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From cutting-edge policy research to illuminating analysis, we bring a racial equity lens to the most pressing issues facing our country. For our latest blog posts and media updates, visit our Media page.

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The Human Cost of Houseplants cover image

The Human Cost of Houseplants: Labor Conditions of Florida’s Plant Nursery Workers

This report exposes the hidden labor crisis behind America's booming houseplant industry and makes the case for a worker-driven accountability model that has already delivered real improvements for workers in other industries.

Research
Demos
WeCount!
Partners for Dignity and Rights
Woman voting at voting booth

The Costs of Implementing Documentary Proof of Citizenship Bills

As states across the country consider Documentary Proof of Citizenship (DPOC) requirements in the wake of the federal SAVE Act’s reintroduction, one fundamental issue has gone largely overlooked: What do these laws actually cost states?

Research
Lata Nott
Victoria Hammitt
Neda Khoshkhoo
Nick Harper
Joshua Harmon
Lucas Della Ventura
Demos
The Campaign Legal Center
State Voices
Woman voting

Language Access & State Voting Rights Acts

Effective language access is essential for ensuring that every voter can fully participate in our democracy. Our new case study examines how the Connecticut Voting Rights Act (CTVRA) has become a model for expanding language access beyond what federal law requires.

Research
Angelo Ancheta

New Jersey’s Great Cost Shift How Higher Education Cuts Undermine the State’s Future Middle Class

New Jersey’s investment in higher education has decreased considerably over the past two decades, and its financial aid programs, though still some of the country’s most expansive, fail to reach many students with financial need.

Research
Mark Huelsman

The Debt Disparity: What Drives Credit Card Debt In America

What differentiates households that accumulate and carry balances on their credit cards from those that don’t have debt? Building on a national survey of 1,997 households, this study examines two groups of working age low- and middle-income households that are statistically indistinguishable in
Research
Amy Traub

Dollars and Sense: How Undisclosed Money and Post-McCutcheon Campaign Finance Will Affect the 2014 Election and Beyond

Chairman Schumer, Senator King, Ranking Member Roberts, and Members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to submit this testimony for this hearing on the harm of secret political spending, the impact of the Supreme Court’s recent decision in McCutcheon v. FEC, and solutions to address the
Testimony and Public Comment
Liz Kennedy

How State Banks Can Reduce Student Debt

In 2013, student debt surpassed $1.2 trillion,1 highlighting a disturbing new reality: for an increasing share of students, higher education comes at the cost of long term debt. In 1989, 41 percent of graduating college seniors left school with student loan debt, which averaged $26,600. By 2012, two
Policy Briefs

Fast Food Failure: How CEO-to-Worker Pay Disparity Undermines the Industry and the Overall Economy

Extreme wage gaps within the fast food industry has made its sector the most unequal in the American economy

Research
Catherine Ruetschlin

Letter to the White House on the Affordable Care Act and the National Voter Registration Act

Dear Mr. President:
Testimony and Public Comment
Project Vote

What is McCutcheon v. FEC?

McCutcheon struck down the limit on the total amount that one wealthy donor is permitted to contribute to all federal candidates, parties, and political action committees (PACs) combined.

Research

The Hidden Costs of Repealing Same-Day Registration in Montana

In November 2014, voters in Montana will face a very important choice: to repeal or to continue SDR. They should keep it.

Research
Damon L. Daniels

The Great Cost Shift Continues

State Higher Education Funding After the Recession

Research
Tamara Draut

What Is Same Day Registration? Where Is It Available?

Same Day Registration (SDR) allows eligible voters to register to vote and cast their ballots on the same day. Depending on the state, this one-stop process for registering and voting may be offered on Election Day, during the early voting period, or both.

Research