Special Reports
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Vol. 20 No. 7August 2009
Special Report
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A Modern Safety Net
We need to update our social contract for the real lives of working families in a brutal economy. -
Recovering Opportunity
Racial barriers continue to hold back millions of Americans -- and our economy. -
Mis-Measuring Poverty
In recent years, there has been a growing effort to revamp our poverty definition. -
A National Mission
Britain's national goal of reducing child poverty was a political success. Did it work? -
Putting Poverty in Its Place
Neighborhood-based approaches can succeed, if they're part of a broader urban strategy. -
Race, Wealth, and Intergenerational Poverty
There will never be a post-racial America if the wealth gap persists. -
The Poverty of Political Talk
It's still hard for politicians to speak clearly about the poorest Americans. -
Don't Forget the Men
Why has helping the single, childless workers become the darling of poverty policy? -
Behavioral Theory
Can Mayor Bloomberg pay people to do the right thing? -
Can Separate Be Equal?
The classroom is where poor and middle-class kids should meet -- to the benefit of both. -
A New Agenda for Tough Times
After a decade of economic change and fresh thinking, it's time for a new national effort to fight poverty.
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Vol. 20 No. 6June 2009
Special Report
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The Assault on the Black Middle Class
Sub-prime lending was racially targeted and demolished decades of progress made by America's most diligent and striving people of color. How will America make amends? -
Financial Product Safety
The case for a new agency to put the needs of consumers first -
When Creditors are Predators
We need to regulate to assure that loans work -- and stop the loans that work people over. -
Community Reinvestment: The Broader Agenda
CRA has created a cadre of community-friendly bankers. It's time to bring reinvestment policy into the 21st century. -
Banks as Heroes
Community-development banks show what financial institutions can do when they have the right motivation and the right mission. -
Reversing the Damage
What will it take to resume credit flows to low- and moderate-income neighborhoods? -
A Bridge to Somewhere
How do we build the road from predatory lending to good financial services for all Americans? -
Don't Blame the Community Reinvestment Act
Homeownership rates and CRA enforcement soared in the 1990s, but sub-prime came later. CRA shouldn't be the scapegoat for the housing meltdown. -
What Does Financial Capital Owe Society?
Corporate social responsibility is a worthy goal, but it's no substitute for regulation, subsidy, and government sponsorship of social institutions. -
Reforming Credit
Our financial system needs to work for consumers at all income levels. A guide to the crisis, its causes, and cures. -
Regulation as Civic Empowerment
The policing of the financial system can't just be left to bureaucrats. Properly designed, regulation can be a community-organizing strategy.
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Vol. 20 No. 3March 2009
Special Report
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A Green Industrial Economy
The opportunity for good jobs is there -- but unionization and government contracting standards will make a huge difference. -
Fighting for Green Justice
In the race for green jobs, environmental-justice advocates don't want urban communities to get left behind. -
From Mass Transit to New Manufacturing
With the right policies in place, an expansion of public transportation could help reindustrialize the United States. -
Beyond Sunny Hopes and Windy Rhetoric
To realize the promise of solar and wind power, aspirations need to be matched with more effective strategies. -
Where the Jobs Are
Compared to spending on the military or oil industry, green investment can improve both job quantity and quality. But it will take a massive shift in resources. -
Lessons From Europe
Funding for research into new technology is key. -
Cities on the Front Lines
Conversion to solar and wind energy is an environmental necessity and an industrial opportunity. Success will require a concerted national policy. -
The Green Challenge: An Introduction
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Vol. 20 No. 2February 2009
Special Report
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New Leadership, New Hopes
How much difference will the Obama administration make to the recovery of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast? -
The Color of Toxic Debris
The racial injustice in the flow of poison that followed the flood. -
Not by Accident
The wholesale damage wrought by Hurricane Katrina was not an inevitability. A sustainable New Orleans is still possible. -
The Houma Nation Digs Out
In the wake of Gustav and Ike, a resilient traditional people recovers from both nature's assaults and bad policy. -
The New Normal
Governments at all levels responded slowly to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The people of the Gulf Coast took up the slack but haven't absolved government of its responsibilities. -
Translating Disaster
In the crisis, the Gulf's Hispanic communities dealt with linguistic and political isolation. But Katrina produced a boost to new organizing efforts. -
Gulf Coast Notebook
Communities rebuild in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Ike. -
Justice Polluted
An environmental-justice attorney explains how the civil rights of Gulf Coast residents were violated. -
Housing New Orleans: Still a Work in Progress
Far too many people are still without decent affordable homes, and hidden vulnerable groups like the mentally ill have been hit hardest of all.
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Vol. 20 No. 1December 2008
Special Report
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A 21st-Century Agenda for Democratic Renewal
We stand on the threshold of a new age of democratic potential. Here's how to harness it. -
A Broader Definition of Democracy
Small reforms won't bring the system-wide change we need. -
The Case for Keeping Score
A democracy index could push states toward more ambitious electoral reforms. -
More Than the Vote
Being a citizen should involve active participation in the governance process. -
Better Together
The Midwest Democracy Network put comprehensive democracy reform into practice. -
Can Money Be a Force For Good?
Many reformers hailed the 2008 election as a bright spot in the history of American democracy. Why? The revolutionary potential of small-donor democracy.
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