
A New Social Contract

All of us as individuals, communities and a society should have fundamental rights to education, health care, housing, work with dignity and the other foundations of a decent life. But right now, all too many of us are denied those basic needs. Business as usual isn’t working: our economic and political systems are not adequately responding to the challenges of income and deprivation, racism, ecological degradation, anti-democratic politics, and other urgent problems. We need a New Social Contract: one that offers a framework grounded not in profiteering, social hierarchies, or concentrated power, but in human rights, equity and inclusive democracy.
Not only are communities and workers all over the country articulating shared visions for a just and truly democratic future: they are also pursuing a range of strategies to build power to make these visions a reality. Many of these strategies focus on co-governance, policy and organizing models that work inside and outside of government to shift governing power towards people who are directly impacted by injustices and have the biggest stake in making sure our society works for everybody—people like Black students, low-wage immigrant workers, and working class neighborhood residents. We are collaborating with movement allies to map, support and build out transformative co-governance models as we push together toward a just and beautiful multiracial economic and political democracy.
Check out our reports:
- Co-Governing Toward Multiracial Democracy
- New Social Contract: Collective Solutions by and for Communities
- A New Social Contract for Workers
- Democratizing Workers’ Compensation
Watch our webinars:
- Co-Governing Toward Multiracial Democracy
- Cultivating Food Justice
- Privatization or Economic Democracy?
- How Do We Invest in Our Communities?
Find out about our 2018-2019 speaking tour here.
- Our Work
- A New Social Contract
- Dignity in Schools
- Health Care
- Public Budgeting
- Land and Housing
- Low Wage Workers