PPI

Who gets access to higher education—and the opportunities that come with it—in Trump’s America? Under pressure from the Trump administration, the College Board has announced plans to eliminate Landscape, a tool designed to help universities identify promising students using class-based, not race-based, metrics. Richard Kahlenberg, Director of PPI’s American Identity Project, spoke with The Washington Monthly about his recent article examining the College Board’s capitulation to Trump. He warns that dismantling tools like Landscape risks a return to the resegregation of higher education—closing doors for talented students from working-class backgrounds. https://lnkd.in/eJiP4iwd

At the UK Labour Party Conference in Liverpool, PPI partnered with FES Europe and The Labour Party to convene leaders from across the international center-left. The discussion focused on political renewal and practical strategies to modernize policy, reconnect with working people, and push back against the populist right. Speakers included Hubertus Heil MdB, former German Labour Minister and senior SPD official; Stephen Doughty MP, UK Labour’s Minister for Europe and North America; and Paul Erickson, National Secretary of the Australian Labor Party. PPI’s Lindsay Lewis, Lord David Evans, and Claire Ainsley spoke on panels examining how to build a policy agenda that is both ambitious and electorally grounded. Kirsty McNeill MP joined a joint fringe event co-hosted by PPI, Progressive Britain, and The McKell Institute, contributing insights on progressive cross-national collaboration. Progressive Britain’s conference reception, supported by PPI, included remarks from Chancellor Rt Hon Rachel Reeves MP, Health Secretary The Rt. Hon. Wes Streeting MP, and Science and Technology Secretary Liz Kendall MP.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis is making a strong case for Democrats to lead again on trade—linking open markets to affordability, innovation, and working-class prosperity. His stance reflects a broader renewal underway in center-left politics: a recognition that economic openness and growth are essential to restoring faith in liberal democracy. This is the kind of pragmatic, pro-worker, pro-business leadership PPI has long advanced. https://lnkd.in/eKruESKn

Keir Starmer is defining his leadership with a bold appeal to liberal patriotism—anchored in national unity, economic renewal, and the aspirations of working Britons over grievance politics. His approach seeks to reclaim a sense of shared purpose and rebuild confidence in the capacity of democratic government to deliver. In her latest piece for The Liberal Patriot, PPI’s Claire Ainsley argues that this vision represents the clearest statement yet of Starmer’s political purpose. It is a high-stakes but necessary effort to reconnect Labour with working people, strengthen social cohesion, and counter the advance of national populism. https://lnkd.in/eUyGgFFQ

The Democratic Party is confronting a challenge not unlike the one it faced after the Reagan era: how to modernize and reconnect with the working class without abandoning core values. Ron Brownstein draws the parallel in a new CNN analysis, noting that—as in the 1980s—a wave of organizations has emerged to rethink the party’s path forward. Among them: PPI, which continues to convene elected leaders and strategists through New Directions for Democrats, seeking a message that resonates across class and geography. As with the rise of the Democratic Leadership Council and the New Democrat movement, the stakes today are generational. Will Democrats embrace reform—or risk another lost decade? https://lnkd.in/eAFnsKPe

How can Democrats redefine themselves to meet the demands of a changing electorate? In PPI-led focus groups, voters offered a striking metaphor: Democrats are like an oat milk latte—“wishy-washy, watered down.” Republicans? A whiskey: “It might go down rough, but it gets you where you want to be.” This perception gap speaks to a deeper challenge. To compete and win, Democrats must project clarity, discipline, and a renewed commitment to working-class voters. That’s why, last month in Las Vegas, PPI convened New Directions for Democrats—a strategic discussion on how to rebuild the party’s message, structure, and connection to everyday Americans. Katy Balls of The Times explores the urgency of this effort and how PPI is helping to shape the party’s path forward: https://lnkd.in/e585NQJq

To win back disaffected working-class voters, Democrats need leaders who can unite Americans across race and class. That means leaders who blend liberal principles with middle-class values like hard work, family, and patriotism. In The Hill, PPI President Will Marshall revisits Robert F. Kennedy’s 1968 campaign and argues that RFK’s brand of tough-minded, unifying liberalism offers a compelling model for today’s Democratic Party. https://lnkd.in/eiVDEseY

Union Podcast Episode 13

“There is no route to sustainable power for centre-left parties unless you have good relations, good contact and support from working-class voters.” PPI’s David Evans, former General Secretary of the The Labour Party, offers lessons for the global center-left on how to build durable electoral coalitions. Evans played a central role in transforming Labour into an election-winning force. His reflections highlight a simple but powerful truth: progressives cannot succeed without re-establishing trust and connection with working-class communities. https://lnkd.in/e2Ducjew

FICO’s decision to license its credit scores directly to mortgage resellers represents a significant change in the credit reporting market. By creating a new pricing model, FICO may lower the royalty fees mortgage lenders pay to access scores. “This policy change proves once again that competition in credit score reporting benefits consumers. One new direct model could cut the FICO score royalty fee paid by mortgage lenders in half, with hopefully much of those savings being passed onto homebuyers,” said PPI’s Diana Moss and Paul Weinstein Jr. https://lnkd.in/eZVtM7af