Burgess COMMENTARY

Peter Burgess

Gmail Peter Burgess Tonight's Debate 1 message Demos Action Mon, Sep 26, 2016 at 4:44 PM Reply-To: Demos Action To: Peter Burgess

Demos Action 220 5th Ave, Floor 2 New York, NY 10001

Peter —

Tonight is the first presidential debate of the 2016 election, and the stakes have never been higher. From our broken student debt system, the working class under siege, a voting rights system rife with barriers, and a political class more responsive to its donors than its voters—we need real solutions.

So we asked Demos experts to speak to these issues, what the candidates can and should do to fix them, and their required reading for what we can all keep in mind in this debate. P.S. Be sure to follow our experts, @Demos_Org, and @DemosAction tonight as we live-tweet the debate!

'This election represents a first-in-a-generation opportunity to recommit to the notion of higher education as a public good, and reverse the long descent into a system of public colleges and universities that is unaffordable for the working class and students of color—one that leaves students with far too much debt and far too little opportunity.' http://www.demos.org/publication/case-debt-free-college Read: The Case for Debt-Free College Naila Awan @NailaSAwan | Counsel

'November’s presidential election will be the first in 50 years conducted without the full protections of the Voting Rights Act (VRA). Across our nation, it is getting increasingly difficult for individuals—particularly low-income individuals and people of color—to exercise their right to vote. We, as a nation, must commit to protecting each American’s right to meaningfully participate in our political process and restoring the rights guaranteed in the VRA. Only then can we truly assert to be a nation by and for the people.'

http://www.demos.org/blog/2/4/16/voting-rights-challenges-wake-shelby-county Read: Voting Rights Challenges in the Wake of Shelby County

Juhem Navarro-Rivera @JuhemNR | Sr. Policy Analyst

'Even as the political profile of Latinos increases, there’s still a lot of misunderstanding about who Latinos are and what issues they care about. Although immigration is one of those issues, Latinos deeply care about a government that works for the people and an economy that leads to a better life in the future for their children.'

http://www.demos.org/blog/7/28/16/ideolog%C3%ADa-how-latinos-perceive-role-government Read: Ideología: How Latinos Perceive the Role of Government

Tamara Draut @TamaraDraut | V.P. Policy & Research, Author of Sleeping Giant: How the New Working Class Will Transform America

'We need to put the new working class—those who care for and serve people, and are more female and racially diverse than the old industrial working class—at the center of our economic policy debate. Our political debate needs to be about doing everything we can to turn today’s working-class jobs into good jobs.'

http://qz.com/687506/as-us-politicians-romanticize-doomed-manufacturing-jobs-the-new-working-class-is-suffering/ Read: As US politicians romanticize doomed manufacturing jobs, the new working class is suffering

Jodeen Olguín-Tayler @JodeenOT | V.P. Policy & Strategic Partnerships

'Living at so many intersections, women develop the vision to build real solutions—solutions that benefit all of us. We don’t live single issue lives, and we aren’t single issue voters. As we mobilize voters around the #Vision4BlackLives and #WeWontWait policy platforms, our votes are our pledge. We pledge to hold politicians accountable to real solutions. We are not just a margin of victory. We are this country’s hope to move, and vote, us forward. We are voting for us.'

http://demosaction.org/post/150903620546/women-of-color-wont-wait-we-are-leading-for Read: Women of Color Are Leading for #AllofUs (available in English or Spanish)

Sean McElwee @SeanMcElwee | Policy Analyst

'We all know that who wins this election will be decided by who shows up. But an increasingly large body of research suggests that whose policy priorities are represented in policy will also be determined by turnout. Young people, people of color, and working class people are less represented in policy-making because they are less likely to vote. A mobilized electorate is the most effective way to reduce the influence of the powerful donor class.'

http://www.demos.org/publication/why-voting-matters-large-disparities-turnout-benefit-donor-class Read: Why Voting Matters: Large Disparities in Turnout Benefit the Donor Class

Damon L. Daniels @DamonLDaniels | Campaigns & Outreach Associate

'As momentum for mass incarceration and criminal justice reform continue to grow, my hope is that candidates not only consider issues related to prosecution and sentencing, but adopt holistic approaches that include interventions in education, housing, jobs and voting. Structural factors drive much of the racial and economic disproportions we see, and meaningful change begins with authentic talk from our prospective leaders about how these structures correspond to our current criminal justice challenges.'

http://www.demos.org/publication/millions-polls-right-vote-formerly-incarcerated-persons Read: Millions to the Polls: The Right to Vote for Formerly Incarcerated Persons

Allie Boldt @AllieBoldt | Money in Politics Legal Fellow

'The next president will likely have the opportunity to nominate multiple Supreme Court justices. These justices are on the bench for life—and they decide whether our Constitution protects all of our rights and upholds fundamental values like justice and equality, or only protects the privileges of the wealthy and powerful. The next president must appoint justices who care more about protecting every American’s right to vote than billionaires’ ability to buy elections, and who will approach common-sense protections against big money in politics with an open mind.'

http://www.demos.org/publication/breaking-vicious-cycle-rescuing-our-democracy-and-our-economy-transforming-supreme-court Read: Breaking the Vicious Cycle: Rescuing Our Democracy and Our Economy by Transforming the Supreme Court’s Flawed Approach to Money in Politics