University of Wisconsin–Madison
Progressive Local Government
For the 21st Century

ProGov21 Policy Library

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Year
Leveraging Anchor Institutions for Economic Inclusion
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2015
Level County
State(s) All States
Source PolicyLink
Policy Areas Economic Justice, Civil Rights, Democracy & Governance, Education, Health, Environment & Natural Resources, Children & Families
Anchor institutions can be important drivers of economic growth. Through their spending and investment, employment and contracting, and their ability to generate ideas, information, and talent, they can spark innovative enterprises grounded in place. Their existence can be especially...
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Tax Breaks and Inequality: Enriching Billionaires and Low-Road Employers in the Name of Economic Development
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2014
Level County
State(s) All States
Source Good Jobs First
Policy Areas Economic Justice, Community Development, Finance & Procurement
The intensification of economic inequality, one of the defining issues of our times, has many causes, ranging from the weakening of labor unions to the decimation of inheritance taxes. This report argues that another factor belongs on the list: subsidies given by state and local governments...
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Online and Observed: Student Privacy Implications of School-Issued Devices and Student Activity Monitoring Software
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2021
Level School District
State(s) All States
Source Center for Democracy & Technology
Policy Areas Education, Data & Technology
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many school districts have introduced student activity monitoring software and other digital tools aimed at facilitating remote classroom management and driving student engagement. Though helpful, these tools can also be intrusive. This report examines...
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The Case for Extending State-Level Child Tax Credits to Those Left Out: A 50-State Analysis
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2019
Level State
State(s) All States
Source Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy
Policy Areas Economic Justice, Children & Families
The current federal Child Tax Credit (CTC), which provides up to $2,000 per child, is designed to provide an income boost to parents or guardians of children and other dependents. However, many low-income families do not receive the full benefit of the federal credit due to an earnings...
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Basic Income in Cities: A Guide to City Experiments and Pilot Projects
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2018
Level City or Town
State(s) All States
Source National League of Cities
Policy Areas Economic Justice
Universal Basic Income (UBI) is a cash payment granted to all members of a community on a regular basis, regardless of employment status or income level. This guide provides recommendations to cities looking to pilot UBI policies. In particular, it provides tips on how cities should...
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2015 Los Angeles Ordinance 183613 Creating a Wage Enforcement Division
Type Ordinance or Resolution
Year 2015
Level City or Town
State(s) California
Source City of Los Angeles
Policy Areas Economic Justice
This ordinance establishes a new Wage Enforcement Division to enforce violations of wage theft in Los Angeles, establish penalties, and grant authority to the City of Los Angeles Police Commission to deny, revoke or suspend a police permit issued or requested by an employer found...
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Aging California's Retirement Crisis: State and Local Indicators
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2015
Level City or Town, County
State(s) California
Source U.C. Berkeley Center For Labor Research and Education
Policy Areas Economic Justice, Civil Rights, Children & Families, Housing, Public Safety
This report evaluates California's looming retirement crisis. The study finds most California seniors are unprepared for retirement facing high costs of living and with low pension or 401K attainment....
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Economic Vulnerabilities to COVID-19 Among LGBT Adults in California
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2020
Level State
State(s) California
Source Williams Institute
Policy Areas Economic Justice, Civil Rights, Housing, Health, Food
This report describes characteristics of LGBT adults in California in relation to their vulnerability to economic harm from the COVID-19 pandemic. Key findings of the report show that about 612,000 LGBT Californians were living below 200% of the federal poverty level prior to the...
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Beyond Unemployment: Rebuilding the Economy With Good Jobs
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2011
Level County
State(s) California
Source Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy
Policy Areas Economic Justice, Civil Rights, Democracy & Governance
LAANE report outlining an equitable growth strategy for LA County following the 2008 recession built around good jobs targeted towards communities facing the greatest disadvantage...
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A New Anchor Mission for a New Century
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2014
Level County
State(s) All States
Source Democracy Collaborative
Policy Areas Democracy & Governance, Economic Justice, Community Development
As the community foundation field reaches the century mark and faces growing pressure on its business model, many communities at the same time are struggling with economic distress. To meet these converging challenges, an innovative group of community foundations are beginning to...
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Why Do We Focus on the Prenatal-to-3 Age Period? Understanding the Importance of the Earliest years
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2021
Level State, National
State(s) All States
Source Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center
Policy Areas Health, Children & Families
The first three years of life are the most sensitive for a child’s developing brain and body. Exposure to chronic stressors during these years can lead to physical, cognitive, and emotional health problems in the future that can be costly for families and society to navigate. This...
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Achieving the Anchor Promise: Improving Outcomes for Low-Income Children, Families and Communities
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2013
Level County
State(s) All States
Source The Democracy Collaborative
Policy Areas Economic Justice, Civil Rights, Democracy & Governance, Education, Health, Environment & Natural Resources, Children & Families
It is widely acknowledged that hospitals and universities are anchor institutions - that is, place-based institutions that are tied to their location by reason of mission, invested capital, or relationships to customers or employees and hence have a vested interest in improving the...
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“We’re Still Hungry”: Lived Experiences with Food Insecurity and Food Programs Among LGBTQ People
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2020
Level County, National
State(s) All States
Source Williams Institute
Policy Areas Economic Justice, Civil Rights, Health, Food
LGBTQ people in the United States report high rates of food insecurity. Through questionnaire data and in-depth interviews with low-income LGBTQ people, this report documents their experiences with food insecurity, the challenges they face when accessing and using programs designed...
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The State of Black Families in Rhode Island
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2017
Level City or Town
State(s) Rhode Island
Source The Economic Progress Institute
Policy Areas Economic Justice, Civil Rights
This report investigates the state of Black families in Rhode Island. It finds that Rhode island's Black population is increasingly growing; the Black unemployment rate is high; the Black poverty rate is high; Black Rhode Islanders are less educated and receive low wages; the Black...
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A Short Guide to Setting Up a City-Scale Retrofit Program
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2009
Level City or Town
State(s) California, New York, Washington
Source Green For All and Center on Wisconsin Strategy (COWS)
Policy Areas Community Development, Energy, Environment & Natural Resources
Municipalities can implement city-scale retrofit programs to improve energy efficiency in buildings, create jobs, and reduce energy costs, particularly targeting low-income communities. These programs should include financial mechanisms to make retrofits accessible for most residents,...
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The Effects of Wal-Mart on Local Labor Markets
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2008
Level County
State(s) All States
Source Mayors Innovation Project
Policy Areas Economic Justice
In response to a policy debate, this report finds that the opening of a Walmart store in a county leads to a reduction in county-level retail employment by approximately 150 workers, implying that each Walmart worker replaces around 1.4 retail workers, resulting in a 2.7 percent decrease...
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Center of Prosperity and Empowerment: An Efficient Memphis and a Shared Future
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2013
Level City or Town
State(s) Tennessee
Source Center for Neighborhood Technology
Policy Areas Community Development, Economic Justice
What would have to happen for the city of Memphis to reduce poverty by 10% within 10 years – lowering it from 27% to 17% – and fundamentally shift economic opportunity and well-being for low-income residents? Today, there are 180,741 Memphis residents living below the poverty line...
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A Tale of Two Cities: How Long Beach's Investment in Downtown tourism has Contributed to Poverty Next Door
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2009
Level City or Town
State(s) California
Source Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy
Policy Areas Economic Justice
i) Long Beach, CA, continues to struggle with extreme poverty despite the recent gentrification of the city's downtown. This report contextualizes the community's historical economic disparities and recommends that officials and hotel industry leaders improve labor standards, mandate...
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The Best Black Economy in Generations – And Why It Isn’t Enough
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2024
Level National
State(s) All States
Source Center for Economic and Policy Research
Policy Areas Economic Justice
African Americans face persistent economic insecurity and inequality despite recent economic improvements. The country should implement targeted and sustained efforts, such as maintaining and improving African American employment levels, broadening homeownership, and passing innovative...
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The Foundational Role of Universities as Anchor Institutions in Urban Development
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2014
Level County
State(s) All States
Source Coalition of Urban Serving Universities
Policy Areas Economic Justice, Civil Rights, Democracy & Governance, Finance & Procurement, Education, Health, Environment & Natural Resources, Children & Families
In the past quarter century, universities have committed themselves to greater engagement in their communities. They are increasingly seen as "anchor" institutions - whose physical presence is integral to the social, cultural, and economic wellbeing of the community. Urban-based universities...
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1997 St. Paul Ordinance Requiring Living Wages for Projects using Government Assistance
Type Ordinance or Resolution
Year 1997
Level City or Town
State(s) Minnesota
Source Institute for Local Self-Reliance
Policy Areas Economic Justice, Finance & Procurement
The document discusses the Living Wage Ordinance implemented in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1997. It mandates that recipients of city economic development assistance of $100,000 or more pay their employees a living wage, defined as 110% of the federal poverty level for a family of four,...
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2016 Los Angeles Ordinance Establishing a Living Wage for Airport Workers
Type Ordinance or Resolution
Year 2016
Level City or Town
State(s) California
Source Council of the City of Los Angeles
Policy Areas Economic Justice, Civil Rights
This revision to the City's living wage ordinance strengthens and extends the regulations for airport employees. On July 1,2016, the wage for Airport Employees shall be no less than $11.68 with health benefits and no less than $16.73 without health benefits....
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The State of Poverty in Hawai'i: How Hawai'i's Residents Are Faring Post-Recovery
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2016
Level State
State(s) Hawaii
Source Hawai'i Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice
Policy Areas Economic Justice, Democracy & Governance
This annual report brings together the most recent available data to provide a snapshot of how low-income residents in Hawaii have fared after the economic recovery. The report highlights the topics of poverty, tax burden, housing, hunger, and education. In addition to this, the authors...
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Paying an Unfair Price: The Financial Penalty for LGBT Women in America
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2015
Level City or Town, County, State
State(s) All States
Source -
Policy Areas Civil Rights, Economic Justice, Health
LGBTQIA+ women are disproportionately likely to live in poverty, face wage gaps, and experience healthcare challenges. Transgender women and women of color are especially vulnerable to discrimination and economic insecurities. This policy brief explores legal solutions for communities...
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2020 Richmond Ordinance 20-096 Establishing a Tax Amnesty Period
Type Ordinance or Resolution
Year 2020
Level City or Town
State(s) Virginia
Source City of Richmond
Policy Areas Economic Justice
This ordinance establishes a tax amnesty period for delinquent taxpayers, temporarily waiving late payment fees. This ordinance was implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Still, it may be utilized regardless of national emergencies, as Richmond, VA, has frequently done...
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Displaying 25 of 58 records.

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