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The Supreme Court, Public Opinion, and Money and Politics

Is it a problem when the Supreme Court is out of step with public opinion? While in many cases the answer is no, when it comes to the question of money and politics and the financing of campaigns and elections, its counter-majoritarianism is a threat to democracy.

Blog
David Schultz

Initiative Before Congress Aims to Slash Student Debt

We need a systematic approach to tackle the student-debt crisis. We can easily find one if we look in the not-too-distant past.

In the media
Heather C. McGhee

Martin O’Malley Just Unveiled His Plan to End Student Debt, and It’s the Boldest One Yet

"Debt-free" might not sound as sexy as simply "free," but O'Malley's approach could in fact create a more effective mandate for radically reducing the cost of college in the United States.
In the media
Zeeshan Aleem

Everyone’s Talking About Student Loan Debt — Here’s What You Need to Know

“The decline in state funding for state colleges and universities is the main driver of what’s increasing costs,” says Mark Huelsman, senior policy analyst at Demos, a liberal think tank. He’s the author of a 2014 proposal for increasing public higher education funding that he says has drawn interest from several presidential primary candidates.

In the media
Brianna McGurran

President Obama: Talk to Black America, Not at Us

Is President Obama the scold of black America or its empathetic prophet?   With his remarks at the funeral for the Rev. Clementa C. Pinckney a week ago, Mr. Obama looked out onto a sea of mostly black faces — under the gaze of the nation — and addressed the topic of racism head-on.   “For too long, we’ve been blind to the way past injustices continue to shape the present. Perhaps we see that now,” he said without flinching.   It was a bittersweet moment.
In the media

Inequality Is a Disease, Voter Turnout the Cure

The 2016 election will be decided not just by who votes but by who stays home.

In the media
Sean McElwee

Delaware Citizens Deserve Easy Access to the Polls

The most sacred right in our democracy is the right to vote. In the next week, Delaware has the opportunity to make that right stronger than ever before.

Blog
Heather McGhee

When Your Social Security Check Disappears Because of an Old Student Loan

Policy makers are also exploring ways to maintain a safety net for seniors with defaulted student loans, while still ensuring the Education Department gets the money it’s owed. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and McCaskill, Democrats from Massachusetts and Missouri, respectively, sent a letter to the GAO earlier this year asking for more information about the financial and loan status of seniors losing their benefits.

In the media
Jillian Berman

This Is How European Countries Pay for Free College Plans

European countries also differ substantively from the US in terms of the percentage of college attendees that their debt free models serve.

“Germany has a lower percentage of students go on to college than we have here in the US,” Mark Huelsman, a senior policy analyst at think tank Demos, told ATTN.

In the media
Abby Jackson