Lake Research Partners, the national survey represents 1,000 eligible voters nationwide with oversamples of Black, Indigenous, and people of color communities across the United States. This polling surfaced ideological clusters of voters that represent patterns in understanding race and race-based policies to end social inequality. To further understand the clusters identified through polling, PolicyLink partners with HIT Strategies to conduct focus groups to gather more qualitative insight to the attitudinal trends. The insights gleaned through this research intend to support broader understanding of attitude trends that impact national narratives.

The survey results and focus groups in this study illuminate the importance of getting the message of racial equity out to the private sector and government leaders. The attitudinal findings also demonstrate the importance of getting a message into the collective soul of America. Our country cannot make the bold and swift change necessary to rescue our democracy if we do not understand the severity of America’s ideological discord.

Knowing where we stand in terms of cultural attitudes will help inform our grassroots, corporate, and governmental strategies to liberate the nearly 100 million people living in poverty. Creating a new country that unlocks the potential in us all, requires that we face all barriers to national unity bravely. Race & Equity in America: Annual Attitudinal Research continues to be an essential step in acknowledging our nation’s harmful history and its current manifestations so that we are precise in the path we chart with collaborators to reach America’s highest and truly attainable democratic potential.

This policy example outlining an approach for the design and implementation of the proposed Community Restoration and Revitalization Fund (CRRF) is a companion to the report, A Blueprint for the Next Generation of Federal Place-Based Policy.  The blueprint offers a two-step process for policy analysis and program design that starts with high-level, analytical questions that help provide the aspirational framework for then addressing a series of specific design decisions. It aims to help federal agency officials, congressional staff, and policy advocates design place-based policies and programs that respond to the priorities of local practitioners to actively address racial inequity and injustice, bridge sectors and policy domains, respect and build community voice and power, deliver sufficient resources and lasting system reforms, and promote continuous learning.

This policy example is a companion to the report, A Blueprint for the Next Generation of Federal Place-Based Policy, and offers consideration of how the blueprint’s recommendations might apply to the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH). The blueprint offers a two-step process for policy analysis and program design that starts with high-level, analytical questions that help provide the aspirational framework for addressing a series of specific design decisions. It aims to help federal agency officials, congressional staff, and policy advocates design place-based policies and programs that respond to the priorities of local practitioners to actively address racial inequity and injustice, bridge sectors and policy domains, respect and build community voice and power, deliver sufficient resources and lasting system reforms, and promote continuous learning.

This policy example is a companion to the report, A Blueprint for the Next Generation of Federal Place-Based Policy, and offers consideration of how the blueprint’s recommendations might apply to the Promise Neighborhoods program. The blueprint offers a two-step process for policy analysis and program design that starts with high-level, analytical questions that help provide the aspirational framework for then addressing a series of specific design decisions. It aims to help federal agency officials, congressional staff, and policy advocates design place-based policies and programs that respond to the priorities of local practitioners to actively address racial inequity and injustice, bridge sectors and policy domains, respect and build community voice and power, deliver sufficient resources and lasting system reforms, and promote continuous learning.

This policy example is a companion to the report, A Blueprint for the Next Generation of Federal Place-Based Policy, and offers consideration of how the blueprint’s recommendations might apply to transportation policy and investments. The blueprint offers a two-step process for policy analysis and program design that starts with high-level, analytical questions that help provide the aspirational framework for then addressing a series of specific design decisions. It aims to help federal agency officials, congressional staff, and policy advocates design place-based policies and programs that respond to the priorities of local practitioners to actively address racial inequity and injustice, bridge sectors and policy domains, respect and build community voice and power, deliver sufficient resources and lasting system reforms, and promote continuous learning.

President Biden took on the monumental task of being the first administration to name equity as the responsibility of the federal government. The work of this second year must be focused on ensuring efforts to advance equity not only deepen but endure across future administrations. This brief outlines how the Biden Administration can hold itself accountable to its equity commitments and build on this foundation to ensure the federal government finally serves all people.

Achieving equity through federal resources requires intentional planning and a sharp focus on delivering measurable benefits to those most impacted. The lessons from past recovery efforts are clear: absent an intentional approach, current economic and racial inequities will become further entrenched. To meet the urgency and potential of this moment, policymakers must ensure recovery resources are used to support the hardest-hit workers, businesses, and communities and commit to building an equitable economy. These 10 priorities provide guidance and support to policymakers at all levels of government committed to advancing an equitable recovery.

The nation’s first comprehensive racial equity blueprint for federal agencies, For Love of Country: A Path for the Federal Government to Advance Racial Equity provides resources, tools, and a plan for federal agency leaders to implement President Biden’s historic executive order on advancing racial equity.

Geared toward staff working within federal agencies, For Love of Country: A Path for the Federal Government to Advance Racial Equity also includes tools that are applicable for equity advocates across the nation working inside and outside of government, including:

• Several key roles the federal government can use to shape racial equity
• The transformative potential equity presents for key socioeconomic outcomes
• Guiding principles that can serve as a common foundation for the work across the federal government
• A starter tool for conducting and refining an initial equity assessment
• A tool for agencies to develop a strategic vision and action plan to advance equity, and guidance on how to launch this journey

Download the executive summary.
Download the accompanying user guide.
Read the press release.