Democracy Collaborative: Redefining Economic Equity and Ownership
The Democracy Collaborative is spearheading a movement to reshape how wealth is generated and distributed. By challenging traditional economic structures, the organization promotes models that prioritize local stability and democratic participation over distant corporate interests.
Community Wealth Building
At the heart of the organization's work is Community Wealth Building, an alternative economic model designed to drive equitable development. This approach leverages democratic participation to ensure that wealth is retained within the local community rather than leaking out to external shareholders.
This model has been implemented in various global contexts, with notable projects in Cleveland, Ohio; Chicago, Illinois; and Preston, England. The impact of this approach has reached the highest levels of government, as Britain's Labour Party established a dedicated Community Wealth Building unit. This unit emphasizes municipal ownership—the process of local governments taking direct responsibility for providing public services—to ensure the economy is governed by and for the local community.
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To further these goals in the United States, the organization launched Community-Wealth.org. This project serves as a hub to facilitate conversations and the creation of more equitable wealth distribution strategies across American communities.
The Next System Project
Recognizing that current challenges are often rooted in deep-seated structural issues, the Democracy Collaborative initiated the Next System Project. Launched in 2015, this ambitious multi-year initiative focuses on the systemic challenges facing the United States today and in the coming decades.
The project began with a powerful mandate, co-signed by over 350 academics and leaders. These signatories pledged to collaborate on building a new political economy—the study of how political institutions and economic systems interact—to replace the current system they believe is failing.
Fifty by Fifty
While the Next System Project looks at the broad architecture of the economy, the Fifty by Fifty initiative focuses on a specific, scalable solution: employee ownership. This program aims to shift the balance of power in the workplace by expanding the number of people who own the companies they work for.
The goal of Fifty by Fifty is ambitious and clear: to help create 50 million employee owners in the United States by the year 2050.
Key Facts
- Community Wealth Building focuses on retaining wealth locally through democratic participation.
- Municipal ownership allows local communities to govern services rather than relying on corporate interests.
- The Next System Project was launched in 2015 with the support of 350+ academics and leaders.
- Fifty by Fifty targets the creation of 50 million employee owners by 2050.
- Active project sites include Cleveland, Chicago, and Preston.
| Initiative | Primary Goal | Key Metric/Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Community Wealth Building | Equitable local development | Municipal ownership and local retention |
| Next System Project | Systemic economic reform | New political economy framework |
| Fifty by Fifty | Expand employee ownership | 50 million owners by 2050 |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Community Wealth Building?
It is an economic model that uses democratic participation to ensure wealth is kept within a local community to drive equitable development.
What does municipal ownership mean in this context?
Municipal ownership refers to local governments taking direct responsibility for providing public services, ensuring the economy serves the community rather than distant corporate interests.
What is the purpose of the Next System Project?
It is a multi-year initiative aimed at addressing the systemic challenges of the United States by designing a new political economy.
What is the specific goal of the Fifty by Fifty initiative?
The initiative seeks to expand employee ownership in the U.S., with the target of creating 50 million employee owners by the year 2050.
Where has Community Wealth Building been implemented?
Examples of these projects can be found in Preston, England, as well as Cleveland, Ohio, and Chicago, Illinois.