NEWS RELEASE: December 8, 2020
Contact: Brian Gumm
(202) 747-0698 x4
Center for Progressive Reform Launches New Initiative to Create a More Just, Sustainable America
Leading progressive think tank aims to repair and reimagine our government to advance equity and protect public and environmental health
The Center for Progressive Reform launched Policy for a Just America today, a major new initiative to use the tools of democracy to advance justice and equity, protect public and environmental health, and create a more sustainable future.
The Trump administration has waged a sustained assault on our democracy and rolled back decades’ worth of health, safety, and environmental protections over the last four years. CPR’s Policy for a Just America aims not only to repair the damage but also to reimagine and rebuild our government so that it works for all people, not just the wealthy and powerful few.
“Government is the great equalizer,” CPR Interim Executive Director Laurie Ristino said. “It has the power to lift us all up, keep us all safe and healthy, and protect our precious planet from harm. But our government isn’t working the way it should, especially for low-wealth families and people of color. We need to rethink and remake our government so it works for us, not against us. We need to unleash the power of government for good — and the good news is that we, the people, have the power to do so.”
To achieve this vision, CPR’s network of more than 60 scholars and staff is developing a series of policy recommendations and other resources over the next two years and working to enact them at the federal and state levels.
CPR is also using advocacy and other tools to support communities and their allies in reform efforts, as well as to inform the public about the urgent need for such reform and how to achieve it across all levels of government.
Policy for a Just America recommendations aim to enfranchise those who have been shut out of our democracy, particularly people of color and communities in the crosshairs of climate change and toxic pollution, those who are routinely denied economic opportunity, and people whose workplaces are unsafe or unhealthy. Recommendations seek to connect individual, community, and environmental well-being to just policies, fair processes, and greater access to our government through inclusive design.
Resources included in the initiative fall under three themes: a more responsive government, stronger health and safety protections for the public, and a sustainable future. Specifically, these resources offer ways to create a more equitable and inclusive regulatory process and judicial system; protect the public from hazardous working and living conditions and the harmful effects of climate change; and promote long-term solutions for equity and justice. These resources are aimed at those who serve the public in appointed and elected positions of power and are designed to support community-based advocates as they seek change.
The initiative comes at an opportune moment for progressive change — as a new administration transitions into power, a new Congress convenes, and policymakers around the country embark on a new year of public service.
“The new Biden-Harris administration offers a critical opportunity to repair and reimagine our government,” Ristino said. “The Policy for a Just America initiative will enable us to seize this important moment and set our country on a new course to justice for all.”
To learn more about the initiative, visit CPR’s Policy for a Just America webpage. Subscribe to CPR’s mailing list to receive updates as new resources and recommendations are released.
Through the expertise of our 60+ scholars and staff, the Center for Progressive Reform creates powerful tools and strategies for policymakers and the public to advance policies and processes that ensure the health and well-being of people, their communities, and our environment.
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