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Welcome back to the Data for Progress newsletter, your weekly update on our research, blog posts, and memos.
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Our VP of policy Julian Brave NoiseCat is a dedicated leader in advancing equitable and ambitious solutions to the climate crisis — and on Wednesday, he got the recognition he deserves: he was named ([link removed]) to TIME’s 100 Next list!!
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“Julian Brave NoiseCat stands where the currents of climate journalism, advocacy and policy meet,” wrote environmentalist and founder of 350.org Bill McKibben. “His writing on the environment crackles with reported stories and historical context. But his work at the think tank Data for Progress is heavy on numbers, the kind that inform the Administration’s emerging plans for trillions in green infrastructure spending.”
Here are some other highlights from DFP over the past two weeks:
* In a recent survey experiment ([link removed]) , we randomly split respondents into two groups — one was asked whether they support $10,000 in student debt cancelation, and the other was asked for whether they support $50,000 in student debt cancelation. We find that the difference in support for these varying levels of cancelation is within the margin of error, meaning there’s no evidence that a smaller cancelation would be more politically popular.
A $50,000 cancelation has a 17-point margin of support, compared with a 14-point margin for $10,000 in cancelation.
On student debt cancelation, the Biden administration should go big.
* Right now, Amazon employees in Bessemer, Alabama are attempting to become the first of the company's U.S. employees to unionize. If a majority vote “yes,” it could improve working conditions at the warehouse and spark a chain reaction of unionization for Amazon employees across the country.
In new polling ([link removed]) , we show that not only do Democratic voters support Amazon employees’ efforts to unionize, but Independents and Republicans do as well — by substantial margins of 72-points, 49-points, and 24-points, respectively.
* There’s a lot that Secretary of Interior-designate Deb Haaland can do when confirmed, and in a new blog post ([link removed]) , Julian Brave NoiseCat and Danielle Deiseroth break down six of the most popular policies Haaland can pursue, including:
—> An executive order to conserve and protect 30% of America’s lands and waters by 2030 (+51 net support)
—> Strengthening methane emission standards on public lands (+36 net support)
—> Taking steps to return stolen lands to Tribal Nations (+38 net support)
* Will voters sacrifice larger stimulus checks in order to strike a bipartisan deal with the GOP? We find no evidence that they do ([link removed]) . In a new analysis with researchers from Tufts University, we find that while bipartisanship does increase support for stimulus, there’s no evidence that reducing the size of checks to attract GOP support would increase popularity.
* In a comprehensive memo earlier this month ([link removed]) , we laid out a bipartisan platform to address the opioid epidemic, including making naloxone as widely available as possible, covering medically assisted treatment under Medicaid, and creating “health hubs.” One finding: 67 percent of Americans support distributing naloxone to community groups, which can then deliver it directly to those using drugs.
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Media Hits
* Axios wrote a feature ([link removed]) on our memo with Evergreen Action guiding the Biden administration on ways to pass a clean electricity standard with a simple majority vote. The Washington Post also covered this work ([link removed]) in its story on how Democrats are getting around the filibuster to address climate change.
And here’s coverage ([link removed]) from The Hill on Sen. Tina Smith citing our report at a press conference.
* MSNBC covered ([link removed]) our polling with Vox showing that 69 percent of Republicans say they are less likely to vote for someone who finds Donald Trump guilty in the impeachment trial.
* Julian Brave NoiseCat advocated ([link removed]) for Deb Haaland in the Washington Post: “She's representative of the first people of the West…[Republican opposition is] out of touch with the facts and designed to score political points.”
* Grist discussed ([link removed]) the connections between Biden’s Civilian Climate Corps and the New Deal, and quoted our senior climate data analyst Danielle Deiseroth in the piece: “The Green New Deal is all about a jobs and justice approach to climate policies, so I think that the new climate corps proposal really encapsulates that.”
* One impactful way to advance climate justice is by requiring “equity scores” for new legislation to assess its impact on environmental health. Politico used our polling ([link removed]) to show that this initiative has bipartisan support.
* Need a quote to lift your spirits about our political situation? I gave one ([link removed]) to NBC News: “The era of small government is over. The era of small deficits is over.”
* New research, published in Vox ([link removed]) , shows Republicans are still highly defensive over Trump: 69 percent of Republican voters said they’d be less likely to vote for a candidate if they found Trump guilty in the trial.
On Social
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From the Blog
Senator Wyden: Americans Want Checks, Not Targeting ([link removed])
Six Popular Policies Rep. Deb Haaland Can Enact as Secretary of the Interior ([link removed])
Bipartisan endorsements fail to move public support for COVID relief packages ([link removed])
With Covid Relief, Bigger Is Better — And It’s Bipartisan ([link removed])
Voters Want the Government to Spend Now to Save the Future ([link removed])
Building Back Better Starts by Addressing Child Poverty ([link removed])
Voters From Both Parties Support Unionization for Amazon Workers ([link removed])
Actually, Biden Can — And Should — Cancel $50,000 In Student Debt ([link removed])
Memos
Memo: Guaranteed Income for Kids Transitioning out of Foster Care ([link removed])
Memo: A Roadmap to 100% Clean Electricity by 2035 ([link removed])
Donate
Give us money ([link removed]) . No, seriously, give us money ([link removed]) .
Support Our Work ([link removed])
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