Case Studies in Economic Democracy

This four-part case study series shows what building economic power and liberation for Black and brown people looks like in practice. We highlight the actions and testimonies of movement organizers, community members, and power-building organizations across the country.

The Economic Democracy Project

Image of Black woman walking away from the Capitol and Amazon sign, toward clasped, uplifted hands

The Economic Democracy Project aims to highlight and develop strategies that Black and brown communities can use to build economic and political power. It has 3 priorities that show up across this case study series:

Break up and regulate new corporate power, including Amazon, Google, and Facebook.
Expand the meaning of public goods and ensure that services are equitably and publicly administered.
Strengthen “co-governance” strategies so that people and public agencies can collectively make decisions about the economy.

Learn more about Demos' Economic Democracy Project and its goals.

Amazon's HQ2 in Arlington, VA

Challenging the Dominance of Big Tech: For Us, Not Amazon in Arlington, VA

Collage image of Amazon facility, Amazon workers protesting, Amazon boxes

This case study will follow the coalition For Us, Not Amazon (FUNA) and members of the Athena Coalition as they organized to prevent one of the biggest corporations in the world from taking over the civic, social, and political life of Northern Virginia and beyond.

Read the Virginia case study

Banking in New York City

How the New Economy Project and the Public Bank NYC coalition are pressing for the creation of a public bank for New York City, as part of a broader vision for economic and racial justice.

Banking for the Public Good: Public Bank NYC

Collage of New York City Map, Protestors, Bank Building, Statue of Liberty

This case study follows the New Economy Project as it organized a cross-sector coalition of local worker collaboratives, housing cooperatives, and community wealth-building organizations to win public-banking infrastructure in the city and state of New York—the finance capital of the country.

Read the New York Case Study

Read the Press Release

Hear Us: Public Banking for Racial Justice

Visit New Economy Project

New Economy Project Coalition with protest signs

Co-governance in Texas

This study follows the Texas Organizing Project as it worked to build power and equity for working-class Black & Latino communities in greater Houston after Hurricane Harvey.

Building Civic Power & Practicing Co-Governance in Harris County, TX

How the Texas Organizing Project implemented a winning inside-outside strategy—ultimately helping change how Harris County, Texas allocates relief funds and ensuring the people most impacted by the climate crisis have a seat at the table.

Read the Texas case study

Read the Press Release

Hear Us: The Climate Crisis Demands Race-Intentional Co-Governance

Houses flooded from Hurricane Harvey in Texas

Visit the Texas Organizing Project

Image of Texas Organizing Project members with their hands raised in the air

Pittsburgh's Water

This case study examines how community leaders forced the city of Pittsburgh to provide safe, accessible, and affordable water—and developed an accountability model in the process, by which everyday people can oversee the public water utility.

Water as a Public Good: Pittsburgh's Our Water Campaign

Cover of Demos report on Pittsburgh water crisis

How Pittsburgh United and its partners in the Our Water Campaign worked to restore public governance over the local water authority after a private company left Pittsburgh’s water infrastructure corroded and contaminated.

Read the Pittsburgh case study

Jennifer Rafanan Kennedy & Taifa Smith Butler: The story of Pittsburgh’s water