Noting that a majority of British residents support public ownership of the railways and key utilities, this new paper from the Co-Operative Party calls for modern forms of democratic public ownership. The authors outline how democratic public ownership can lead to productivity gains and protection from government underinvestment in critical infrastructure. The paper outlines what ownership could look like across rail, water, and energy, making actionable recommendations in each sector
While the proportion of Black and white households with debt are similar, more Black households experience “troublesome debt,” or difficulties with debt and bill payments. This new white paper from Prosperity Now discusses this connection between the racial wealth gap and debt, highlighting how disproportionate access to wealth building opportunities such as homeownership and credit perpetuates this disparity. The paper calls for federal reforms that would create greater income and wealth building opportunities for communities of color.
In 1967, the Poor People’s Campaign was launched as a multiracial coalition demanding government action to address poverty and racism in the United States. This new report from the Institute for Policy Studies provides an audit of the last 50 years, examining the trends and conditions that drive poverty finding that systemic racism, economic exploitation, militarism, and ecological devastation continue to deepen inequality. The report accompanies the launch of the New Poor People’s Campaign to build power to create systemic change.
The city government of New York recently released the third annual assessment of New York City’s Worker Cooperative Business Development Initiative, which works to incubate new worker-owned enterprises and provides assistance to convert existing businesses to worker ownership. In 2017, the initiative helped launch 36 new cooperatives and facilitated 185 new hires. The report also details the technical assistance provided to existing businesses and provides a business directory.
A guide for policymakers and grassroots organizations, this new report from Dēmos outlines 25 federal policies that advance racial and economic equity. The report includes short summaries of each policy, polling information around the popularity of particular policies, and key talking points for advocates. Policies highlighted include a public job guarantee, paid family leave, renewable energy investment, and developing a more equitable tax code.
