Making It Last: Building Progressive Movements into Local Institutions
At the state and national level, there is an abundance of non-profit organizations doing research and advocacy for the public good. At the local level, however, progressive movements are more likely to be temporary, ad hoc coalitions based on specific issues. At the day-to-day level, politics tends to be dominated by business and (less and less) by organized labor, with a paucity of voices representing the public interest.
When an issue arises, such a plan for a new casino, or a major subsidy for an irresponsible business, citizens often lack access to good research and access to public policy-makers. In many cities, living wage and other economic equality movements have been led by the local affiliates of the Industrial Areas Foundation or ACORN. COWS, the Center on Wisconsin Strategy, founded by panelist Joel Rogers, is an innovative "think-and-do" tank dedicated to "building a high road economy in Wisconsin and beyond."
What strategies have these and other groups used to create permanent, multi-issue, progressive voices on the local scene? How effective have they been at enlisting faculty and students from universities? What funding strategies are possible? What are the roles of grassroots organizing, electoral politics, media relations, and other strategies in building a successful institution?
