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

ProGov21 Policy Library

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Introduction to the Urban Opportunity Agenda Strategy Calculator
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2023
Level City or Town
State(s) All States
Source Center for Neighborhood Technology
Policy Areas Data & Technology, Democracy & Governance, Economic Justice
This interactive tool allows users to customize a portfolio of strategies for reducing poverty, creating economic opportunities, and building stronger communities. Users can choose from over one hundred cities (with every state in the country represented by at least one city) to...
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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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Hardships in America
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2001
Level National
State(s) All States
Source Economic Policy Institute
Policy Areas Economic Justice, Education, Health, Housing, Children & Families
Many working families in the United States are living in poverty despite working full-time. A stronger social safety net, including universal programs for health care, child care, and housing, is necessary to support single parents, young workers, people from historically marginalized...
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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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Increase School Clothing Allowance for Children in Deep Poverty
Type Fact Sheet or Infographic
Year 2019
Level State
State(s) Michigan
Source Michigan League for Public Policy
Policy Areas Children & Families, Economic Justice
Michigan's clothing allowance helps families living in poverty provide for the basic needs of their children, but the purchasing power of FIP grants has decreased, affecting children`s basic needs. Differences in economic security and opportunity are at the core of racial and ethnic...
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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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Under the Radar: How Airline Outsourcing of Passenger Services Compromises Security and Service Quality at LAX
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2007
Level City or Town
State(s) California
Source Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy
Policy Areas Economic Justice, Civil Rights, Health, Housing, Public Safety
The Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy (LAANE) surveyed nearly 300 passenger service workers to determine the effects of contracting on public safety and service quality at the Los Angeles International Airport. Results show that airlines are compromising security at LAX by failing...
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Promoting Economic Opportunity in Michigan
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2011
Level City or Town
State(s) Michigan
Source Corporation for a Skilled Workforce
Policy Areas Economic Justice, Community Development
The Commission on Community Action & Economic Opportunity is composed of leaders who work at the local and regional levels throughout Michigan to promote economic opportunity. Through their Forums across the state, they hear directly from people struggling to avoid or recover from...
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Building Resiliency: The Role of Anchor Institutions in Sustaining Community Economic Development
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2013
Level County
State(s) All States
Source Mayors Innovation Project
Policy Areas Democracy & Governance, Education, Health, Economic Justice, Civil Rights, Environment & Natural Resources, Children & Families
Chester, Pennsylvania, a small, formerly industrial city located on the Delaware River, not far from Philadelphia, exemplifies the problems and possibilities faced by older manufacturing cities across the United States, especially in the Northeast and Midwest. Chester's problems of...
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Wilcox Boulevard Bridge - River to Ridge Mobility Project
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2023
Level City or Town
State(s) Tennessee
Source Katie Snyder, City of Chattanooga Transportation Engineer; Alfred Benesch & Company; CDOT Public Works
Policy Areas Community Development, Transportation & Mobility
Limited east-west travel and mobility constraints in the River to Ridge area of East Chattanooga restrict access to jobs, parks, and essential services. This report outlines implement a ADA-compliant structure that includes pedestrian and multi-use paths while maintaining freight...
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The Rise of Data Poverty in America
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2014
Level National
State(s) All States
Source Center for Data Innovation
Policy Areas Data & Technology, Economic Justice, Education, Health
Data poverty can lead to the rise of 'data deserts', where certain groups lack access to high-quality data about themselves and their communities, leading to social and economic inequalities. Local municipalities should implement data collection programs focusing on hard-to-reach...
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The Poor Get Prison: The Alarming Spread of the Criminalization of Poverty
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2015
Level Other Boards and Agencies
State(s) All States
Source Institute for Policy Studies
Policy Areas Civil Rights, Public Safety
Poor people, especially people of color, face a far greater risk of being fined, arrested, and even incarcerated for minor offenses than other Americans. A broken taillight, an unpaid parking ticket, a minor drug offense, sitting on a sidewalk, or sleeping in a park can all result...
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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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