A new collection from the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) highlights a range of public policies with broad public support that would advance worker power and enhance democracy in the United States. 

The Majority Agenda groups 14 different policy briefs into three categories: Good Jobs, Strong Infrastructure, and Fair Play. Each brief tackles a different issue – from raising the minimum wage and bolstering Social Security to affordable housing and health care reform – and proposes policy changes that have elicited majority support in public opinion polls.

That approach yields a menu of progressive policies that are broadly popular; unfortunately, many are either downplayed or ignored by the political establishment. Nonetheless, by focusing squarely on popular policies, the Majority Agenda offers a clear view of distinct options that are available to political leaders. While policy discussions are often dominated by themes like ‘affordability’ or ‘abundance,’ these terms offer little in the way of clarity about what they mean in practical terms.

The Majority Agenda should be seen as a serious attempt to identify meaningful areas where most voters are in agreement. As CEPR Senior Economist Sylvia Allegretto writes in the introduction: 

“Today in the United States, it may seem that there is little agreement across the ideological spectrum, especially given the political strife and dysfunction that has enveloped the country. However, amidst much divisiveness, we are not necessarily divided on all things…. We hope this report stands as a reminder that even in a fraught political moment, there is a range of straightforward, broadly popular policy choices that could improve the lives of millions of people.” 

The full Majority Agenda collection can be read here.

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