Welcome back to the Data for Progress newsletter, your update on our research, blog posts, and memes.

The New Progressive Agenda Project
Many campaigns do not perform regular issue polling at the state or congressional district level, forcing them to guess whether an issue is popular with their constituents. 

But with our polling data from more than 6,000 respondents, along with state-of-the-art modeling techniques, we now have the ability to create state-by-state and district-by-district estimates for a dozen progessive priorities. 



One very impactful finding: in every single U.S. state, more than 50 percent of Americans were found to be in favor of employee governance, credit card interest rate caps, red flag laws, extending the New START Treaty, legalizing marijuana, and ending the war in Yemen, among other policies.

In addition to calculating these estimates, we also asked notable political figures to make the case for these priorities on our website. This includes Kamala Harris explaining her support for ending cash bail, Elizabeth Warren justifying her platform of corruption reform, Cory Booker supporting a public housing expansion, and Bernie Sanders advocating in favor of credit card interest rate controls and ending the war in Yemen.

To view the entire New Progressive Agenda Project, please click here.


Memo: Favorability of Major Political Figures and Organizations in Battleground Districts
In a recent memo, we tested the favorability of various major political figures in battleground districts. What we found was that in these districts, Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez had the highest net favorability of all political figures we tested (in that order). 



This is highly relevant, because it shows that despite claims that Ocasio-Cortez is an alienating, unfavorable figure for many Americans, she actually is more popular in battleground districts than both Donald Trump and prominent Democratic leadership figures Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi.

Another important finding: voters in battleground districts have a much more favorable opinion of “clean energy companies” than “fossil fuel companies.”

And one not-too-optimistic finding: while many 2020 Democratic candidates are trying to win over “Obama-Trump voters” (those who voted for Obama in 2012 and Trump in 2016), a strong majority of those voters in battleground districts view Trump very favorably, while simultaneously giving net unfavorable ratings to each of the Democratic candidates we tested.




New Memo: Americans Support Providing Generic Pharmaceuticals
In a new memo, we released Data For Progress / YouGov Blue survey data showing that Americans overall are supportive of the government producing generic pharmaceutical drugs to lower prescription drug prices. 

After hearing an explanation of the proposal and both Democratic and Republican arguments, a strong majority of Democrats, a small majority of independents, and just under half of Republicans said they agreed with the proposal.

Even more popular than generic pharmaceutical drugs is the idea of allowing Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices. This policy is supported by 91 percent of Democrats, 81 percent of independents, and 77 percent of Republicans. Opposition was virtually non-existent.




Memo: Voters Support Reducing the Use of Fines and Fees in Sentencing
In late May and early June, we teamed up with YouGov Blue to ask voters whether they supported “limiting the use of fines and fees in sentencing for crimes and minor infractions (like speeding tickets) to those who are able to pay, and community service or other alternatives for those who are unable to pay.”

What did we find? A strong majority of Americans — 64 percent — support this criminal justice reform proposal, while just 17 percent oppose.



Support was strongest among Democrats but fairly bipartisan. 

In our memo, we also recommended a variety of criminal justice reform policies, including giving administrative judges the power to decide the amount of a fine based on a person’s earnings, ceasing the practice of suspending driver’s licenses for nonpayment, and restoring the right to vote upon release from incarceration.

To read the full memo, click here.


Memo: Blue Jobs and the Green New Deal
While the term “green jobs” has been commonly used in reference to the Green New Deal, we should also be talking about blue jobs - jobs to help us save our oceans.

Oceans sequester 93 percent of the world’s carbon, and seafood is the number one source of animal protein in the world. But our oceans are under threat; according to a Center for American Progress survey, 65 percent of fishermen believe climate change could leave them ‘unable to profit’ and ultimately ‘forced out’ of their fishery.

In a recent memo, we made the case for creating ocean protection jobs as part of the Green New Deal. These jobs should be focused on three specific areas: ocean habitat restoration, community-based fisheries, and restorative ocean farming.

To read our full memo and policy recommendations, click here.


Data For Progress Featured on CREDO Green New Deal Fundraising Campaign
Data For Progress is excited to be featured on a CREDO Green New Deal fundraising campaign, which will donate $50,000 to organizations that are fighting for climate justice. 

There are 5 organizations featured, including DFP. You can help us win a larger share of the $50,000 by simply voting for your favorite organization. The money will be split based on the proportion of votes. If you want to help us expand our capabilities here at DFP, this is a quick, easy opportunity to do so.

To support this campaign, please click here.


Data Bytes

• Democrats’ Top Priorities Include Beating Trump and Supporting Climate Action: In a recent poll, we asked Democrats for their top criteria when evaluating prospective 2020 candidates. Each voter could assign 100 points to various candidate characteristics and policies.
  
  
  By a fairly wide margin, voters agreed that beating Trump was a top priority. Other top priorities include supporting climate action, taxing the rich, and Medicare For All.
   

• Pro-Trump Districts Would Be Most Affected by $15 Minimum Wage: In a recent blog post, Data For Progress analyzed findings from the Economic Policy Institute and data from the 2016 election. What we found was that districts where Donald Trump beat Hillary Clinton in 2016 have a higher percentage of workers who would be affected by raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour.
  
  
  
  Overall, Republican districts make up roughly two-thirds of all workers who would be impacted by a national $15 minimum wage. This makes raising the minimum wage a great 2020 campaign issue.
  
  Raising the minimum wage is also tied to racial justice. If the minimum wage rose to $15, 47 percent of working Hispanic people and 41 percent of working Black people would get a raise, compared with about a quarter of working white people.
  
   

• Americans Want to Reallocate Military Spending Toward Diplomacy: With our military budget amounting to nearly half of US federal discretionary spending — larger than the militaries of the next seven countries combined — we at Data For Progress wanted to know whether voters want to keep our levels of military spending constant, or reallocate some of our military budget to diplomacy.
  
  In a survey this April, we found that 41 percent of American voters support reallocating military funds towards diplomacy, while 35 percent disagree.
  
  
  
  Americans aged 18–29, 30–44, and 45–54 each supported the statement by a double-digit margin. Only the 65-plus age group was opposed.

From The Blog
2020 Democratic Electorate Shows Broad Agreement on Priorities
NYC’s “Green New Deal” Law Should be the Law in Your City, Too
A Minimum Wage for Maximum Results
The Workplace Democracy Plan, Explained (Part 1)
Americans Want to Reallocate Military Spending Toward Diplomacy
Comparing July Candidate Support in the 2020 Democratic Primary: Building Support Rankings
The Workplace Democracy Plan, Explained (Part 2)


Media Hits
The Trailer: Labor union members and leaders are skeptical -- but pondering their 2020 choices @Washington Post
Obama-to-Trump Voters Like Trump a Lot More Than They Like Joe Biden, Poll Finds @Slate
Exclusive: In a Devastated Town, Sanders Explains His Plan for a Climate Revolution @Mother Jones
Here Are 7 ‘Left Wing’ Ideas (Almost) All Americans Can Get Behind @New York Magazine
These 5 ‘radical’ policies are supported by a majority of Americans @NowThis
The Left’s Path to Power @The Weeds
New York becomes battleground for top Democrats facing insurgent challenges @The Guardian
Voters Back Liability For Companies That Mislead About Climate Change: Poll @Huffington Post
Here’s Your Cheat Sheet For The 2020 Democratic Candidates’ Climate Plans @Huffington Post
Voters Back Ban On Fracking, New Poll Finds @Huffington Post
How Does a Think Tank Founder Do His job? @Slate
Ahead of 2020, Democratic Voters Are Moving Left on Immigration @Morning Consult
The growing list of primary challenges to top House Democrats, explained @Vox


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