While Washington stokes the crisis, progressives around the country are stepping up. In a time of federal gridlock, corruption, and chaos, state and local officials have been working hand in hand with workers, tenants, and consumers to bring down costs and fight corporate greed. Building on these victories, this agenda offers ten proven and popular policies that can spread and scale.
Years of increasing corporate power that has gone unchecked by policymakers has created a cost of living crisis that is crushing everyday Americans. Prices have skyrocketed in the past several years: Since 2020, grocery prices, utility bills, and rents have increased by roughly 30% to reach all-time highs. More and more workers and families are forced to skip meals, ration prescription drugs, and take on second jobs or debt just to afford the basics. Credit card, student loan, and mortgage delinquencies are rising as consumers’ assessment of the economy sits at its lowest point on record.
Despite campaign promises to bring prices down, President Trump and his allies in Washington are pouring gas on the fire. The president’s sweeping and chaotic tariffs on basics from car parts and coffee to diapers and shoes have fueled inflation. Meanwhile, Trump’s marquee legislative achievement — a nearly $5 trillion giveaway to the wealthiest households and large corporations — guts critical programs like Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The result: Health insurance premiums will double, utility bills will rise by hundreds of dollars per year, many will go hungry, and tens of thousands will die preventable deaths per year across the country.
The vast majority of voters think things are on the wrong track: Seven in ten say essentials are getting less affordable, while large majorities say inflation (72%) and the economy in general (61%) are getting worse for them. Fewer than one in three voters believe federal officials are prioritizing affordability — and while state and local leaders earn slightly higher marks, not a single tier of government clears a majority on voters’ top concern: affordability.
While Washington stokes the crisis, progressives around the country are stepping up. In a time of federal gridlock, corruption, and chaos, state and local officials have been working hand in hand with workers, tenants, and consumers to bring down costs and fight corporate greed. Building on these victories, this agenda offers ten proven and popular policies that can spread and scale.
Policymakers have an opportunity — and a responsibility — to champion policies that put money back in working families’ pockets and show that progressive governance can deliver where Trump’s agenda fails: 81% of voters would be more likely to support a candidate for local or state office who ran on a platform to make life more affordable for working families. It’s time to make our communities affordable for all, not just the wealthy few.