s 4th Precinct, where protesters have held daily demonstrations for the past nine days. Demos President Heather McGhee:

”Protesters represent the very best of our democracy and every candidate for president should denounce last night’s shooting in the strongest possible terms."

Press release/statement

America Should Follow Silicon Valley's Lead on Paid Parental Leave

However generous paid leave benefits are, whether employees actually use those benefits will depend a lot on the culture they work in and the social pressures they face.   Amazon, for instance, is "notorious for its competitive work environment, and simply having access to leave may not be enough if workers feel they will be penalized in their careers for taking it," said Amy Traub, a senior policy analyst at Demos.   This is doubly true for fathers, who are especially unlikely to take leave no matter where they wo
In the media
Emily Crockett

Student Debt Forgiveness Could Narrow the Racial Wealth Gap

Eliminating student debt for low- to middle-income families could dramatically narrow the racial wealth gap between black and white households, according to a joint study by liberal think tank Demos and the Institute for Assets & Social Policy at Brandeis University.   Though 43 million Americans across the racial and socioeconomic spectrum have nearly $1.3 trillion in college loans, black households are far more likely to have student debt at all income levels.
In the media
Danielle Douglas-Gabriel

Here's How to Tell if You Have a Crummy 401(k) Plan

All in, 401(k) fees can range from 50 basis points up to 3 percent, said David Walters, a CPA and certified financial planner with Palisades Hudson Financial Group. Any plan charging more than 1 percent, Walters insisted, should be seen as suspect.

"Taken over an employee's lifetime, that can make a huge difference in what [workers] get to spend in retirement," Walters said.

In the media
Ilana Polyak

Colleges with Largest Endowments Leave Low-Income Students with Most Debt

In addition, federal student loans — which usually cap at $27,000 over four years — don’t always cover the full cost of a higher education, and many students are forced to secure private loans or work jobs to pay for their degree.

“Student debt is not the same to every borrower,” Mark Huelsman, a senior analyst at public policy nonprofit Demos, said in a statement. “It can look a lot different to a first-generation student from a very modest economic background than to someone going to graduate school getting a law degree.”

In the media
Alexandra Vollman

‘Million Student March’ Calls for Debt-Free College

Mark Huelsman, a senior policy analyst at Demos, compared the movement to the one seen with universal health care, which had been an issue for quite awhile  until “a moment of consensus” came in 2008.

In the media
Kristin Decarr

Higher Voter Turnout Could Limit the Far Right

One of the most disturbing trends in the American political system is the rapid ascent of the far right.

In the media
Sean McElwee

Alabama's Motor Voter Program Gets a Tune-Up

Alabama’s driver’s license agency has been getting a lot of attention lately — for good reason.

Blog
Stuart Naifeh