Introduction

The United States is at a crossroads. Policymakers promised that tax cuts would trickle down, deregulation would unleash growth, and shareholder interests were the nation’s interests. They even claimed that starving government of capacity was in the public interest. None of this proved true and only fueled disillusionment. In this populist moment, we find ourselves in a battle of ideas for what comes next: A dangerously coherent version of Donald Trump’s authoritarian nostalgia or a forward-looking vision of governance that can actually create the economy people want.

To meet this moment, we must cocreate our policies with the public, listening to their biggest needs and aspirations and giving them agency in the outcome. This means avoiding the trap of detaching our policies from the kind of people-first organizing and agenda-setting that can build trust.

We also have to flip our risk profile. Instead of cautiously coloring inside the lines to preserve institutional legitimacy, we need to use every available tool to act boldly and speak clearly. Our solutions must be felt immediately by the people demanding them, as FDR’s example showed us. To lead the country out of our own harrowing times, we need to think just as big about what it takes to create a good life.

Chapter 1

1. Rein in corporate power. Concentrated wealth and corporate dominance constrain opportunity, leaving families squeezed by higher prices and fewer choices. A fair economy means curbing monopoly power and financialization and making markets work for people.
   

Proof in action: At the Federal Trade Commission, policymakers banned noncompete clauses after workers spoke up about how these contracts trapped them in abusive jobs. By centering public input, the agency proposed a rule restoring freedom for 30 million workers to change jobs, start businesses, and innovate. The rule is being challenged in court, but its import is clear: People-centered policymaking can reset the balance of power.

1. Build worker power and agency. Workers deserve more than just jobs. They need dignity, stability, and the ability to provide for their families. That means more money in people’s pockets through stronger wage and overtime laws, predictable hours, and the right to organize. We must also ensure that new technologies serve people, not the other way around. Technological productivity gains should translate into shorter workweeks and more time with loved ones, not concentrated profits for executives.

Proof in action: The excluded workers campaign in New York won $2.1 billion for people left out of pandemic relief. Organizers then cowrote the program’s rules, ensuring funds reached those most in need.

Chapter 2

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Chapter 3

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Chapter 4

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Chapter 5

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