As the United States slides into deepening polarization and rising authoritarianism, People’s Action’s Deep Canvass for Democracy program played a pivotal role in mobilizing working-class communities to build power through deep canvassing, which achieves lasting shifts of opinions and perception of divisive issues.

In an era redefined by hyperpolarization, misinformation, and the rise of authoritarian forces, we speak to the urgency of connecting people through conversation, building social cohesion, and equipping organizers with the tools to win fights for a more just, inclusive society. By leading us to practice compassion, deep listening, and democratic values at a mass interpersonal level, our work supports the monumental cultural, social, and political shifts required to meet this moment.

How can we build a multiracial and pluralistic democracy with an inclusive economy to defeat the rise of authoritarianism? This question is front and center for People’s Action Institute and our allies. As experienced organizers dedicated to building power among those long denied it, we know firsthand that transformation happens from the ground up.

Through in-depth conversations with 27 of the most experienced and thoughtful leaders who build power among the multiracial poor and working class, we explore current challenges and chart the path towards a shared solution.

Medicaid is vital, improving health and financial stability, reducing disparities, and creating jobs. However, enrollment and renewal processes need improvement. The pandemic highlighted the importance of continuous coverage, but it ended in 2022, potentially causing disenrollments. Administrative barriers and the end of federal funds may result in 15 million people losing coverage. A survey from September 2022 to February 2023 examines recipient experiences and challenges.

The Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment (MAT) Act was signed into law by President Biden on December 29, 2022. This is a huge victory for the People’s Action Overdose Crisis Cohort member leaders who organized their neighbors, made phone calls and hosted meetings to secure this victory.

We uncover how corporate America wants to make inequity a permanent part of American life. We zero in on who is spending big to stop progressive policies in key sectors: taxes, drug pricing, healthcare, housing, the environment, and immigration. We name the corporate bad actors and show how their efforts undermine our democracy as well as our economy.

This report analyzes reasons for current trends and suggests potential counternarrative strategies. While the Chinese government and businesses have criticisms, it’s vital to differentiate legitimate concerns from threat inflation and counteract narratives promoting racism.

Narratives that portray China as an exaggerated threat to the welfare and the way of life of people in the US and use China as a scapegoat for social and economic problems in the US are particularly alarming. Justice is Global is responding to this dangerous trend with strategies to counter the rush toward confrontation with China.

Throughout 2020, the Overdose Crisis Cohort served as an important space for groups to come together, learn from each other, and gain a deeper understanding of the landscape to end the Overdose Crisis. The two primary ways that the cohort acted together was through developing and participating in a messaging research project and acting in concert on International Overdose Awareness Day

People’s Action has completed the first-ever deep canvassing political persuasion experiment this month and the results are groundbreaking. We partnered with the New Conversation Initiative to help design the deep canvass persuasion strategy and researchers David Broockman Josh Kalla to conduct an evaluation of the program.

Since the 2016 election, political news often speculates about rural communities, their residents, views, and voting patterns. There’s a prevailing belief that today’s political polarization created a permanent urban-rural divide. Many politicians dismiss rural votes. We believe it doesn’t have to be this way.

The intersecting crises of income and wealth inequality and climate change, driven by systemic white supremacy and gender inequality, has exposed the frailty of the U.S. economy and democracy. This document was prepared during the COVID-19 pandemic, which exacerbated these existing crises and underlying conditions. Transforming our economy is not just about swapping out elected leaders. We need a shift in popular consciousness.

Following the 2016 election, People’s Action member organizations initiated a collective strategy to bolster their presence in rural and small-town communities. They conducted extensive deep listening in ten target states, engaging in nearly 10,000 conversations and collaborating with Catalist on voting trend research. Additionally, they established 25 organizing chapters in rural areas, conducting over 392,000 door-knocks and 115,226 conversations with rural voters during the 2018 midterm elections.

Over the past century, successful movements for political and economic progress relied on urban-rural coalitions. However, recent divisions in American politics threaten this unity. This report outlines a path to rebuild a diverse “great majority” across rural, suburban, and urban areas, creating a progressive populist movement. Strengthening voter engagement in rural areas is key. People’s Action and allies engaged 392,000 rural voters, electing progressives, and the report provides insights and case studies for future elections.

People’s Action member organizations and our allies are launching an ambitious Rural and Small-Town Organizing Strategy in 72 counties in ten states across the Heartland, Rust Belt, Northeast and South. These conversations give us insight into what these community members are facing and what moves them to action, but this is not fully representative of the communities we surveyed and the respondents are, in general, older, whiter and poorer than the population of these counties as a whole.

This report highlights a disparity between living wages and the minimum wage in all U.S. states. Despite job growth post-Great Recession, most are low-wage jobs, exacerbating income inequality. Discrimination limits high-wage job access for women, people of color, and the LGBTQI community, worsening wealth gaps. A robust public infrastructure plan can address these disparities if appropriately executed.

Despite education being heralded as an income gap solution, rising college costs and stagnant wages have strained finances. The People’s Action Institute shows that state and federal minimum wages don’t meet true living costs. In most states, the living wage surpasses $15/hr, with student debt pushing it further. Student debt impacts minority groups disproportionately, with low starting wages and underlying discrimination exacerbating repayment struggles.

This report shares personal experiences of those affected by payday and car-title loans, illustrating the debt cycle’s challenges. Like many in the U.S., they advocate for strict regulation of such loans due to their firsthand struggles.