Search Demos.org

Washington DC – In an important hearing today on the future of America’s middle class, Democrats on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee made the case for greater public investment, fairer tax policy, and better job creation to stimulate economic growth and support working Americans. Demos, a national public policy research and advocacy center, supports the effort, as families continue to reel from the recession and high unemployment.

New York – This week, the growing practice of employers screening the credit scores of job applicants was dealt a legal blow after the Court of Common Council of Hartford, Connecticut, passed an ordinance prohibiting the practice as part of the city's employment application and promotion process. The legislation is the first municipal ordinance of its kind in the country. 

Demos, a national public policy research and advocacy center that supports fair employment and publishes research hiring practices, celebrates the decision.

Washington, DC — The need for our nation to rebuild the middle class — the real engine of our economy — was completely overlooked in the new job-killing recommendations from the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform earlier today. Tamara Draut, Vice President of Policy and Programs at Demos responded with the following statement.

Washington DC — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has appointed Stephen B. Heintz to serve on the newly created Commission on Key National Indicators.

Washington, DC — The need for our nation to rebuild the middle class-the real engine of our economy-was completely overlooked in the new job-killing recommendations from the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform earlier today. Tamara Draut, Vice President of Policy and Programs at Demos responded with the following statement.

The marquee bill, which features improvements to voting, campaign finance, and ethics laws, addresses the deep political, racial, and economic inequalities that plague our democracy. 

Here we see the trick to undermining any universalistic program: creating an “us against them” narrative.

Washington, DC — A collaborative effort of The Century Foundation, Demos and the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), Our Fiscal Security today released Investing in America’s Economy: A Budget Blueprint for Economic

The most accurate threshold to enter the rarefied top 1% of wealthholders, $7,880,400, is almost three times as high as the Census estimates. 

401(k)s Fail Millions of Retirees: Hidden Fees Swallow 20% of Balance, Yield Low Growth, Susceptible to Market Volatility—According to New Report

Out-of-Pocket Medical Expenses Among Top Sources of Credit Card Debt

Raleigh — North Carolina's young adults will continue to face a tough economy--one ravaged not only by recession but also by 30 years of declining opportunity and security for all but the most highly educated and affluent, according to a new report by Demos and the North Carolina Justice Center.

Extreme market forces are corrupting us as individuals – morally and ethically.

Since the days of Diner’s Club, credit cards have evolved to become a key element of American household finances. When emergency strikes we may not have cash in hand, but with access to credit cards a broken arm, a busted furnace, or a last-minute plane ticket doesn’t have to leave our families vulnerable to insolvency, abusive lending, or the knock of a loan shark on the front door.

If you think wage theft is being overblown by worker advocates, as some business groups suggest, check out this outrageous story. 

Last week, Philadelphia restaurant franchise Chickie's & Pete's agreed to pay employees around $8.6 million in back wages to settle a Department of Labor (DOL) investigation and several lawsuits brought by employees past and present.

The Detroit Emergency Manager, Kevyn Orr, has announced the third iteration of a settlement of a massive derivatives deal gone wrong, a key element of the largest municipal bankruptcy in history. On the surface, it appears to be a significant improvement over the prior versions. But appearances can be deceiving.

For higher education and student debt, this year’s budget mostly includes proposals we’ve seen from the Obama administration in previous budgets, speeches, or elsewhere.

At worst, this argument can be paternalistic and classist; at best, it misses the forest for the trees. 

There is no more basic form of liberty than the right to be alive and unharmed.