America’s Equity Challenge

A Nation In Crisis

At no other point in history has America grappled with as many threats to its stability and future prosperity as it is facing right now. Global warming jeopardizes the very existence of future generations. Economic disruptions are causing whole industries to transform seemingly overnight, destabilizing communities and changing the nature of global relations. Moreover, in 2020 we were hit with the deadliest pandemic the modern world has ever seen, overwhelming our healthcare system and underscoring our nation’s failure to reconcile racial inequity and class disparities.

But where do we begin? 

We must begin by analyzing the policies that govern our cities, states, and nation. These policies must be assessed for their potential to meet the challenges we are facing, with a focus on how national policies can be applied in a local context. We’ve begun the work of cataloging these policies, but have come to realize that there are many issues that remain unresolved which will need to be discussed further and assessed for their value. To assist in this discussion and assessment, we have developed a matrix that scores a set of bold public policy ideas along three dimensions:

  • Research basis
  • Potential economic impact
  • Feasibility of implementation

We’ve examined these three key dimensions for each policy and provided a metric that we hope informs your thinking about how these strategies impact equity in America and your community.

These metrics were derived from a qualitative scoring methodology created by EPU. To learn more about our process and the methodology, click here.

21st Century Homestead Act

Baby Bonds

Cash Aid

Education Finance Reform

Ending the War on Drugs

Entrepreneurs of Color Fund

Environmental Justice

Expanding Voting Rights

Free College

Guaranteed Jobs

Immigration Reform

Massive Workforce Investment

Universal Health Coverage