This fact sheet includes a brief overview of why paying for college has become so difficult. Suggestions for how college students can lower their own college costs and information on public policies that can make attending college more affordable are included.
TOP FACTS:
New York, NY — Demos, a national research and policy center, is pleased to announce the addition of two new members of its fellows program who are also developing new books under the Demos Books Project:
Turnout Increases of 4.3 Percent Likely Under Current Proposed Legislation
Annapolis, MD — In the historic 2008 presidential election, Maryland ranked 12th among states in voter participation by eligible residents. Voter participation in Maryland could significantly increase if the state passes Same Day Registration (SDR) into law, according to a new report published today by Demos and released in collaboration with ACLU of Maryland.
Authors R. Michael Alvarez (California Institute of Technology) and Jonathan Nagler (New York University) have analyzed the likely impact on voter turnout should Maryland adopt Same Day Registration (SDR). Under the system proposed in Maryland, eligible voters who miss the current 21-day deadline for registering may be able to register to vote during the state's 7-day early voting period, or on Election Day.
Prisoners will soon be bigger players in those high-stakes redistricting fights thanks to a change in federal policy governing how they're to be counted in the 2010 census.
In this week's policy change on prisoner counts, Census officials said they would release data on prison populations to states when they redraw legislative boundaries next year. This gives states more leeway in tallying their prisoners -- a move that could reshape the political map.
Community college credentials can play a vital role in creating economic security for young adults while at the same time rejuvenating career opportunities.
New York, NY — As President Obama calls for massive increases in Federal college grant aide in the 2011 budget, a new report by the policy center Demos shows how one-and two-year postsecondary degrees are vital tools for moving people into living-wage jobs.
A central goal of any automatic voter registration proposal should be a representative electorate in which all eligible citizens, including those from historically underrepresented communities, are effectively registered and able to cast a ballot on Election Day. State databases of individuals receiving public assistance benefits--including SNAP (formerly Food Stamps), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and Medicaid--can be an important source for registering low-income citizens--one of the most under-registered segments of the population.
“Same Day Registration” (SDR) allows eligible citizens to register and vote on or before Election Day. In doing so, SDR greatly enhances the opportunity for Americans to participate in the electoral process and cast a ballot that will be properly counted. States that allow for Same Day Registration consistently lead the nation in voter turnout. Nine states and the District of Columbia currently have Same Day Registration.
TOP FACTS:
Advocates, educators and students often make the assumption that more education is always better, that a bachelors or graduate degree is always superior in terms of providing additional economic opportunity. As the following report show, this is not always the case.
If the city's proposal to require all voters to show identification at polls is approved, it will be the state's first municipality with such a rule.
Despite statewide accusations of voter fraud in the recent Senate election, many argue that the new measure could hinder disenfranchised voters from casting their ballots and would add an unnecessary encumbrance to what is meant to be an easy and accessible right.
Report authors R. Michael Alvarez and Jonathan Nagler have analyzed the likely impact on voter turnout should New Mexico adopt Same Day Registration (SDR). Under the system proposed in New Mexico, eligible voters who miss the current 28-day deadline for registering by mail may be able to register to vote during the state's early voting period. The availability of Same Day Registration procedures should give voters who have not previously registered the opportunity to vote.
The following report evaluates the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) — the primary U.S. policy response to the job dislocations caused by trade. It shows the ways in which TAA has failed to respond adequately to the challenges facing dislocated workers. It highlights the need for a more comprehensive set of policies to help workers and families navigate the economic restructuring that has become an inevitable part of increasing trade and globalization.
Some Facts & Figures:
One of the best things Massachusetts ever did was to allow voter registration at the Registry of Motor Vehicles — and even that logical decision had detractors. But it has brought thousands of new voters onto the rolls. Getting them out to the polls is another story.
New York — Demos is please to announce that James Gustave ("Gus") Speth is joining Demos as its eighth Distinguished Senior Fellow. Speth comes to Demos after serving as Dean of the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies from 1999-2009. Previously, he was Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme and chair of the UN Development Group. Earlier, he was founder and president of the World Resources Institute; professor of law at Georgetown University Law Center; chairman of the U.S.
When drawing legislative districts, New York State counts incarcerated persons as "residents" of the community where the prison is located, instead of counting them in the home community to which they will return, on average, within 34 months. This practice of prison-based gerrymandering ignores more than 100 years of legal precedent.
