“There are nicer ways to do it. But the nice ways always fail.”
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Community Engagement
Our work is informed by the leadership of affected communities, which is why we do much of it in cities and other localities. We are delving deep into local initiatives to battle economic inequality, help expand the sanctuary movement, organize black workers, and take a human rights approach to criminal justice. Our community-based work is done through partnership with movement building allies on the ground.
Latest Work
Poverty spiked sharply in the U.S. in 2022 after having declined in 2021
SPM data shows a historically steep increase of 4.6 percentage points from 7.8% to 12.4% . “The stark contrast paints a vivid picture of the ways in which poverty is a political choice, not a personal one.”
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Final report of International Mission to #StopISDS recommends Colombia’s withdrawal from system of corporate abuse and impunity by way of a Citizens Audit
The report highlights how lawsuits and the threat of lawsuits are endangering vulnerable peoples and ecosystems.
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Criminalization of Race and Poverty Program at the Institute for Policy Studies Responds to the Debt Ceiling Deal
“It makes it harder for poor and low-income families to access food benefits they deserve, while making it easier for wealthy people to cheat on their taxes.”
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Institute for Policy Studies’ Second Annual Marcus Raskin Award for Civic and Intellectual Courage Will Honor Katrina vanden Heuvel, Editorial Director and Publisher of The Nation
Katrina vanden Heuvel has displayed civic and intellectual courage both in battling right-wing forces in the mainstream media and as a fierce defender of vigorous and respectful debates within the progressive movement.
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New report: $1.1 trillion – or 62% – of the federal discretionary budget was spent on militarism and war last year
“When we invest so heavily in militarism at home and abroad, we deprive our own communities and people of solutions to problems that pose immediate security threats.”
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International Mission to Colombia to Share Ways to Stop Abusive Corporate Claims
12 representatives of organizations from 8 Latin American countries and other parts of the world will visit Colombia to participate in a mission to share their experiences of standing up to corporate greed and stopping abusive transnational claims in the courts.
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When ‘Decorum’ Means ‘Mob Rule,’ It’s Time to Break It.
In Tennessee and Montana, Republicans silenced the voices of three young lawmakers because they dared to challenge the undemocratic status quo.
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High Flyers 2023: How Ultra-Rich Private Jet Travel Costs the Rest of Us and Burns Up Our Planet
New research from the Institute for Policy Studies and Patriotic Millionaires reveals 10 stunning facts about the high-flying private jet industry.
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Jerry Mander, Paradigm Warrior
One of the great intellectual and strategic leaders of the global economic justice movement, Jerry Mander, died this week. His charge to us: don’t give up because you lost the first round. Educate movements and the public to fight back.
Read moreReports
FACT SHEET: Invest in Communities, Not Violence
Here’s how legislators have splurged on militarism, and what could happen if those funds instead benefited people and communities.
Tax Day 2023: Where Your 2022 Tax Dollars Went
IPS’s National Priorities Project takes a look at where American taxpayers’ money went in 2022, and how skewed our national priorities are.
From a Militarized to a Decarbonized Economy: A Case for Conversion
In a new analysis for Costs of War, IPS Associate Fellow Miriam Pemberton lays out a case for a transition from a militarized to a decarbonized economy.
Report: Combat Vs. Climate
The Military and Climate Security Budgets Compared
COMBAT VS. CLIMATE: The Military and Climate Security Budgets Compared
A new report connects U.S. military engagement and the threat of climate change.