We often define abundance as a contrast. Abundance is NOT scarcity, NOT austerity, NOT competition for resources. So, then, what IS abundance? What are some of the core elements behind the term and the idea in narrative? What do these elements look like in practice? What are some of the inherent tensions? What do we […]
Chris Benner and Manuel Pastor invite us to imagine and examine solidarity economics – an approach grounded in our instincts for connection and community – and the ways it can help us build a more equitable, thriving economy. Click here for a free e-version of the book
A values-based discussion guide – in English and Spanish – with accompanying open source artwork to inspire a national conversation about economic justice. Access the Discussion Guide
This post by Jhumpa Bhattacharya makes the connections between white supremacy and austerity thinking and points to the Centering Blackness Framework for a path to economic liberation. Access the Post
This brief is a call to action about getting clear about the idea of government—that it is the only institution capable of ensuring that the public goods we all rely upon are available to everyone and about creating our own pro-public echo chamber. The brief pulls together examples of how corporate figures, right-wing organizations and […]
This report addresses common “austerian” arguments regarding the relationship between “excessive” public spending and interest rates, inflation, and GDP growth. Access the Report
This Topos toolkit is designed to demonstrate the various ways advocates across issue areas can phrase the big ideas behind the strategies to build public will for revenue, leading to a paradigm shift in public understanding. Access the Toolkit
Topos research in Kansas points to the opportunity to nurture a cultural shift in Americans’ thinking about taxes and spending that is less reflexively negative and which instead stresses that broadly shared prosperity, quality of life, and a thriving nation rely on effective government, so we all have a stake in ensuring sufficient, sustainable revenues […]
This brief document synthesizes Topos’ learnings on how Americans think about Government and how to use framing effectively to promote constructive engagement with the public sector across advocacy issue areas—in particular, budget and tax policy. Read the PDF
This toolkit features a compendium of research on how Americans think about budgets and taxes, and how to increase public support for policies that support reforms to the budgeting process and tax system. Access the Toolkit
This multipart research effort by Topos serves as a detailed map of the cultural understandings that influence public debate on taxes and budgets. To build public support for progressive tax policy, Topos’ research points to the need for an explanatory model anchored by a vivid metaphor. In short, the tax system is upside-down – it […]
This short video provides examples of how Mainers reacted to hearing about evidence of economic success of a tax and budget policy from another state. Watch the Video