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H.R. 1, the For the People Act, is the boldest and most comprehensive proposal to strengthen our democracy since the aftermath of Watergate.

Demos strongly urges the Department of Homeland Security to withdraw the proposed rule to radically enlarge the list of criteria that will be used to decide whether an immigrant is likely to become a “public charge.”

President Trump should follow the letter of the law and allow the Senate to confirm a new Director of the CFPB. 

Dramatic new public policy initiatives are needed to accomplish two broad interrelated goals: to ensure that all Americans have a chance to move into the middle class and, second, to ensure greater security for those in the middle class.

"With the Supreme Court split four-to-four on so many critical issues, the stakes could not be higher."

Thank you for this opportunity to submit testimony regarding the damage that Citizens United and the rise of Super PACs has done to our system of democratic government.  In the text below I will discuss why rules that govern the role of money in politics are important to our democracy; the impact of Citizens United and related decisions on our electoral system; and what Congress can and must do to promote the core American value of political equality.

Testimony of Demos' Democracy Program Legal Director on restoring contribution limits in Vermont, delivered before the Vermont House Government Operations Committee on February 5, 2008.

Testimony of Democracy Program Director Brenda Wright before the Boston City Council on Campaign Finance Reform

New York State’s Climate and Community Protection Act (CCPA) is a bold climate action policy for the people of New York.

Our current system of campaign finance reform suppresses the political power of people of color and that lack of political power has had proven, lasting consequences.

As part of an effort to reshape rules around debt and lending to reduce racial wealth inequality, we propose establishing a public credit registry to gradually replace the current for-profit credit reporting system.

How the Climate & Community Protection Act will Increase Resiliency for New York’s Latinx Communities

How We Can Fix the Housing Affordability Crisis

New York State is in the midst of a housing crisis. Right now, there is a policy platform under consideration that could address the crisis.

The CCPA is a climate bill, a racial justice bill, a public health bill, and an economic development bill. We need it to be all of these things.

Demos’ Race-Class Narrative (RCN) project developed an empirically-tested narrative on race and class that resonates with all working people and offers an alternative to—and neutralizes the use of—dog-whistle racism.

Democracy Dollars Can Make Every Voice Matter in Albuquerque’s Elections

The Disparate Impact standard is critical to continued and enhanced opportunity to access fair credit, housing, and homeownership. Demos strongly opposes efforts to undermine this longstanding enforcement tool.

Removing unnecessary hurdles to small donor participation will help fix a system that currently prioritizes wealthy, white, male donors over communities of color and working-class people.