Our Own Agenda :: Economy

A YES! Take on What Americans Want

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by Sarah van Gelder

posted Aug 11, 2008

President Barack Obama faces huge challenges as he takes office. But he's got one asset that is rarely mentioned. Large majorities of Americans agree on some of the most important issues of the day, from health care to foreign policy. “Ten Policies for a Better America” shows an agenda a majority supports—whether we vote red, blue, or some other political color.
Hover over or click on each policy button to see the YES! Take on What Americans Want. [Buy or Print poster version below.] [Link to this agenda: image downloads to spread the word]


YES! MAGAZINE GRAPHIC, 2008. Illustrations by Brandon Laufenberg/istock Click on each policy button and scroll down to see respective poll citations.



		Repair and rebuild neglected bridges, railroads, schools, and other infrastructure, designing for climate change & a post-petroleum world. Extend unemployment insurance benefits. Provide tax relief to middle- and low-income families, and reinstate fair taxes on high-wealth individuals and corporate profits. Adopt the Employee Free Choice Act to increase opportunities to unionize.

67%
Favor public works projects to create jobs.

55%
Favor expanding unemployment benefits.

73%
Say corporations don’t pay a fair share of taxes.

76%
Support tax cuts for lower- and middle-income people.

71%
Say unions help their members; 53% say unions help the economy in general.

Sources

Index

The economic agenda (above) is one most Americans would favor. At YES!, we’ve been taking the economic agenda several steps further, to address the foundational challenge of climate change, inequality, and the powerlessness many Americans experience every day.

	Living Wealth: Better than Money We’ve challenged the notion that more wealth (for some) results in a better world, or that economic growth, as measured by the GDP, has anything to do with increasing wellbeing. YES! Magazine #43, Stand Up to Corporate Power

	Who Will Rule? Michael Marx and Marjorie Kelly show that too much corporate power is one of the biggest barriers to progress—economic and otherwise. YES! Magazine #43, Stand Up to Corporate Power

	Communities Take Power The citizens of Barnstead, New Hampshire, used local law to keep corporate giants out of their water. YES! Magazine #43, Stand Up to Corporate Power

	Green-Collar Jobs for Urban America Van Jones tells of the transformation that can happen when we invest in a new, sustainable and just economy. YYES! Magazine #40, Go Local

Go Local! :: YES! Magazine Cover image, Issue 40

Tired of feeling powerless? Bring your economy home. Go Local!

SOURCES:

ECONOMY

67% FAVOR PUBLIC WORKS PROJECTS TO CREATE JOBS ::
55% FAVOR EXPANDING UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS. ::
76% SUPPORT TAX CUTS FOR LOWER- AND MIDDLE-INCOME PEOPLE. ::
Fortune Magazine poll conducted by Abt SRBI. Jan. 14-16, 2008. N=1,000 adults nationwide. MoE ± 3.
www.pollingreport.com/budget.htm

73% SAY CORPORATIONS DON’T PAY A FAIR SHARE OF TAXES. ::
Gallup Poll. April 6-9, 2008. N=1,021 adults nationwide. MoE ± 3.
www.pollingreport.com/budget.htm

71% SAY UNIONS HELP THEIR MEMBERS; 53% SAY UNIONS HELP THE ECONOMY IN GENERAL. ::
Gallup Poll. Aug. 7-10, 2006. N=1,007 adults nationwide. MoE ± 3 (for all adults).
www.pollingreport.com/work.htm

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Sarah van Gelder wrote this article as part of Purple America, the Fall 2008 issue of YES! Magazine. Research by Noah Grant. Sarah is executive editor and Noah is editorial assistant at YES! Magazine.

Photos of Sarah van Gelder and Noah Grant

YES! Magazine encourages you to make free use of this article by taking these easy steps., YES! Magazine. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License

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