PPI's year in review, plus a special thank you from PPI President Will Marshall..

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Progress Report
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News, events, and must-read analysis from the Progressive Policy Institute.


** ❄ Happy Holidays from the
Progressive Policy Institute! ❄
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Dear PPI friends,

It was a year of ups and downs, but 2022 ended on a high note as U.S. voters last month rebuffed both right-wing attempts to ban abortion and Trump-backed election deniers. It was a big win for American democracy.

In partisan terms, however, the election confirmed that U.S. politics remains stuck in a virtual tie, with Republicans taking narrow control of the House and Democrats holding the Senate by a slender margin. That’s a formula for perpetuating the long political stalemate that’s holding our country back.

PPI is focused intently on breaking that stalemate by developing a new and radically pragmatic governing blueprint. Over the past year, we’ve added substantially to PPI’s intellectual firepower, political outreach, and ability to communicate with an expanding audience here and abroad.

Here are some highlights from a year of innovative work with public impact:
* PPI Senior Advisor Paul Bledsoe ([link removed]) continued to warn Europe of the dangers of its excessive reliance on Russian natural gas and oil. His late-2021 report ([link removed]) proved prescient when Russia again invaded Ukraine this past February, and European countries began to look to other sources — including the United States — for natural gas. Bledsoe, and PPI's new energy expert Elan Sykes, have made a compelling case ([link removed]) that by substituting cleaner (i.e., less methane intensive) U.S. for Russian gas, those countries can help Europe stand up ([link removed]) to Russia’s attempt to weaponize its
energy resources while also meeting their greenhouse gas reduction goals.
* PPI’s Center for Funding America’s Future ([link removed]) , led by Ben Ritz ([link removed]) , helped pragmatic Democrats in Congress shape their anti-inflation package in the run-up to passage of President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act ([link removed]) . The Center also warned ([link removed]) against the inflationary impact of public spending that’s not paid for, issued a definitive rebuttal ([link removed]) to Modern Monetary Theory, and offered a principled critique
([link removed]) of the administration’s misguided attempts to enact costly and regressive student debt forgiveness by executive order.
* PPI’s Reinventing Public Schools ([link removed]) project, headed by Curtis Valentine ([link removed]) and Tressa Pankovits ([link removed]) , played a key role in stopping a bureaucratic sneak attack ([link removed]) within the U.S. Department of Education against the federal charter school program pioneered by President Bill Clinton. In partnership with the wider public school choice community, PPI issued forceful critiques of the department’s proposed anti-charter rules, which were subsequently abandoned or watered down.
* PPI Vice President Ed Gresser ([link removed]) ’s deep dives into the intricacies of U.S. tariff and trade policies continued to attract wide attention from U.S. policymakers and international economics experts. If you haven’t already subscribed to Ed’s engaging “Trade Fact of the Week” feature, do yourself a favor and sign up ([link removed]) .
* On the economic front, PPI chief economist Michael Mandel ([link removed]) and analyst Jordan Shapiro ([link removed]) documented robust job growth ([link removed]) in the tech and e-commerce sector, the strong link ([link removed]) between private investment by U.S. companies and higher productivity and lower prices, and the threat ([link removed]) that declining investment in science and technology poses to our America’s ability to stay in the vanguard of innovation and outcompete China ([link removed]) . With PPI technology
analyst Malena Dailey ([link removed]) , our economic team also highlighted the harmful impact ([link removed]) of a left-wing push to pass bills breaking up or hobbling the U.S. tech sector in the competition with China.
* The Center for New Liberalism ([link removed]) , our affiliated grass-roots network of young activists, continued to grow at an extraordinary pace. The New Liberals now have over 80 chapters in 18 countries. Their “Neoliberal Podcast” ([link removed]) has had over a million downloads, and they’ve hosted in-person events from New York to Los Angeles — and everywhere in-between.
* PPI’s international engagement also picked up pace in 2022, with trips to Liverpool, London, Berlin, Brussels, and South Korea. In October, PPI cosponsored with Das Progressive Zentrum the annual Progressive Governance Summit ([link removed]) in Berlin. It focused on defending democracy against illiberal nationalist movements as well as center-left solidarity in opposing Russia’s brutal war of conquest in Ukraine. The international conference featured a virtual appearance by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, as well as appearances by leading center-left figures from across Europe and North America. PPI leaders and members of our Mosaic Project had prominent roles, as did our guest, Rep. Conor Lamb.
* In December, we were delighted to announce ([link removed]) a new partnership with Claire Ainsely ([link removed]) , until recently Executive Director of Policy for U.K. Labour Party leader Keir Starmer. Ainsely will lead a new PPI Project on Center-Left Renewal ([link removed]) , which will focus on the common challenges facing center-left parties — inflation, uneven prosperity, cultural backlash and the alienation of working class voters from the parties that traditionally had been their home.
* PPI’s Mosaic Project ([link removed]) , which aims to expand the voices of women in the fields of economics and technology, had another banner year of growth, including adding 20 new cohort members ([link removed]) to their impressive roster of professionals. Under the direction of Jasmine Stoughton ([link removed]) , Mosaic hosted 14 events — including an international trip to Europe — published op-eds, podcasts and publications, and helped to grow the portfolios and toolkits of Mosaic alumnae.

PPI’s institutional capacity and reach continued to expand in 2022. Here are some key initiatives and new faces:
* A vigorous campaign of outreach to state and local as well as federal policymakers, and important national organizations representing governors, attorneys general, state legislators, and mayors and local government leaders. It’s led by Sarah Paden ([link removed]) , Stu Malec ([link removed]) , and Markose Butler ([link removed]) .
* Taylor Maag ([link removed]) , a leading expert on workforce development and career pathways, joined PPI to launch ([link removed]) our New Skills for a New Economy ([link removed]) project.
* Jordan Shapiro ([link removed]) started with the economic policy team early this year, and is providing her deft policy analysis on everything from digital privacy to the long-term future of tech.
* Malena Dailey ([link removed]) is a new addition covering the technology policy portfolio, and is spearheading efforts to advance pro-innovation policy.
* Elan Sykes ([link removed]) came on board to work with Paul Bledsoe to manage PPI’s growing portfolio of energy and climate policy work.
* Nick Buffie ([link removed]) came over from the Center for American Progress to work with Ben Ritz on fiscal, budget, and tax policy.

In this busy holiday season, we hope that you’ll take the time to explore PPI’s work — a small sample of which is included below. Our reports and policy analysis have caught the eye of major outlets like the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal, and our events and podcasts have reached thousands of eyes around the world. We also encourage you to sign up for our newsletters and follow PPI on social media so you can stay in-the-know about the newest “radically pragmatic” policy.

We are so grateful for those who generously supported PPI throughout 2022. Your commitment to pragmatic, innovative ideas has helped shape the fight for progress. As we see a power shift in Washington D.C., it couldn’t be more important to strengthen the center-left and lean on the radically pragmatic ideas that have been the focus of PPI’s work for 33 years. If you’re interested in supporting PPI’s mission, please donate ([link removed]) or visit our website ([link removed]) .

We wish you and your loved ones a happy holiday season!

Will Marshall and the entire PPI Family

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PPI IN THE NEWS
Highlights from 2022
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** The Vanishing Moderate Democrat ([link removed])
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6.1.22
By Jason Zengerle

"Over the last decade, the Democratic Party has moved significantly to the left on almost every salient political issue. Some of these shifts in a more ambitiously progressive direction, especially as they pertain to economic issues, have largely tracked with public opinion: While socialism might not poll well with voters, Democratic proposals to raise taxes on corporations and the wealthy, increase the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour and lower the age of Medicare eligibility do.

But on social, cultural and religious issues, particularly those related to criminal justice, race, abortion and gender identity, the Democrats have taken up ideological stances that many of the college-educated voters who now make up a sizable portion of the party’s base cheer but the rest of the electorate does not. 'The Democratic Party moved left,' says Will Marshall, the president and founder of the Progressive Policy Institute, a moderate Democratic think tank, 'but the country as a whole hasn’t.'"


** Europe’s Quest to Replace Russian Gas Faces Plenty of Hurdles ([link removed])
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5.5.22
By Clifford Krauss

"'Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has hastened the globalization of gas markets and has complicated them significantly,'" said Paul Bledsoe, a climate adviser under President Bill Clinton."




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The superbugs are coming — oh wait, they’re here. ([link removed])
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9.13.22
By Krista Mahr and Daniel Payne
"Today, a new report released by the Progressive Policy Institute and shared exclusively with Pulse recommends additional concrete steps the federal government can take to reign in the AMR problem before it spirals further out of control. Here are a few...
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** Biden’s optimism collides with mounting political challenges ([link removed])
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6.18.22
By Will Weissert and Zeke Miller
“'I don’t expect any president to go out and say, ’You know what, ‘We’re going to lose the next election,’' said Will Marshall, president and founder of the Progressive Policy Institute, which is in regular contact with the White House’s policy team. What might serve Biden well instead, Marshall said, would be 'a sober sense of, ’Look, we’re probably in for a rough night in November and our strategy should be to remind the country what’s at stake.’'”



** EXPLAINER: Russia is not a ‘most favored nation.’ What now? ([link removed])
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4.7.22
By Macy Gordon
“Because the imports from Russia are mostly natural resources, they generally will face little to no increase in tariffs as a result of the lost MFN status, Ed Gresser, director for trade and global markets at the left-leaning Progressive Policy Institute, noted in an online posting.

To replace the current tariff rates, U.S. buyers of Russian goods would pay import taxes established under a 1930 U.S. law that disrupted trade during the Great Depression. It would still be zero for the metals. But the rates would soar — to levels considered punitive — for unwrought aluminum, plywood and semi-finished steel, among other products."

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** Where Walmart, Amazon and Target are spending billions in a slowing economy ([link removed])
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9.11.22
By Tim Mullaney

"The trend toward more investment has been building for a decade, but was catalyzed by the Covid pandemic, Progressive Policy Institute economist Michael Mandel said.

'Even before the pandemic, retailers were shifting from investments in structures to active investments in equipment, technology and software,' Mandel said. 'Between 2010 and 2020], software investment in the retail sector rose by 123%, compared to a 16% gain in manufacturing.'"

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** Democrats are engaged in a ‘new politics of evasion’ that could cost them in 2024, new study says ([link removed])
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2.21.22
By Dan Balz

"Galston and Kamarck served in the Clinton administration, and Kamarck is a long-standing member of the Democratic National Committee. Both are scholars at the Brookings Institution, and their new study is published on the website of the Progressive Policy Institute, where they are contributing authors."


** Can these Gen Z and millennial wonks make neoliberalism cool again? ([link removed])
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11.8.22
By Graham Vyse

"PPI’s president and founder, Will Marshall, has made clear that the institute isn’t advocating a return to the Clintonite policies of the DLC — but it is hoping that Mortimer, Johnson and their network of young people can help generate new ideas and create new influence for today’s Democratic moderates.

As Mortimer explained it to me, his cohort of neoliberals is enthusiastic about “deregulation to achieve progressive goals,” but also committed to a strong social safety net."

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** Biden’s Budget Calls for Increase in Defense Spending, Including Funds for Ukraine ([link removed])
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3.28.22
By Amara Omeokwe and Andrew Duehren

"Ben Ritz, director of the Center for Funding America’s Future at the Progressive Policy Institute, said the budget missed an opportunity to provide more direction to Congress about what the bill should look like.

'I can understand why the administration would want to have some distance from the negotiations to let them play out, but the decision to not have detailed policies on Build Back Better creates this big blind spot,' he said 'That makes it very difficult to analyze the aggregate fiscal impact of his agenda.'”

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** Biden Reframes His Agenda With a Manchin Spin, Touting Deficit Cuts ([link removed])
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4.21.22
By Josh Wingrove

"The president’s recent focus on the deficit issue 'is very clearly a Manchin play,”'said Ben Ritz, director of the Progressive Policy Institute’s Center for Funding America’s Future. 'But I think Manchin’s concern about it is rooted in a reality that deficits do matter.'"

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** Fears over US energy security help unlock historic $369bn climate bill ([link removed])
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7.29.22
By Aime Williams and Justin Jacobs

"'This was really no clean energy left behind and that is really good,” said Paul Bledsoe, a former White House climate adviser under president Bill Clinton. 'It’s trying to allow consumers and businesses to decide which of these technologies make most sense in the marketplace.'

Bledsoe estimated that while about a third of the tax credits were already in existence, the majority were new and the wide 10-year horizon would provide businesses with the certainty to invest."

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** Why schools are taking center stage in the culture wars ([link removed])
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2.15.22
By Ronald Brownstein

"Will Marshall, founder and president of the Progressive Policy Institute, a centrist Democratic think tank long critical of teachers’ unions, sees the same dual-edged message for Democrats in the broadening conflicts over education.

'Republicans are tapping into frustrations real and imagined, but we have left a vacuum,' he says. 'We have no reform agenda. Our party is seen as propping up a bureaucratic status quo that many parents thought didn’t perform well during the pandemic. You can’t just point to Republican demagoguery about race and books and win the argument. You have to make voters a counteroffer.'"


READ MORE PRESS HIGHLIGHTS ([link removed])
PPI Reports
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READ MORE PPI REPORTS ([link removed])
Trade Facts
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Ed Gresser, PPI's Vice President and Director of Trade and Global Markets, dives deep into the trade policies that impact our every-day life in his hit Trade Fact of the Week newsletter. Check out a few highlights from 2022, and be sure to subscribe (mailto:[email protected]?subject=Trade%20Fact%20of%20the%20Week%20-%20Sign%20Me%20Up!&body=Please%20sign%20me%20up%20for%20the%20Trade%20Fact%20of%20the%20Week%20Newsletter!%20By%20signing%20up%2C%20I%20acknowledge%20that%20I%20am%20opting%20in%20to%20future%20communication%20from%20the%20Progressive%20Policy%20Institute.%20) if you're not already on the list!

→ U.S. trade with Russia is down by 80% since February ([link removed]) | 9.28.22

→ U.S. manufacturing employment has risen in 11 of the last 12 years ([link removed]) |12.7.22

→ Energy makes up nearly a fifth of U.S. exports this year ([link removed]) | 8.17.22

→ The largest payers of 2018-2022 “232” and “301” tariffs appear to be U.S. manufacturers and construction firms ([link removed]) | 10.12.22
READ MORE TRADE FACTS ([link removed])
PPI Events and Webinars
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Regulating Tech in the Digital Age: Lessons from China, feat. PPI’s Jordan Shapiro | In collaboration with the Tony Blair Institute ([link removed])

📍 Washington, D.C.

Places that Matter: Empowering Regions in the Global Economy feat. PPI President Will Marshall | In collaboration with Das Progressive Zentrum ([link removed])

📍 Berlin, Germany
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The 2022 Midterms: Key Lessons and Course Corrections, feat. Rep. Cheri Bustos ([link removed])

📍 Washington, D.C.

A Toast to Pragmatic Leaders, honoring multiple retiring Members of Congress ([link removed])

📍 Washington, D.C.
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** What is Cryptocurrency? Regulating An Unprecedented Technology, feat. Rep. Jake Auchincloss ([link removed])
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** The Politics of Education: Parent Voice ([link removed])
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** How the U.S. Can Better Compete Globally on R&D ([link removed])
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** Mosaic Toolkit: "Social Media" ([link removed])
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PPI Opinions
Highlights from 2022
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Ben Ritz: MMT Isn’t Taking A Victory Lap – It’s On Its Last Legs ([link removed])

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Lindsay Lewis: The government has no place in building, operating its own broadband ([link removed])

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Will Marshall: Can Democrats break America’s political stalemate? ([link removed])

Jordan Shapiro:
We need to protect children’s data online — but let’s protect everyone’s data while we’re at it ([link removed])

Paul Bledsoe: Clean energy bill can curb long-term inflation ([link removed])
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Tressa Pankovits: Charter Schools Win a Washington Battle ([link removed])

Ed Gresser: I'll Tax Your Feet ([link removed])

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Paul Weinstein Jr.: What’s taking the FDA so long on the Novovax vaccine? ([link removed])

Will Marshall: Democrats’ unpopular anti-tech crusade ([link removed])

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Colin Mortimer: Manchin’s permitting reform effort is dead. Biden’s climate agenda could be a casualty. ([link removed])


PPI Podcasts
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Could Ignoring Swing Voters Reopen the Door for Donald Trump? ([link removed])
* In this episode of the Radically Pragmatic podcast, William Galston and Elaine Kamarck sit down with PPI President Will Marshall to unpack the contents of their new report ([link removed]) and discuss what changes Democrats should have made in order to stop Republicans from taking back control of Congress.

RAS Reports: Backlash Against the US Department of Education ([link removed])
* PPI's Reinventing America's Schools Co-Director Tressa Pankovits went to the White House to speak with protestors about why public charter schools are so important to them, and how newly proposed rules would make it more difficult for public charter schools to win federal start-up grants.

MOSAIC MOMENT: Can Big Tech Save Us from Algorithmic Bias? ([link removed])
* On this episode of the Radically Pragmatic podcast, Dr. Kalinda Ukanwa sits down with Jordan Shapiro, PPI’s Data and Economic Policy Analyst, and dive into what algorithms really are and how they’re simultaneously helping and harming consumers.

Debating Congress' Big Bills with Ben Ritz ([link removed])
* Jeremiah is joined by Ben Ritz to debate the politics and policy behind Congress's recent slew of big bills — the CHIPS Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the PACT Act. Will the IRA actually reduce inflation? Did Chuck Schumer pull a fast one on Mitch McConnell? Is the CHIPS Act as good as its proponents claim it is, or as bad as its detractors say?

Breaking Up with Russia's Oil and Gas, ft. Paul Bledsoe ([link removed])
* Paul Bledsoe joins the podcast to talk about how Europe is dependent on Russian natural gas and what can be done about it. How badly does Europe need the fossil fuels that Russia exports? What alternatives exist, and how quickly could they be deployed?

Anti-Trust or Anti-Tech? ft. Michael Mandel and Malena Dailey ([link removed])
* PPI's Michael Mandel and Malena Dailey join the show to discuss tech platforms, the consumer welfare standard, all things antitrust. Does Big Tech need to be more regulated, and if so how? are there other industries more deserving of antitrust enforcement?

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