Elections are decided by who votes — and increasingly, in America, by who cannot. Barriers to voting participation skew policy outcomes and elections to the right in the United States. One of the most racially discriminatory of these barriers is felon disenfranchisement.
It's one of the biggest financial decisions you'll ever make: choosing what to do with your 401(k) at retirement. That account may be the largest asset you will rely on for income in later life. You could leave it where it is or roll the money to investments inside an IRA. The right decision could give you hundreds of thousands of added dollars over a 30-year retirement. [...]
Federal contracting with private vendors supports about two million low-wage private sector jobs, according to Demos, a national research institute, in their study, "Underwriting Bad Jobs." That is "more than the number of low wage workers at Walmart and McDonald's combined."
The lack of retirement security for middle-class and low-wage workers is a growing crisis that Washington has refused to address, even though it demands immediate attention.
In the wake of the recent gutting of the Voting Rights Act, partisans were quick to jump on the opportunity to restrict unfavorable voters. Across the country, conservatives in particular have debated fiercely whether to pursue voter suppression to remain competitive in an increasingly diverse electorate.
One effect of the ruling is that it’ll now be easier to sue an employer over an expensive 401(k) plan, turning up the legal pressure a notch.
Those expenses matter. A 2012 study by Demos, a New York City-based think tank, found that over a lifetime, 401(k) fees cost a two-earner family with a median income nearly $155,000 — and consume nearly one-third of their investment returns.
A low unemployment rate doesn't always mean everyone who wants to work has a fair chance to do so. Read our latest analysis to learn why looking beyond the headline numbers is essential to understanding the health of the labor market.
By placing the administrative burden on the state and not the individual, Automatic Voter Registration helps build a more equitable, multiracial democracy by ensuring eligible voters—especially those disproportionately impacted by structural barriers to voting—can fully participate.
When governments use the power of the purse to create good jobs, workers, families, and communities benefit. Strong labor standards raise wages, improve job quality, and expand economic stability—helping build a more equitable economy for all.
Universal Vote by Mail expands access to democracy by ensuring every eligible voter can conveniently, securely, and successfully cast a ballot. By removing unnecessary barriers and reducing racial disparities in ballot rejection, this solution helps build a more inclusive and representative democracy.
A policy agenda for building a just, inclusive multiracial democracy and economy where everyone has the power to shape the rules that govern their lives.
In our latest analysis, we look beyond the headline unemployment rate to examine declining labor force participation, with particular attention to Black women, whose participation has fallen sharply in recent months.
This case study examines how two Michigan cities, Dearborn and Hamtramck, responded to gaps in federal language-access protections and expanded access to Arabic-language voting assistance at the local level.
Ahead of midterms, Dēmos case study presents the framework that secured language access for Arabic speakers and lessons to continue increasing turnout for a pivotal voting group in the state.
Dēmos President Taifa Smith Butler called the Supreme Court's decision essential to building an inclusive democracy in which all Americans have equal rights and a political voice.
