Fighting for a new systemic vision Expanding democratic ownership

One lesson a year of COVID-19 has taught us

by Ted Howard

For many people, the pandemic has ripped off the sunglasses that masked the true colors of our political economy. The question now is whether we will settle for a superficial and ephemeral recovery of the old system or use our capacity to build a new system.

Mother and child during COVID-19. Photo by vperemen.com

by Ted Howard

For many people, the pandemic has ripped off the sunglasses that masked the true colors of our political economy. The question now is whether we will settle for a superficial and ephemeral recovery of the old system or use our capacity to build a new system.

Constructing the democratic public bank

Aligning finance with people and planet Expanding democratic ownership

Constructing the Democratic Public Bank: A governance proposal for Los Angeles

by Michael Brennan

Public banks have the potential to address a host of economic, social, and ecological crises. This report proposes a democratic public bank model for Los Angeles and elsewhere that addresses key questions of how public banks can best live up to that potential.
Next City Local Economy

Centering community and place Expanding democratic ownership

How localities can save small businesses through local economy preservation funds

Dramatic interventions are necessary to preserve local businesses at risk of failure due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Local economy preservation funds can purchase and hold these enterprises and prepare them to flourish in the recovery.
COVID-19 and 21st-century public ownership

Expanding democratic ownership Redesigning the enterprise

COVID-19 and 21st century public ownership

by Thomas Hanna, Mathew Lawrence

COVID-19, an epochal event, has made the case for reimagining the ownership and governance of our economies on both sides of the Atlantic more urgent than ever. An agenda to extend democratic public ownership is essential.

The New Systems Reader

Fighting for a new systemic vision Centering community and place

The New Systems Reader: A 'landmark book' for an unprecedented time

by Gus Speth

This book highlights some of the most thoughtful, substantive, and promising answers to how to reshape an economy battered by a global pandemic on top of the looming climate crisis, chronic structural racism, and worsening wealth inequities.

How we are building the democratic economy....

A view of the US Capitol

Theory and policy for a next system

Working on both sides of the Atlantic, we are advancing bold interventions in transformative policy that move the window of possibility decisively towards systemic change.
A joint event podium for the Cleveland Clinic and Evergreen Energy Solutions

Leveraging anchor Institutions

We are creating a national movement of anchor institutions—place-based nonprofits like universities and hospitals—working together to build community wealth.
A raised Black fist in front of a city street

Racial equity and the democratic economy

Building a truly democratic economy means having the courage to collectively center and confront the effects of historical and ongoing racism in the way today’s economy is built.
An aerial photo of an urban community

Catalyzing a movement to build community wealth

We have successfully advanced, defended, and normalized the notion that local economic policy should directly create and support economic institutions that deliver democratic outcomes.
Hands working with fabric

Next-generation enterprise and systemic design

We need to envision and create an entirely new concept of the company—a just and democratic firm—designed for a new mandate: to serve broad well-being and the public good.
A community celebrating a solar array

Climate justice and energy democracy

Our emphasis is where climate and energy meet structural issues of ownership, control, and finance, underscoring the connection between a just transition and a democratic economy.
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Recently published

Viatris (Mylan) plant protest
July 21, 2021

The effort to stop the shutdown of the nation’s largest generic drug plant

We support a call on the Biden administration to use the Defense Production Act to keep the Morgantown, West Virginia drug plant open, and to adopt an industrial strategy that prioritizes public health over private greed.

A federal resolution calls for a shift to public power. Image by andreas160578 from Pixabay
June 3, 2021

Bush-Bowman congressional resolution calls for a shift to public power

The resolution by Reps. Cori Bush and Jamaal Bowman shows how we can replace the privatized, fossil-fueled, and racist energy system that we live with today with a public and community-controlled energy system that is rooted in justice.

A New Era of Public Power
May 10, 2021

A new era of public power: A vision for New York Power Authority in pursuit of climate justice

New Yorkers have the opportunity to demand, build, and benefit from a more democratic and equitable energy system. This report shows how the New York Public Authority can play a central role in meeting the state's sustainability and equity goals.
Illustration courtesy of United Nations

All health is public health: Busting the myths of choice and commodity

For decades, we have been sold a myth of private health. It is a myth that our health is largely a product of individual choices and personal responsibilities. It is a myth that our healthcare is a service that private corporations can provide, and for which we must pay to survive. But the COVID-19