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❄ Happy Holidays from the
Progressive Policy Institute! ❄
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Dear friends,
As 2024 draws to a close, I want to thank the many friends and partners who helped PPI grow and extend its reach here and around the world throughout the year. Although last month’s presidential election was dismaying, it at least has clarified the task before us. Because of its history and unswerving dedication to radical pragmatism, PPI is uniquely poised to catalyze the center-left revival our country urgently needs. It’s a big job, and we’ll need your help and support more than ever. If you’re interested in continuing to contribute to PPI’s mission, please donate or visit our website.
— Will Marshall and the PPI Team
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PPI's 2024 Election Review: The Way Ahead for Democrats
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The 2024 Presidential election sent shockwaves through American politics, and throughout the world, marking a stunning comeback for Donald Trump and delivering a sobering verdict on the Democratic Party’s current trajectory.
While many governments are grappling with what a change of U.S. administration could mean for their countries and their relationship with the United States, Democrats are coming to terms with why they lost the election, and the way ahead for their party.
New PPI research has been undertaken which reveals the crucial underlying problem: Democrats have lost their connection with working-class Americans.
This third and final installment in a series of PPI/YouGov polling of working-class voters in battleground states, along with focus groups conducted for PPI by Deborah Mattinson, former Director of Strategy for UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, reveal a sobering reality: Blue-collar voters now view the Democratic Party as weak, unpatriotic, incompetent, and out of touch, while seeing Republicans as stronger, more patriotic, and increasingly aligned with their concerns.
“Working class voters rendered a harsh verdict on Democrats on November 6,” said Will Marshall, PPI President. “They see the party as weak, unpatriotic, and out of touch with their everyday economic struggles and values. Democrats need a major course correction, because they can’t build a center-left majority without reconnecting with the working families that once were the backbone of their party.”
PPI’s analysis has been informed by its work around the world to promote durable center-left governments, which is proving challenging under the continued pressure from right-leaning populism. To that end, PPI's Project on Center-Left Renewal, led by Claire Ainsley and Will Marshall, conducted a post-election trip to Europe, making stops in Brussels, Berlin, and London. The PPI delegation discussed what went wrong for Democrats and how we can work together to rebuild and solidify the center-left coalition.
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Will Marshall with newly elected Prime Minister of France, François Bayrou
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PPI Election Briefing at the House of Lords in UK Parliament
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Claire Ainsley and Will Marshall conducting an interview with Times Radio |
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PPI will continue to engage with party leaders, strategists, and policymakers to advance a vision that reconnects Democrats with the working-class voters who have been the backbone of the party for generations. Only by reconnecting and providing them with a credible alternative for change, can we hope to win the next Presidential election. That work has to start now, and here at PPI we're ready to roll up our sleeves and get to work on this mission.
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NEW: Campaign for Working America
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PPI launched its Campaign for Working America in early 2024. Its mission is to develop and test new themes, ideas, and policy proposals that can help Democrats and other center-left leaders make a new economic offer to working Americans, find common ground on polarizing cultural issues, and rally public support for defending freedom and democracy in a dangerous world. Acting as Senior Adviser to the Campaign is former U.S. Representative Tim Ryan.
Ahead of the election, PPI released a series of eight reports across the policy spectrum outlining a plan to help Democrats reconnect with the working-class voters who have historically been the party's mainstay. Now after a disappointing election result, it is clearer than ever that Democrats must improve their standing with working-class voters to restore their competitiveness outside metro centers and build lasting governing majorities.
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PPI traveled to Chicago in August for the Democratic National Convention. We partnered with Axios to host events centered around how both the UK Labour Party and the Democratic Party are grappling with earning the working class vote. Featuring PPI President Will Marshall, Labour MPs, and U.S. Members of Congress, the discussions gathered insights from an array of global and domestic political insiders around what needs to be done to reach these voters and grow the party's bloc.
PPI also organized and hosted an afternoon of programming centered around our Campaign for Working America. Throughout numerous panels and fireside chats with elected officials, we discussed a policy framework to address what we see as the Democratic Party’s overriding political imperative: Regaining the allegiance of working-class Americans.
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Budget and Fiscal Responsibility
Our work to promote a fiscally responsible public investment agenda that fosters robust and inclusive economic growth from PPI's Center for Funding America's Future, led by Ben Ritz.
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A 'Radically Pragmatic' Economic Blueprint
This comprehensive report was compiled by PPI’s Center for Funding America’s Future with contributions from more than a dozen PPI experts covering a wide variety of policy areas. The report argues that, although President Biden successfully led the country in revitalizing major public investments and bringing unemployment to historic lows, failure to tackle the federal government’s $2 trillion annual budget deficit and the inflationary pressures it creates puts those successes in jeopardy.
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Project on Center-Left Renewal
An initiative focused on fighting extremism and making center-left parties more competitive around the world, led by Claire Ainsley.
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BBC News General Election Panel
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German-British Parliamentary Dialogue
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Technology, Innovation and the Economy
Our work advocating for pro-innovation technology policy across the world, led by Chief Economist Dr. Michael Mandel.
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PPI's Annual Investment Heroes Event
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Argentina: AI and the App Economy
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Antitrust & Competition
Our competition policy work advocating for strong antitrust enforcement, led by Diana Moss.
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PPI Game Changers: Redefining the Future of College Sports
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Tech Innovation and the Role of the States in 2025 w/ Governor Jared Polis
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PPI's New Ukraine Project
An initiative devoted to helping Ukraine secure its independence and take its place in Europe as a fully free and democratic nation, led by Tamar Jacoby.
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Trade and Industrial Policy
Our work to promote a free and fair trade agenda that resumes U.S. economic leadership, led by Ed Gresser.
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Workforce Development
Our work to level the playing field for all degree and non-degree workers from PPI's New Skills for a New Economy Project.
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Building a Stronger Workforce, Capitol Hill Briefing
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Workforce Development Roundtable Discussion with Liam Byrne MP
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Climate & Energy
Our work to assure abundant and affordable energy while lowering U.S. and global greenhouse gas emissions to combat climate change.
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Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute discussion on energy equity and affordability
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National League of Cities City Summit
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PPI’s Elan Sykes and Neel Brown hosted a briefing with New Democrat Coalition staff and MiQ - Methane Intelligence to discuss the implications of the LNG facility permit pause and our ideas for a pragmatic path forward that takes into account U.S. climate, energy security, and geopolitical interests.
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Education
Our work advocating for a 21st century model of public education centered around school choice from PPI's Reinventing America's Schools Project.
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RAS Reports Podcast
Featured Episodes:
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Capitol Hill Briefing on HBCUs as Charter School Authorizers
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Featuring opening remarks by Rep. Sanford Bishop (D, GA-02)
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Women in Policy Alliance
In partnership with PPI's Mosaic Project, the Alliance was designed to foster growth and facilitate connection among women working in policy across Washington, D.C., and hosts monthly networking events.
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Women's History Month
Our March coffee and networking event also featured a professional development panel with senior-level Hill staff.
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Fireside Chat with Talila Millman
Mosaic alumna Talila Millman spoke with PPI VP Sarah Paden for a fireside chat about her new book.
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Housing & American Identity
Our work on housing policy and strengthening American identity through public education, both led by Richard D. Kahlenberg.
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Health Care
Our work to promote lowering costs, increasing transparency, and expanding access in the health care system.
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Washington, D.C.
Phoenix, Arizona
Berkeley, California
Los Angeles, California
Sacramento, California
San Francisco, California
Denver, Colorado
Hartford, Connecticut
Tampa, Florida
Atlanta, Georgia
Chicago, Illinois
Indianapolis, Indiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
Boston, Massachusetts
Dearborn, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Biloxi, Mississippi
Kansas City, Missouri
Las Vegas, Nevada
New York, New York
Youngstown, Ohio
Erie, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Providence, Rhode Island
Charleston, South Carolina
Columbia, South Carolina
Austin, Texas
Dallas, Texas
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Houston, Texas
Seattle, Washington
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Melbourne, Australia
Sydney, Australia
Brisbane, Australia
Brussels, Belgium
Brasília, Brazil
Toronto, Canada
Tallinn, Estonia
Paris, France
Tbilisi, Georgia
Berlin, Germany
Florence, Italy
Tokyo, Japan
Auckland, New Zealand
Warsaw, Poland
Rzeszow, Poland
Kyiv, Ukraine
Dnipro, Ukraine
Kramatorsk, Ukraine
Mykolaiv, Ukraine
Sloviansk, Ukraine
Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
London, United Kingdom
Liverpool, United Kingdom
Montevideo, Uruguay
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Brussels, Belgium
PPI took a bipartisan and bicameral delegation to its Brussels office to visit NATO and various institutions of European government. The delegation learned what the greater European view of the war in Ukraine was and what NATO and the EU are doing to assist Ukraine’s fight against Russia.
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London, United Kingdom
Numerous PPI policy experts spoke on panels at the Progressive Britain Conference in London. PPI President Will Marshall delivered a keynote address to kick off the conference, and also engaged in a panel discussion on relations between Labour and Democrats with UK foreign secretary David Lammy and MP Allison McGovern.
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Berlin, Germany
At the Progressive Governance Summit (PGS) 2024 in Berlin, Former Congressman and current PPI Senior Advisor Tim Ryan participated in a panel on foreign policy and new industrial policy amidst geoeconomic shifts, moderated by PPI's Claire Ainsley.
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Sydney, Australia
PPI traveled to Australia to promote our encryption paper. We had the pleasure of presenting the paper's findings to members of the NSW Parliament and staffers, and again under the view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The event was chaired by Ed Cavanough, CEO of the McKell Institute.
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Buenos Aires, Argentina
PPI's technology, economic and trade teams traveled to Argentina to discuss the role of AI in the App Economy and its potential to drive economic growth. The delegation emphasized AI’s potential to revolutionize industries and underscored the need for supportive policies that foster innovation and job growth.
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Looking forward to seeing you in 2025!
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