Demos in the News

Please note: We are currently upgrading Demos.org and will not be posting full archival content until our fall 2007 relaunch. For information about recent media appearances, please contact press@demos.org.

Publications

"Lawmakers feel the spector of the Supreme Court hanging over campaign finance legislation"
Burlington Free Press
April 30, 2007
Brenda Wright, a lawyer who helped Vermont defend the 1997 law, told the committee last week that the limits in the Senate version are higher than those in a few other states.

"Cheaters testing patience of professors"
The National Post
April 27, 2007
David Callahan, author of "The Cheating Culture", says students cheat because they see cheating on the rise all around them, in business, in sports, in popular culture.

"MIT dean resign over falsified college degrees"
Inside Edition, CBS
April 27, 2007
David Callahan is the author of "The Cheating Culture," and told INSIDE EDITION, "If you don't have a college degree in this economy you are in big trouble so if you don't have a degree people are willing to lie in order to get that advantage."

"Bankruptcy among seniors rising faster"
The Associated Press, Businessweek
April 26, 2007
Senior researcher Jose Garcia, who examines consumer finance trends at New York-based Demos, said rising costs for housing and health care, especially prescription drugs, have made older Americans more dependent on credit. This, in turn, makes them more vulnerable to financial rough spots.

"The cheating life"
Mason City Globe Gazette
April 22, 2007
Author Callahan says Americans have learned that success comes faster to those who cut corners - and that is all the justification some people need to disregard rules, laws and values.

"Unhealthy system"
San Francisco Chronicle
April 19, 2007
Cohn, who has covered health insurance for the New Republic since the '90s, has written a book that explores the human cost of a convoluted, confusing and mismanaged system. "Sick:The Untold Story of America's Health Care Crisis - and the People Who Pay the Price" unwraps the problems in U.S. health care by looking at people and their families. Cohn found people who would be indicative of some of the larger issues.

"Suffering situations"
The American Spectator
April 16, 2007
Of all the books I've read in the last few years knowing I'll probably disagree with the author's conclusions, Jonathan Cohn's new book Sick is easily the most enjoyable. Cohn writes clearly and with compassion - one cannot help but feel for the people whose struggles with the American health care system Cohn so masterfully chronicles.

"Crime, punishment, and vengeance in the age of mass imprisonment"
Alternet
April 14, 2007
In the U.S., over 2.13 million people are incarcerated. Sasha Abramsky's new book, American Furies, explores the bloated prison system and its tremendous financial and moral cost to our society.

"Pending election reform in Congress doesn't give citizens right to sue"
Alternet
April 13, 2007
"There is no new private cause of action," said John Bonifaz, a noted voting rights attorney who is now a senior legal fellow with Demos, a New York City-based progressive think tank that focuses on numerous pro-democracy issues, speaking of the bill proposed by Rep. Rush Holt, D-N.J

"Venice clinic presents author"
The Santa Monica Mirror
April 12, 2007
Jonathan Cohn, a senior editor at The New Republic magazine, proclaimed, "We [Americans] do have a dysfunctional health care system." But he said, speaking to the Venice Family Clinic, "This place is fully functional."

"Our cheating culture"
KING5.com
April 12, 2007
"Our culture's very cutthroat, very focused on money, our economy creates big rewards for the winners on top and insecurity for the people who don't get to the top," said David Callahan.

"Libya transforms under Khadafy's watchful eye"
San Francisco Chronicle
April 12, 2007
At the March 2 debate between Khadafy, British sociologist Anthony Giddens, American political scientist Benjamin Barber and moderator David Frost, Khadafy described his country as a place where "there is no dictatorship, there is no injustice" - yet a leading dissident was in prison for protesting his regime.

"Enough tinkering"
TomePaine.com
April 10, 2007
Kudos to Jonathan Cohn for his important new book. One of the reasons we are talking about what's the right approach - or the most politically feasible approach - to insuring all Americans is that millions of Americans are telling pollsters and politicians that the health care system is in crisis.

"Cohn and health care"
The National Review Online
April 10, 2007
Cohn's piece on France's health care system reads like a sort of outtake to his new book on health care, Sick. I read it recently, and I think it may be the first book on health-care policy that might accurately be described as "a good read."

"How small groups promote social change"
The Chronicle of Philanthropy
April 10, 2007
In a study of 16 organizations, Carol Chetkovich and Frances Kunreuther detail the goals, leadership, resources, and organizational structure characteristic of small, local social-change organizations.

"Credit cards companies rethink fees"
The Austin American-Statesman
April 10, 2007
"It depends on how you define universal default," said Tamara Draut, director of the economic opportunity program at Demos, a New York-based public policy group.

"A 'Sick' health care system"
Newsweek
April 10, 2007
America's way of providing health care is failing, too, Cohn writes, and its problems also won't go away on their own. He spoke with NEWSWEEK's Mary Carmichael about how to cure an ailing system.

"Electric Boogaloo"
The American Prospect
April 9, 2007
As John Bonifaz, a voting rights attorney with the Demos advocacy group, points out, "Adding a paper trail to a DRE won't provide the kind of security our elections deserve," noting that you can't divine voter intent from a print-out from a machine that could be flawed.

"Mismanaged care"
The New York Times Book Review
April 8, 2007
In "Sick," Jonathan Cohn, a senior editor at The New Republic, lucidly shows how America's system for financing medical care helps determine who gets proper medical attention - and who doesn't.

"It's a chronic condition"
Newsweek
April 8, 2007
Jonathan Cohn has studied health care for more than a decade, and in that time he's heard hundreds of grim tales-people who skimp on doctors' visits and skip medications so they can make the rent; patients who died because, as he writes in his new book, they "literally could not afford" to fall ill"

"Proceed to checkout"
The New York Times Book Review
April 8, 2007
...the messages contained in "Consumed" are important. Barber makes points that need to be made - about the excesses of consumer capitalism, the pernicious effects of creeping libertarianism and the cheapening consequences of omnipresent branding.

"Buyer beware"
The Washington Post
April 8, 2007
In Consumed, Barber argues that shopping is pretty much the only common purpose Americans have left. For two generations, consumerism and citizenship have been battling it out for America's soul. And consumerism has won.

"Lay Off, Suze Orman!"
TIME Magazine
April 5, 2007
As Tamara Draut, author of Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead, says, "We are still holding on to the idea that women's problems are emotional."

"A drop in the bucket isn't enough"
Marketplace.com
April 5, 2007
The bottled water industry makes $10 billion per year in sales. Commentator Benjamin Barber says that money is better off in the hands of Third World countries that don't have the convenience of a sink.

"Why progressives should be fighting for Election Day registration"
The Huffington Post
April 4, 2007
Demos, a leading a non-partisan public policy research and good government advocacy organization recently found that EDR increases turnout by 10-12%.

"Pitfalls of private health insurance"
The New York Sun, American Enterprise Institute
April 4, 2007
The economic forces that were set in motion by these policy decisions led to fragmentation of care, cost escalation, and ultimately an underperforming health care system that fails the rich and poor alike, according to Jonathan Cohn in his highly readable "Sick: The Untold Story of America's Health Care Crisis - and the People Who Pay the Price"

"Election registration bill headed to Culver's desk"
The Charles City Press
April 2, 2007
By eliminating the deadline, Iowa could join other states that are enjoying higher ballot counts since passing a similar bill, Appel said. According to a study done by the policy group Demos, states allowing election-day registration have an average voter turnout of 70.3 percent, while other states have a 54.7 percent turnout.

"Promising practices"
Harvard Family Research Project
April 1, 2007
Allison H. Fine is a senior fellow at Demos, a network of action and ideas based in New York City. She writes and speaks on increasing civic participation by harnessing the power of digital technology. Here she answers questions regarding her book "Momentum: Igniting Social Change in the Connected Age."

"Senate passes election-day voter registration"
Mason City Globe Gazette
March 27, 2007
Demos, a Washington D.C.-based advocacy group, issued a report Tuesday that says Iowa would have had 4.9 percent higher turnout in the 2004 general election if Election Day registration had been in place. Iowa set a turnout record in 2004, with more than 1.5 million ballots cast, which was roughly two-thirds of the voting-age population.

"Cheers mate! The BBC is the future of your paper. Maybe.
The Village Voice
March 27, 2007
Robert Kuttner, the American Prospect co-editor who wrote the barely upbeat CJR essay that inspired the panel, whipped up a consensus that newspapers could save themselves by getting all Sumner Redstone on Google's ass. Newspapers should join the legal battle against unauthorized online distribution of their storiesor at least make a better deal. "The search engines," he said, "are taking too big a cut of our content."

"Seniors choose plastic over money"
The Pittsburgh Tribune Review
March 26, 2007
"The big story is that credit card debt has grown among seniors," said Tamara Draut, director of the economic opportunity program at Demos, a nonpartisan advocacy and resource center in New York. "And the credit card debt has gotten much higher."

"From the mirage of middle-class life to the slavery of debt"
Alternet
March 24, 2007
Every day brings news of the potential scope of the emerging "sub-prime" loan scandal - what Robert Kuttner called "deregulation's latest gift" - and new indicators that the housing market that's driven so much of the economy for the past five years is a bubble that's begun to burst right before our eyes.

"Consumed with consumption"
Marketplace
March 22, 2007
Author Benjamin R. Barber says the American economy has taken a wrong turn toward encouraging consumption - and that's not what capitalism was supposed to be about. He talks with Kai Ryssdal.

"Stepping on the dream"
The New York Times
March 22, 2007
Ms. Draut, director of the Economic Opportunity Program at Demos, a public policy group in New York, got to the heart of the matter in her recent testimony before a U.S. Senate committee looking into higher education costs.

"Credit card firms rethinking fees"
Detroit Free Press
March 22, 2007
"It depends on how you define universal default," said Tamara Draut, director of the economic opportunity program at Demos, a New York-based public policy group.

"House OKs voter registration on Election Day"
Des Moines Globe-Gazette
March 21, 2007
In the election last November, states with Election Day registration had 49 percent turnout, compared to 38 percent in all other states, according to Demos, an advocacy group that works for greater voter participation.

"Don't cry for Reagan"
The New York Times, The Argus, The Kansas City Star
March 20, 2007
In 1993 Jonathan Cohn - the author, by the way, of a terrific new book on our dysfunctional health care system - published an article in The American Prospect describing the dire state of the federal government. Changing just a few words in that article makes it read as if it were written in 2007.

"Qadhafi talks up 'direct democracy'"
US News & World Report
March 19, 2007
The unusual "conversation" among Qadhafi, Giddens, American political scientist Benjamin Barber, and the British interviewer David Frost was an effort to show the world a Libya in transition from socialism to free markets and from dictatorship to something--perhaps one day less than dictatorship.

"Senate committee ready to pass campaign finance fix"
Burlington Free Press
March 19, 2007
Brenda Wright, a lawyer who represented VPIRG in defending Vermont's 1997 law and who helped write this year's proposed legislation, told the Senate committee this week that Vermont needs to enact new contribution limits.

"'Election fraud' cry useful tool for the GOP"
The Baltimore Sun, TomPaine.com
March 18, 2007
If election fraud were a serious problem, such abuses might have a shred of legitimacy. Yet the documented cases of deliberate illegal voting are minuscule. For its 2003 report "Securing the Vote," the think tank Demos conducted a national study seeking documented evidence of fraud.

"A short history of health care, Jonathan Cohn shows us how we got here"
Slate
March 13, 2007
Each chapter of Cohn's book is devoted to one or two patient narratives that illuminate a particular dysfunction of the present medical system, and the chapters are arranged in such a way that the dysfunctions appear more or less in the order in which they first became significant national problems.

"Group urges legislators to approve vote day registration"
Iowa Radio News
March 13, 2007
The leader of a national group is urging Iowa legislators to allow Iowans to walk into the polls and vote, without registering days in advance. Stuart Comstock-Gay, director of the Demos' Democracy Program, says it's a reform that encourages more people to vote.

"Capitalism put on trial, Buffett eats: new nonfiction"
Bloomberg.com
March 13, 2007
Megacorporations are as much in the business of manufacturing "needs," Barber argues, as of products or services for a population of emotionally stunted consumers.

"Who will lead nonprofits? Sector worries over future"
City Limits Weekly
March 13, 2007
"When you ask them what they're going to do next, it tells you more about what they think of their job now," said Frances Kunreuther, the (baby-boomer) director of the Building Movement Project, a New York-based organization that supports other non-profits, during the panel discussion.

"Great care - but not for all"
Newsday
March 10, 2007
Among working and middle-income families, the research organization Demos reported in January, medical bills are piling up heavy debts on credit cards. Families with medical debts owe on average $11,623, compared to average credit card balances of $7,964.

"My chat with the colonel"
The Guardian
March 9, 2007
Libya has a small population. But what happens there could have an impact in North Africa and across the Middle East. How far is Gadafy's change of direction real? What are the chances of effective reform? It was to explore these questions that I went to Libya with David Frost and Professor Benjamin Barber, a celebrated theorist of democracy, to engage him in debate.

"2 big credit-card firms in spotlight ease terms"
Bloomberg News, The Baltimore Sun, The Sun-Sentinel
March 8, 2007
Credit-card debt among U.S. consumers is about $9,000 per household, according to Tamara Draut, program director at Demos, a public-policy group. About 40 percent of cardholders pay off their balance each month and don't incur interest charges or late fees.

"Eyewitness: dialogue in the desert"
BBC News
March 7, 2007
The precise forum was a dialogue involving the Leader, as he is known, alongside Anthony Giddens, together with University of Maryland professor and political scientist Benjamin Barber, all under the chairmanship of the veteran journalist Sir David Frost.

"The second shift"
New York Post
March 5, 2007
The average college graduate hits the work force with $20,000 of debt, notes Tamara Draut, author of "Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead." Meanwhile, when adjusted for inflation, entry-level wages have actually declined in the past 30 years.

"College grads enter workforce saddles with debt"
NY 1 News
March 5, 2007
A study by Demos - a New York think tank - found that in 2003 more than 25 percent of college graduates had more than $25,000 in student loan debt, up from seven percent in 1992.

"Longer work weeks and less family time"
The Times-Gazette
March 5, 2007
To show my point, here is a quote from a United States senator's staff member, that Tamara Draut (director of the Economic Opportunity Program at Demos) obtained when she was discussing the child care problems of today's families. The senator's staff member, to show that she understood the child care problem, said, "I know, my husband and I can barely afford the $35,000 a year for our nanny."

"Hip-hop stars sell good money sense"
The Houston Chronicle
March 4, 2007
Draut said she thinks the public far too often blames youth for their money woes. Rising costs that don't keep up with incomes force many young people to take out loans and rack up debt, she said.

"Raft of bills voted out of Assembly's Election Law Committee"
The Amherst Times
March 2, 2007
By law, former offenders should be registered by elections officials in the same manner as everyone else, but the survey found that nearly one-third of all counties illegally required documentation before registering eligible voters with felony convictions; moreover, many illegally refused to register individuals on probation.

"Group seeks change in voter registration laws"
The Hartford Courant
March 2, 2007
Miles S. Rapoport, a former Connecticut secretary of the state who now runs a national group that promotes participation in public life, said research shows that Election Day registration is the surest way to boost turnout.

"Talk show is new forum for Gaddafi push for ties"
Reuters
March 2, 2007
"The past is over. Today we have a new age of globalization," Gaddafi told the debate, sounding a favorite theme of his talk with U.S. political scientist Benjamin Barber and British sociologist Anthony Giddens.

"Gadhafi: It's time Libya opened to the world"
The Associated Press, The Washington Post
March 2, 2007
In the debate, held earlier Friday in front of a group of Western journalists, American political theorist Benjamin Barber and British social scientist Anthony Giddens politely--sometimes deferentially--pressed the man known here as "Brother Leader" on the need for reform.

"How to fix our democracy"
The Nation
February 28, 2007
The Democracy Protection Act--developed by the New Democracy Project, the Brennan Center for Justice, Demos and The Nation--can help us recover from Bush's assaults as well as fix structural flaws that have long diminished our democracy and frustrated majority support for progressive reforms. It identifies five key areas calling out for popular reform.

"Western democracy is ill-suited to Africa--Gaddafi"
Reuters, The New York Times
February 28, 2007
Gaddafi's speech came at the start of a public debate on democracy which included U.S. political scientist Benjamin Barber and British sociologist Anthony Giddens.

"Report finds medical debt increasing"
CQ Healthbeet News
February 27, 2007
Patients are turning to credit cards to meet rising out-of-pocket medical expenses and are accruing heavy medical debt as a result, according to a new report by advocacy groups Demos and the Access Project.

"Panel confronts 'lie of black inferiority'"
The New Haven Register
February 25, 2007
Other panelists were Derrick Gordon, psychiatry instructor at Yale School of Medicine; Algernon Austin, director of the Thora Institute; Makana Ellis, director of the Dixwell-Yale University Community Learning Center; and Minister Alisa Anderson.

"Learn to get in touch with your community"
The Northern Star
February 23, 2007
Is this simply American culture? Murals on buildings in Iran display American flags, but really show anger toward what Rutgers political scientist Benjamin Barber called in 1992 "McWorld," the homogenous supra-culture of McDonald's and Britney Spears that threatens to encroach upon traditionalist societies of the developing world.

"Senate panel tackles college affordability 'crisis'"
Diverse Issues in Higher Education
February 19, 2007
This imperfect system takes its highest toll on low-income students, who may deal with unfair loan terms or simply fail to apply for college. In one year alone, about 400,000 students with a quality academic record failed to attend college due to their low family incomes, said Tamara Draut, director of economic opportunity at Demos, a nonpartisan public policy organization.

"Is plastic the Rx for high medical bills?"
The Oregonian
February 18, 2007
"It's a dangerous path to go on, especially if you have outstanding balances on your credit cards," said Mark Rukavina, director of the Access Project in Boston and an author of the credit card survey that was co-sponsored by the advocacy group Demos.

"N.H. ranks near top for credit cards"
The Boston Globe
February 17, 2007
Tamara Draut, who often writes about debt for the advocacy group Demos, also was surprised by Experian's findings. Credit card debt often rises in areas where there are big job losses, but that wouldn't seem to account for New Hampshire's or New Jersey's credit card totals.

"Latino consumers need stronger protections to navigate the credit card market"
The Times-Record News
February 16, 2007
A recent Demos study on household debt showed that while 7.3% of all respondents were "maxed out and can't use [their cards]" and 12.7% characterized their debt situation as "burdensome and not enough money to pay down [the balance]," 11.4% of Hispanics reported they were "maxed out and can't use [their cards]," and 19.3% of Hispanics described their situation as "burdensome and not enough money to pay down [the balance]."

"Study finds patients paying with credit, medical costs pummeling middle class"
The Argus Leader
February 16, 2007
Medical expenses contributed to credit card debt for 29 percent of low- and middle-income households in 2005, according a study by Demos, a nonpartisan public policy group, and The Access Project, a health care community action organization.

"As medical bills mount, so does credit card debt"
NBC Nightly News
February 7, 2007
Cindy Zeldin works for Demos, a nonprofit research and advocacy group. She says even the insured are not immune from this growing trend.

"Older, but not necessarily wiser"
The Dallas Morning News, The Sun Herald, The Columbia Daily Tribune
February 4, 2007
A 2004 study by Demos, a New York-based research institute, found that consumers within 10 years of retirement are spending an average of one-third of their income on debt payments.

"When the medical debt starts piling up"
Urbana/Champaign News-Gazette
February 4, 2007
A new report shows medical debt has become a significant part of credit card debt for insured and uninsured patients alike. That trend may grow as more employers switch to high-deductible, smaller-benefit health plans.

"The credit trap"
Greensboro News-Record
February 4, 2007
Unless federal regulations get stronger, Americans will have little defense against powerful and aggressive card companies, says Tamara Draut, of the nonpartisan advocacy and research group Demos.

"Saving for retirement early a good plan"
The Bloomington Pantagraph
February 4, 2007
In 2005, 18-to-34-year-olds with credit card debt reported an average balance of $8,182, according to Demos, a public policy research and advocacy organization in New York.

"Credit cards: many go deep in debt for health care"
Bankrate
January 30, 2007
"Too many working people are piling up debt on high interest credit cards and risking financial security simply because they have the misfortune of getting sick," says Mark Rukavina, one of the authors of the study, "Borrowing to Stay Healthy: How Credit Card Debt Is Related to Medical Expenses," by the nonpartisan public policy advocacy group Demos.

"Young adults are right to complain, author says"
The Seattle Times
January 28, 2007
"Most young people aren't having crises of self-actualization," said Draut, director of the Economic Opportunity Program at Demos, a think tank in New York.

"Generation debt: Today's college grads face piling bills, job struggles"
South Coast Today
January 28, 2007
"Today, for kids with a bachelor's, it's an average debt of $19,000. With the cost of health care, housing market, add in student loans and it becomes much more difficult to meet all those payments," said Ms. Draut, a frequent television commentator on the Today Show, ABC World News Tonight and CNN.

"Why you should pay an annual credit-card fee"
CNN Money
January 26, 2007
Tamara Draut, director of economic opportunity programs at Demos, noted that customers who may be a day late or even an hour late in their payment are often hit with the same $35 late fee as customers who might be three months' late.

"Health reform plan is springing leaks"
The Berkshire Eagle
January 24, 2007
Last week, Access Project, a nonprofit medical consumer advocacy group, and Demos, a public policy research organization, revealed a study concluding that Americans are now resorting to credit cards to pay health care costs that are increasing as employers shift more expenses to workers.

"News from nowhere"
The Socialist Alternative
January 23, 2007
As the titles suggest, the high cost of housing, healthcare, education, and childcare plus stagnating or declining wages and growing debt are creating lower living standards. The author of the series, Tamara Draut, also wrote "Strapped: Why Americas 20- and 30-Somethings Cant Get Ahead."

"Debt crushing retirees as well as the young"
The Arizona Republic, USA Today
January 22, 2007
Among households 65 and older, the average amount of credit card debt more than doubled from 1992 to 2004, to $4,907, according to Demos, a New York think tank. Seniors' debt levels are catching up to those of younger people.

"Credit cards now paying medical bills"
The Miami Herald
January 22, 2007
Americans are increasingly relying on credit cards to pay for medical expenses, according to a new report from Demos, a nonpartisan public policy advocacy group; and such debt is putting families at financial risk.

"Your MasterCard or Your Life"
The New York Times
January 22, 2007
The report, released last week, was jointly compiled by Demos, a public policy group in New York, and the Access Project, which is affiliated with a health policy institute at Brandeis University and is trying to broaden the availability of health care in the U.S.

"Patients piling medical costs on credit cards"
The Boston Globe
January 22, 2007
The Access Project/Demos analysis said medical debts should not be used to tarnish an individual's credit rating, and that doctors and hospitals should be discouraged from marketing credit cards to patients.

Book Review: American Furies by Sasha Abramsky
Publisher's Weekly
January 22, 2007
Few would find much to argue with as Abramsky depicts the recent growth of, and violence in, American prisons; he presents alarming statistics on the rise in government spending on punishment in the past 25 years, even as a "less government is more" ethos has ruled.

"Cashing out: more homeoowners are refinancing to tap equity"
MarketWatch
January 21, 2007
Overall, borrowers also need to be honest with themselves before tapping their home equity, especially if the reason for the cash-out isn't a one-time cost, said Jennifer Wheary, a senior fellow at Demos

"The Price of Health: Paying Medical Bills with Plastic Can Really Sting"
US News & World Report
January 18, 2007
The balances of medically indebted households were on average 46 percent higher than those without medical debt-$11,623 versus $7,964according to the survey of 1,150 adults by the Access Project, a consumer health advocacy organization affiliated with Brandeis University, and Demos, a public policy research organization.

"Illness can bring credit card pain"
The St. Petersburg Times
January 17, 2007
Medical debts are a problem for one in five low- and middle-income families carrying credit card balances, according to a report released Tuesday. Demos, a public policy research group in New York, and the Access Project, a Boston center working to improve health care access, teamed up on the report, which analyzed data from a survey conducted by the Center for Responsible Lending in Durham, N.C.

"More and more medical bills paid on credit"
The News Journal
January 17, 2007
"Borrowing to Stay Healthy," a joint project by public policy groups Demos and The Access Project, says 29 percent of low- and middle-income households with credit card balances attributed part of that debt to health care.

"Report: People who charge health-care expenses getting in debt trouble"
The Kansas City Star
January 17, 2007
Demos analyzed data from a 2005 national survey done in conjunction with the Center for Responsible Lending. The survey consisted of 1,150 phone interviews with low- and middle-income households whose incomes fell between 50 percent and 120 percent of the local median income.

"More Americans Paying Their Medical Bills With Credit Cards"
Health Day, Washington Post, Forbes
January 16, 2007
"Medical costs were key factors in higher credit-card balances among households," said Tamara Draut, director of the Economic Opportunity Program at Demos.

"Retirees sliding into debt"
Dallas Morning News
January 15, 2007
A 2004 study by Demos, a New York-based research institute, found that consumers within 10 years of retirement are spending an average of one-third of their income on debt payments.

"Schwarzenegger stirs up national politics"
The Mercury News
January 14, 2007
In the New Republic, senior editor Jonathan Cohn, made a similar point: "If a Democrat proposed something like this, Republicans would have a field day, calling him a radical, a socialist, or worse."

"FIRST STEPS: For shame? Moving home can help establish financial footing"
The Times-Dispatch
January 13, 2007
An analysis by Tamara Draut, the author of "Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead," found that the average person now leaves home at age 24 and that almost half of all adult children return home at least once after moving out.

"Will state ever admit to voter ID law's real intent?"
The Tribune-Star
January 13, 2007
Spencer Overton, a law professor at George Washington University, is one of a few dozen Americans who actually have studied voter fraud instead of using the specter of it to make political hay. His research and that of the federal U.S. Election Assistance Committee strongly indicate that strict voter ID laws such as Indiana's are, at best, an antidote in search of a poison.

"Young dream-seekers strapped by debt"
Christian Science Monitor
January 11, 2007
Sixty percent of young adults between 18 and 34 are struggling for financial independence, says Draut, now the director of the economic opportunity program at Demos, a think tank in New York. She is also the author of a new book, "Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead."

"Clever Econ, Vonnegut vs. Bush, Hershey Empire: New Paperbacks"
Bloomberg News
January 10, 2007
"Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead" by Tamara Draut. A bracing look at the economic challenges young professionals face when entering the job market and establishing careers.

"The Deficit Trap"
The Washington Post
January 10, 2007
The Democratic dilemma is starting to attract some attention on the left. American Prospect editor Robert Kuttner says of the pay/go plan: "The rules preclude tax cuts, unless paid for by other tax increases or spending cuts. This is mostly a good idea - but unless Democrats get serious about repealing Bush's tax cuts for the rich, the result could be further cuts in social outlays for the regular people whom Democrats supposedly champion."

"It's time to make a spiritual attack"
Sydney Morning Herald
January 9, 2007
The author of Jihad versus McWorld, Benjamin Barber, makes a similar point. He says the forces of "integrative modernisation and aggressive economic and cultural globalisation" mean the trivialisation of religion and the displacement of ethics and values from the centre of life.

"First Person: Innocent Lies?"
Baptist Press
January 4, 2007
In the book "Cheating Culture: Why More Americans Are Doing Wrong to Get Ahead," author David Callahan wrote, "A 1997 study by a company that does pre-employment screening found that 95 percent of college-age respondents were willing to lie in order to get a job -" and that 41 percent of the students had already done so."

"Credit card debt weighs down older Americans"
Ventura County Star
December 31, 2006
Demos, a public policy group, reports that the average credit card debt for Americans between 65 and 69 years old rose a shocking 217 percent between 1992 and 2001.

"Why consumers may show more discipline in 2007"
Christian Science Monitor
December 31, 2006
US mortgage debts now total about 46 percent of all US home values. That percentage has more than doubled since the 1950s. "Homeownership is now much more precarious," says Tamara Draut of Demos, an advocacy group in New York worried by America's high consumer debt levels.

"Coalition Paper Ballot Call Spares Vote Villains"
Scoop Independent News
December 18, 2006
An impressive coalition of election fraud-election integrity groups signed an open letter to the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives calling for paper ballots as the only standard for voting in the United States.

"Xerox Boss was from Halifax"
Chronicle Herald
December 18, 2006
In the book Kindred Spirits: Harvard Business School's Extraordinary Class of 1949 and How they Transformed American Business (2002), a study of the careers of such innovative capitalists as Mr. McColough, author David Callahan says the grads of '49 were, by all accounts, an extraordinary bunch.

"Recommended Reading"
Wall Street Journal
December 17, 2006
With credit card debt and student loans a hard reality for many twentysomethings, the need for financial planning has never been greater. In fact, young people today face greater financial challenges than their parents and most previous generations, argues Tamara Draut, the director of the economic opportunity program at Demos, a public policy center based in New York City.

"Embellishing truth will taint your resume"
The Morning Call Online, Chicago Tribune, Orlando Sentinel, Hartford Courant
December 17, 2006
"I think there's a lot more employment insecurity among twentysomethings today, where the good-paying jobs with good benefits are more difficult to come by, " said David Callahan, author of "The Cheating Culture: Why More Americans Are Doing Wrong to Get Ahead." "

"The economics of moving back home"
Washington Date Line, Winston-Salem Journal
December 14, 2006
"An analysis by Tamara Draut, the author of "Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead," found that the average person now leaves home at age 24, and almost half of all adult children return home at least once after moving out."

"Nostalgic About 1974?"
Human Events Online
December 14, 2006
"This index of "fluctuations of income around its overall growth path" has become another ritualistic chant among New York Times writers. "According to a measure of volatility constructed by Jacob S. Hacker," wrote Daniel Gross, "income volatility rose 88 percent between 1978 and 2000." "According to a recent series of papers by Jacob Hacker," wrote Noam Scheiber, "while incomes have been rising, so has the degree to which those incomes fluctuate. ... Between the early 1970s and the early '90s, the index of income volatility he devised rose by a factor of 5."

"White-Collar Workers Unite"
In These Times
December 14, 2006
"UP's mission is simple: "to protect and preserve the American middle class, now under attack from so many directions" Specifically, the group is organizing two related yet disparate types of workers: recent college graduates and middle-aged workforce veterans. "It is important to align the two groups [of workers]," says Tamara Draut, a UP Advisory Board member and the author of Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead."

"Internet cheating clicks with students"
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
December 13, 2006
The Internet only partially explains the situation. Other forms of cheating are becoming more common as well, noted David Callahan, author of "The Cheating Culture." "It's not that you just find a spike in Internet-related cheating and not in crib sheets or getting help from a friend," Callahan said.

"U.S. should enlist Libya's help"
Marketplace
December 11, 2006
Commentator Benjamin Barber has a proposal to simplify America's energy problems. After meeting with Libyan leader Moammar Qaddafi, he came away thinking we might just be able to make a deal.

"College equals mounting debt and stress for Gen Y"
The Shreveport Times
December 10, 2006
"This debt-for-diploma system is strangling our young people right when they're starting out in life," said Tamara Draut, author of "Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30- Somethings Can't Get Ahead." She added, "It's creating a sense of futility that no matter what they do, they're not going to be able to get ahead. It's a sense of hopelessness."

"A generation falls behind parents' standard of living"
Kansas City Star
December 10, 2006
Young adults today are feeling the deep impact of a shift from an industrial to a technology- and service-based economy, said Tamara Draut, director of the Economic Opportunity Program at Demos, a New York-based consumer think tank. They face higher costs in starting and sustaining families, building careers, finding affordable health coverage and growing assets, said Draut, author of Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead.

"Bitter Medicine"
American Spectator
December 4, 2006
While drug-makers and free-market advocates are revolted by the prospect of government-mandated distribution policies, there will always be a liberal cheering section. Enter Jonathan Cohn of the New Republic, one of this group's loudest cheerleaders.

"Young Debt"
Fox 6 News San Diego
December 4, 2006
A new study, by Demos, a national nonpartisan public policy center, is revealing some startling facts about these economic changes. Today's young adults are deep in debt, facing a massive shift in the focus of the U.S economy. These young people are no longer able to start and sustain a family, build a career and grow assets in the same manner as the previous generation.

"At Stake, 'The Value of Our $60,000 Degree'"
The New York Observer
December 4, 2006
David Callahan wrote in his book "The Cheating Culture" that the obsession about advancing in the world "can easily justify the dishonest means." A plagiarism slip here, a source fabrication there--factor in a curmudgeonly professor for a required class and you may acquire a case of cheating on a take-home final.

"US is said to probe Bay State elections"
Boston Globe
November 30, 2006
Boeving is planning to inquire about the state's failure to comply with the federal Help America Vote Act, which requires that every polling place have at least one machine that allows disabled people to vote privately and independently, said Brenda Wright, managing attorney at the Boston-based National Voting Rights Institute. Wright received a call from a Department of Justice lawyer Tuesday.

"Cheaters never prosper"
State Press
November 30, 2006
David Callahan, author of "The Cheating Culture: Why More Americans Are Doing Wrong to Get Ahead," says students feel more pressure than ever to succeed. "Students can feel that the deck is stacked against them, and that can provide a rationalization for cheating," Callahan says. "Today, tuitions are higher and many students work to make ends meet. Grades are more important because many undergrads plan to go on for advanced degrees or depend on grants and scholarships that require maintaining a certain GPA."

"The money gap"
Canon City Daily Record
November 29, 2006
"Poor black people did not develop a culture of success in 1993, then abandon it for a culture of failure in 2001," wrote economist Jared Bernstein of the liberal Economic Policy Institute and sociologist Algernon Austin in a recent op-ed.

"Generation I.O.U., the Economics of the Young"
NPR
November 29, 2006
Roughly two-thirds of young people have some form of debt, and the extra financial burden has made it harder for young people to save for retirement. Guests discuss why some eighteen to thirty-four year olds are financially biting off more than they can chew. Guests: Liz Pulliam Weston, Columnist for MSN Money; Author of Your Credit Score and Deal With Your Debt; Tamara Draut, Author of Strapped: Why America's 20 and 30 Somethings Can't Get Ahead

"Florida (And Who Else?) Botches Another Election"
Bloomberg.com
November 27, 2006
"There is no meaningful way to conduct a recount in that process," says John Bonifaz, founder and general counsel of the National Voting Rights Institute in Boston. "We had meltdowns in many jurisdictions across the country with respect to the use of these machines."

"It's Harder for Your Generation"
Washington Post, Miami Herald, Cleveland Plain Dealer
November 26, 2006
Tamara Draut does not think frustrated young adults are "whiny." Or "lazy." Or "spoiled." Or any of the other insults that are routinely tossed at them by their elders these days. "Most young people aren't having crises of self-actualization," said Draut, director of the Economic Opportunity Program at Demos, a think tank in New York. "They're having crises of 'how am I going to put food on the table and support my family and still better myself through education?'" Where many pundits, career coaches and authors see an epidemic of entitlement, Draut sees a completely justifiable sense of unease. "The path to adulthood for today's young adults is a full-blown obstacle course of loop-de-loop turns and jagged-edge hurdles," she writes in "Strapped" (Doubleday, $22.95), her effort to explain why things are so tough for young adults today and what we could do to fix it. To her, the problems are institutional, not personal. "Far too often, social critics place the blame squarely on our shoulders, maligning everything from our work ethic to our spending habits. If only it were that simple."

"At SEC, Cox has right focus"
The Seattle Times
November 22, 2006
Cox's assumption of that role is a refreshing rebuke to those who tried to spoil his nomination a year and a half ago. They tagged Cox, a Reagan Republican, as a friend of business--which he was. Public Citizen argued that he would be "a disaster for investors." Liberal writer Robert Kuttner warned that he "could be Bush's single-most-destructive regulatory appointee."

"A holiday budget now can prevent shock later"
Contra Costa Times
November 22, 2006
"It is a holiday that's wrought with temptation," said Tamara Draut, author of "Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead." "We are constantly bombarded with the message to spend money....You can start out with the best intentions and still wind up spending more money than you had budgeted."

"Did voting machines steal a Democratic victory?"
Salon
November 22, 2006
"A handful of private voting technology companies have made millions off of selling states these touch-screen voting machines as a result," says Bonifaz of the National Voting Rights Institute. "Now, we're faced with this predicament: Millions of federal dollars have been spent on a product that appears to be seriously flawed."

"Young people struggle to deal with kiss of debt"
USA Today, Florida Today, Indianapolis Star, WBIR-TV Knoxville, WZZM 13 Grand Rapids
November 20, 2006
"This debt-for-diploma system is strangling our young people right when they're starting out in life," said Tamara Draut, author of "Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead."

"Twenty-Somethings Drowning in a Sea of Bills"
ABC News
November 18, 2006
Tamara Draut, author of "Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead," says those who are heading to college need a reality check right now. "I think three decades, four decades from now, we're going to look back and remember this generation as either the generation that saved the American dream or the generation that lived through its demise."

"Groups Call for Revote in Florida Congressional Race"
The NewStandard
November 17, 2006
"Public confidence in the vote-counting process is a bedrock principle of any democracy," wrote DEMOS, a public-interest advocacy group, and the National Voting Rights Institute (NVRI) in a joint statement. "In Florida's 13th Congressional District, it is clear that only a revote with the option of hand-recorded paper ballots will ensure that voters in that district can trust that their votes will be properly counted."

"Voting blunder puts Florida in spotlight again"
Stateline.org
November 17, 2006
"People are being much too complacent about this," said Miles Rapoport, the former Connecticut secretary of state and the president of Demos, a New York-based nonpartisan voter advocacy group. "There were in fact many, many problems of several kinds on Election Day and it's only because they didn't affect the outcome of the control of the House or Senate that they haven't gotten the kind of attention that they might have."

"Ad Council's talking pig saves young adults' bacon"
DM News
November 17, 2006
Public policy researcher Demos reports that young Americans now have the second highest rate of bankruptcy after those aged 35 to 44.

"Political activist launches show"
North Adams Transcript
November 16, 2006
A third installment, "Illegitimate Election 2004," about the presidential election that year in Ohio, will air sometime in January and feature John Bonifaz, founder of the National Voting Rights Institute, as the guest speaker. Zasloff traveled to Boston to interview Bonifaz, who once won a MacArthur award and who works as an activist lawyer. He advocated a recount in Ohio in 2004.

"'Testing the waters' helps hopefuls keep powder dry"
CNN.com, Forbes, Guardian Unlimited, Journal Gazette & Times Courier, Fort Wayne Journal Gazette
November 15, 2006
"When candidates are looking at figures like $50 million by the end of 2007 to be considered serious, that puts so much pressure on fundraising. It's a signal the wealth primary has begun," said Brenda Wright, the National Voting Rights Institute's managing attorney.

"A New Twist on Equal Opportunity"
The Chronicle of Philanthropy
November 13, 2006
In an era when people around the world interact with one another through Web sites, chat rooms, cellphones, iPods, and other gadgets and gizmos, nonprofit leaders must adapt to a new mind-set, argues Allison H. Fine in her new book, Momentum: Igniting Social Change in the Connected Age. Instead of leading in a top-down fashion, nonprofit groups must give donors and volunteers meaningful roles in shaping social-change movements, she says. And no longer will the organizations with the biggest coffers necessarily be the most successful.

"Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes"
Ventura County Reporter
November 9, 2006
Voting, a process we used to consider rather straightforward, has been completely tainted. For proof, take a look at Sasha Abramsky's story, "Try voting here," on Page 9. You'll be shocked by how far some people have gone to rig elections and disenfranchise voters.

"US Elections: More Voting Irregularities Identified"
Voice of America
November 8, 2006
The president of Demos, Miles Rapoport, talked with VOA English to Africa Service reporter Angel Tabe, who asked him to describe some of the problems. He said, "Problems which need to be investigated and prosecuted are specific and conscious attempts to discourage voting by putting up misleading information, calls to people's houses [and] persistent reports of that throughout the country, throughout the day."

"Voting problems widespread"
Desert Morning News, Indianapolis Star
November 8, 2006
"If elected officials who are in charge of the system or are very familiar with how things work have problems, how can ordinary citizens be expected to negotiate the system?" asked Brenda Wright with the National Voting Rights Institute.

"ELECTION 2006: AMERICA VOTES Glitches, but overall voting goes smoothly"
Los Angeles Times
November 8, 2006
"The problems that we are seeing today ... are systemic and across the country," said Brenda Wright, managing attorney with the National Voting Rights Institute, part of a coalition of groups monitoring the elections. "We have got to do a better job of making voting accessible to everyone."

"Reports of dirty tricks, glitches with e-voting"
The Toronto Star
November 8, 2006
Brenda Wright of the National Voting Rights Institute said many problems could be attributed to election workers who are overworked and underpaid.

"Everyone on lookout for voter complaints, irregularities"
The Journal News
November 8, 2006
"It sounds as if the poll worker became incensed when one of the voters insisted that he was in fact registered," said Steven Carbo, a lawyer who was overseeing complaints about New York that were coming in to a volunteer hotline at the offices of Kirkland & Ellis law firm.

"Snafus strike across country"
Detroit Free Press
November 8, 2006
"If elected officials who are in charge of the system or are very familiar with how things work have problems, how can ordinary citizens be expected to negotiate the system?" asked Brenda Wright of the National Voting Rights Institute.

"Amid high turnout, glitches in this election"
The Stamford Advocate, The Greenwich Times, Orlando Sentinel
November 7, 2006
Brenda Wright, managing attorney with the National Voting Rights Institute, part of a coalition of groups monitoring the elections, said, "The problems that we are seeing today & are systemic and across the country. We have got to do a better job of making voting accessible to everyone."

"E-voting glitches give election watchers pause"
GOVEXEC.com
November 7, 2006
The organization helped lead an effort by the nonpartisan Election Protection coalition to monitor and report e-voting problems throughout the country. The Electronic Frontier Foundation, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, National Voting Rights Institute and People for the American Way also were part of the effort.

"Election 2006: Resisting The Voting Rights Rollback"
New York City Independent Media Center
November 7, 2006
According to a July 2005 report by the advocacy groups Demos, Project Vote and the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), virtually no states are complying with NVRA.

"Let the recounts begin"
MSNBC/National Journal
November 7, 2006
Demos, a New York City-based group that focuses on election issues, reports [PDF] that 31 states and the District of Columbia don't count provisional ballots cast in the wrong precinct. Demos calls ballots that election officials allow to be cast but have no intention of counting "placebo" ballots. "Many provisional voters think they are being given the vote, when in fact they are receiving a false promise," a Demos report warned.

"Voting for Dollars"
Business Tennessee
November 7, 2006
Despite Tennessee's reluctance, there's at least one person, independent of both Arizona and Tennessee, in favor of a Voter Reward Act. Miles Rapoport, a former Secretary of State for Connecticut who is president of Demos, a think tank "committed to building an America that achieves its highest democratic ideals," says America's electoral system puts up barriers that discourage people from voting. A properly implemented monetary incentive, he says, may be a creative way to get people to the polls.

"Levers and lawyers: NY-based legal line is new Election custom"
Newsday
November 7, 2006
At Manhattan's Kirkland & Ellis call center, Missouri was generating many calls as of midday Tuesday. The hotline's Missouri chief, Lisa Danetz of the National Voting Rights Institute, said multiple callers reported balky electronic voting machines, requests for more or different forms of identification than state law requires and problems locating registered voters on precinct rolls.

"Study Warns of Voter Suppression, Intimidation"
Crosswalk.com
November 5, 2006
"When you have 14,000 Latino residents in Orange County getting a letter warning them that it may be a crime for them to go to the polls - and that's just one instance - obviously, you have the potential for disenfranchising a lot of citizens with these tactics," she told Cybercast News Service. Wright also highlighted misinformation campaigns in Milwaukee, where African American voters were told if they voted more than once in a year they could face jail time or a fake advisory in Franklin County, Ohio telling Democrats to vote the day after Election Day "due to high voter registration."

"Three new books offer the Democrats a path to the White House"
Austin American-Statesman
November 5, 2006
According to David Callahan in "The Moral Center," all this nit-picking over geography and media strategy misses the point. The problem is not procedural, he insists, but moral. Callahan, a fellow at the public policy center Demos, hammers away at what he identifies as a conceptual problem at the core of contemporary Republican politics.

"Election Day"
The New York Times, International Herald Tribune
November 5, 2006
Fourth -- and here it starts to get darker -- there is the purposeful use of tools like registration laws and the distribution of assets like voting machines to discourage certain voters and potentially change the result. These abuses are the subject of "Stealing Democracy: The New Politics of Voter Suppression," by Spencer Overton, a professor at George Washington University Law School.

"The price of glory for Rutgers"
NorthJersey.com
November 5, 2006
Robert H. Frank, an economics professor at Cornell, studied the revenue potential of Division I-A programs for the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics. "If you're a school that has a history -- a University of Michigan, a University of Texas -- there are some built-in advantages," said Frank. "For somebody coming in from the outside hoping to crack that circle, it's almost certainly a losing proposition."

"As Vote Nears, Parties Prepare For Legal Fights"
The New York Times, Amherst Times
November 4, 2006
Demos, a nonpartisan organization that studies election issues, calls ballots that election officials allow to be cast but have no intention of counting placebo ballots. The group predicts that in close elections the rules for counting provisional ballots could lead to legal cases.

"Taking a closer look"
Terre Haute Tribune Star
November 4, 2006
"Contrary to the claims of Carter-Baker Commissioner Molinari," Overton writes, "the law enforcement task force did not find that the Wisconsin election was 'decided by illegal votes.' Even in the improbable event that all 100 alleged fraudulent votes and 200 improper felon votes were cast for John Kerry, Kerry's lead in the state would be reduced from 11,000 to 10,700 & The U.S. Attorney explicity stated: 'We don't see a massive conspiracy to alter the election in Milwaukee, one way or another.'"

"Home of the Cheats?"
The Kansas City Star
November 4, 2006
"The carrots for winners are bigger, the middle class are more insecure, and the spoils of the rich are in their face all the time," Callahan said. "When the rewards for cheating are larger than they used to be, it just makes sense that people will take more risks to get those rewards. And if wealth is equated with virtue, as it is in society today, then the invirtuous ways you got that wealth, you know, who cares?"

"In America, Black Voters say Their Votes are Stifled"
Voice of America
November 3, 2006
"Politicians use gerrymandering and a variety of other barriers to the ballot, to determine who votes and whose vote counts. Voters don't always choose politicians, but sometimes politicians choose voters." Overton says the practice of gerrymandering occurs across the United States. Politicians redraw political districts to add loyalists, take out non-loyalists and assure themselves big wins. "In 2004, Congress had only a 40% approval rating and yet 98% of incumbent congressmen returned to Washington, DC; they won their elections&. Here in the United States we've got a conflict of interest where politicians are in charge of rules for their own elections."

"The Republicans Will Play Solitaire"
The New York Sun
November 2, 2006
"If the GOP does tumble into the abyss, the Democrats will still be left with the unenviable task of figuring out exactly what it is they stand for (other than not being the Republicans). Into that gap rushes David Callahan, co-founder of the liberal think-tank Demos and author of "The Moral Center: How We Can Reclaim Our Country From Die-Hard Extremists, Rogue Corporations, Hollywood Hacks, and Pretend Patriots""

"Rights Groups: Jumble of State Laws Could Disenfranchise Voters"
The New Standard
November 2, 2006
"Scott Novakowski, policy analyst with DEMOS, said vague language in HAVA has given states wide latitude in determining how provisional ballots will be counted. Novakowski told The NewStandard that many voters may falsely believe that just by casting a provisional ballot, their vote will be counted."

"Unemployment Decline: real or imagined?"
The New York Amsterdam News
November 2, 2006
"Algernon Austin, scholar and founder of the Thora Institute, a New Haven, Conn.-based social science organization that serves Black Americans, offered some practical explanations concerning the new findings of the Pew Hispanic Center report."

"Vote Fraud Fears Fewer, Yet Some Back Voter IDs"
SignOnSanDiego.com
November 1, 2006
""The disenfranchisement of voters through antiquated voting systems, system error and improper management of registration databases, as occurred in Florida in the 2000 election, is a far bigger problem than traditional forms of election fraud," the report concludes."

"No Penalty for Voting Systems Lapse"
Washington Post, Yahoo! News, MSNBC, Journal Gazette & Times Courier, Detroit News, The Barre Montpelier Times Argus,
October 31, 2006
States like New York and Connecticut, with a number of competitive elections that could decide which party controls the U.S. House, still use lever ballot machines that generally have a higher error rate than other machines, said George Washington University law professor Spencer Overton.

"Hispanic, Asian, Native Citizens Face Voting Barriers"
The New Standard
October 31, 2006
"Anti-immigrant sentiment in this country, unfortunately, is a reality on the political scene right now," Wright told The NewStandard, "and I think it does result in some of these instances of discrimination and non-enforcement that you see."

"Our Cheating Hearts"
The New York Daily News
October 30, 2006
"David Callahan's book "The Cheating Culture" argues that Americans are not only cheating more, they're feeling less guilty about it. Inflamed by envy, they seek to keep up not with the Joneses but with those who are much better off than the Joneses. "

"It's Still The Economy Stupid"
Marketplace by American Public Media
October 30, 2006
"Once again, the quest for endless profits. No folks, no matter how you slice it, it's still the economy, stupid."

"All of New Jersey to vote electronically on Nov. 7"
Newsday, WCBS 880 New York, Bridgewater Courier News, Courier-Post
October 29, 2006
"Even after all those hoops have been gone through, there is still an issue of whether there will be machine malfunctions," said Miles Rapoport, a former Connecticut Secretary of State and election reform advocate who participated in the forum. "We've got a lot of problems to watch for."

"Young adults squeezed"
The News and Observer
October 29, 2006
The ads send the wrong message to the many young adults who aren't spending frivolously, said Tamara Draut, author of the book, "Strapped" which looks at why young adults have trouble getting ahead. "What that says to people who aren't buying those things is that they've got nothing they can cut back on," Draut said. "It makes them feel like they are doing something wrong."

"In Credit Card Rates, Trust but Verify"
The New York Times
October 28, 2006
"Always make a call," Ms. Draut said. "Always look over your bill carefully. If you see a change, get in touch right away."

"State hopes ballot system will help avoid confusion"
Augusta Chronicle
October 27, 2006
"For over half of the voters who voted on provisional ballots, it was really a placebo ballot," said Miles Rapoport, president of Demos"

"Democrats Fear Disillusionment in Black Voters"
The Amherst Times
October 27, 2006
"Voter suppression is a real threat," Mr. Overton said, "but Democrats can't invest so much into voter protection that they don't have adequate resources to turn out their voters to the polls in the first place."

"Despite Laws, Disabled Voters Face Barriers at Polls"
The New Standard
October 27, 2006
"The basic requirement of having the polling place itself be accessible--in other words you can get into it in a wheel chair, that's been part of [federal law] for some time now," said Brenda Wright, managing attorney with the National Voting Rights Institute. "Although& it's not been fully complied with everywhere, so it's an ongoing struggle to achieve full compliance with these laws that are out there to provide these protections."

"More Likely To Die Than Be Kicked Out of Office"
Amherst Times
October 26, 2006
Our comments were well received, and echoed by groups including NYPIRG, Demos, and the Voting Rights Consortium. The hearings also saw members of non-partisan commissions like Steven Lynn, the Chairman of Arizona's Independent Redistricting Commission.

"Few Felons Taken Off Voting Rolls"
Palm Beach Post
October 26, 2006
Florida is one of 13 states that prohibit a citizen from voting after he or she has been convicted of a felony, according to Scott Novakowski, a policy analyst who studies the issue for Demos, a New York City think tank.

"Why Democrats are losing the culture war"
USA Today
October 26, 2006
As David Callahan points out in his book The Moral Center, "When the right complains about the media's descent into tawdriness, it puts them on the side of most Americans."

"Staff Shortages and Training Expected to Create Problems Nov. 7th"
AxcessNews
October 25, 2006
"Regrettably, the role of poll workers in our elections is often overlooked and under-supported," said Miles Rapoport, President of Demos. "During each election, states squeak by with a bare minimum of poll workers, many with inadequate training for an increasingly complex task. New reports and widely covered problems with recent primary elections have illuminated just how grave this problem is."

"Major Cities Balk Over Voter ID Laws"
Axcess News
October 24, 2006
n Boston, where City Councilman Jerry McDermott proposed a voter ID program, Stuart Comstock-Gay, Executive Director of the National Voting Rights Institute said, "We oppose the call for new voter identification requirements in Boston because such requirements threaten to disenfranchise perhaps tens of thousands of eligible voters who lack government-issued photo ID, particularly the elderly, people with disabilities, the poor and people of color."

"Pol pushes for ID'ing at polls"
Boston Herald
October 23, 2006
Stuart Comstock-Gay, executive director of the National Voting Rights Institute, said voter ID proposals are cropping up. "They keep people away from voting," said Comstock-Gay. "We have a solution for a problem that doesn't seem to exist, and that solution causes other problems."

"Top 5 Issues That Motivate Young Voters Today"
WireTap
October 23, 2006
Over the last ten years, tuition costs have not only outpaced inflation, but left it in the dust. At the same time, Pell Grants, the federal financial aid for lower-income students, no longer cover three-quarters of college costs as they once did in the 1970s, Tamara Draut writes, author of Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead. Today, Draut says, the maximum Pell Grant award covers just one-third of tuition. So now, on top of classes, reading, assignments, and activities, many students are in a time crunch because of the need to hold down jobs.

"The game of lie"
Purdue Exponent
October 23, 2006
One author thinks people today are more competitive and comfortable with lying. David Callahan, author of "The Cheating Culture: Why More Americans Are Doing Wrong to Get Ahead," said this generation, college students or not, is influenced by culture. "I would not single out college students as being especially bad. It's just a big part of our culture right now and college students are growing up in this culture and they take their cues from other people," said Callahan.

"Old election glitches lead to new worries"
The Herald-Sun
October 23, 2006
Miles Rapoport, president of the New York state think tank Demos and Connecticut's former secretary of state, said states actually can limit voter turnout by closing registration before Election Day. Rapoport was among four former state and election officials who spoke last week to journalists in a conference call. Demos has said that turnout for the 2004 elections in the six states that allow voters to register on Election Day was about 12 points higher than the national average.

"A call for Election Day registration"
The Daily Targum
October 23, 2006
A panel on Election Day Registration spoke last Thursday at Trayes Hall on the Douglass Campus to address the benefits of EDR. The New Jersey American Civil Liberties Union, the Eagleton Institute of Politics and New Jersey Policy Perspective Demos sponsored the event in an effort to raise awareness on the subject.

"Marie Antoinette, Citoyenne"
The New York Times
October 22, 2006
Robert H. Frank, the Cornell economist whose books include "Luxury Fever: Why Money Fails to Satisfy in an Era of Excess," says that although the gap between the rich and the rest of us has only widened over the last 35 or 40 years, "Americans aren't known for great class resentment toward the wealthy. "It's not that the extra spending of the rich hasn't caused problems for the middle class-- it has, particularly in the housing market," Professor Frank says.

"Credit card truth is in fine printt"
Deseret Morning News
October 22, 2006
Cindy Zeldin, a federal affairs coordinator for Demos, a public policy and research organization, said credit card fees and penalties deserve more scrutiny by lawmakers. "More and more Americans are turning to credit cards to serve as a safety net in terms of financial emergencies," Zeldin said. "The lending industry is able to take advantage of that situation with penalty fees and retroactive rate increases for relatively minor infractions."

"Credit: The way out means new way of life"
Greensboro News-Record
October 22, 2006
"I think were reaching a tipping point," said Tamara Draut, director of the economic opportunity program for the Demos think tank in New York. "Consumers are increasingly concerned about debt."

"06 vote under tight scrutiny-- maybe too tight"
Daytona Beach News-Journal
October 22, 2006
Nationally, one-third of the nearly 2 million provisional ballots were rejected in the 2004 general election, according to Demos, another policy research institute.

"Celebs Ignore 'Green' Wal-Mart's Worker Oppression"
AlterNet
October 20, 2006
Cindy Zeldin's story tracked the latest leaked memo, detailing "plans to limit its 2007 health insurance options for new hires to two choices, both high deductible plans, in an effort to squeeze benefit costs." Zeldin is not hopeful for the health of future Wal-Mart employees and their families, calling the plan "a dagger through the heart of the very concept of insurance."

"Experts warn of foul-ups with new voting machines"
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
October 19, 2006
Miles Rapoport, former secretary of state in Connecticut, proposed a significant expansion of EAC's powers and resources, making it into a "NASA-style agency" that could research the development of electronic machines and set strict standards for the technology.

"The Week in Local Politics"
6abc.com
October 19, 2006
Rapoport says "the poll worker workforce is in no way prepared for new machinery and maintenance requirements. There will be some elections so close, that again there will be audits, recounts and lawsuits. We're going to have people coming who can't vote, and more people encountering long lines as we saw in Ohio in 2004, especially where we saw ballot initiatives."

"Barred from voting"
Salon.com
October 19, 2006
The myriad of different state laws and recent revisions leads to another form of disenfranchisement, as many felons assume they can't vote and stay home on Election Day. In fact, the laws often befuddle election officials. Sasha Abramsky, author of "Conned: How Millions Went to Prison, Lost the Vote, and Helped Send George W. Bush to the White House," found substantial differences in the ways the laws are written, and how they're implemented on the ground. "You have all these laws that in theory let ex-felons vote, but election officials at the county level didn't understand the law, and were erring on the side of not letting felons vote," he says.

"Voter education touted"
Delmarva Daily Times
October 19, 2006
The participants included Miles Rapoport, the Democratic former secretary of state for Connecticut; The Rev. DeForest Soaries, New Jersey's former Republican secretary of state and former chairman of the U.S. Election Assistance Com-mission; Ray Martinez, the former vice chair of EAC and currently a policy advisor for the Pew Center on the States; and Tova Wang, a democracy fellow with the Century Foundation.

"SOSing the Vote"
In These Times
October 18, 2006
John Bonifaz, who, on Sept. 19, lost an uphill primary race against a Democratic incumbent in Massachusetts, is one of the founders of the National Voting Rights Institute, which helped lead the fight for a recount in Ohio following the 2004 presidential election.

"Reporters conference with election experts"
Delmarva Daily Times
October 18, 2006
Reporters from around the nation were briefed today on some of the major issues affecting voters in this year's elections. The participants included Miles Rapoport, the Democratic former secretary of state for Connecticut.

"Learn what to look for when choosing a credit card"
Dayton Daily News
October 15, 2006
Demos, a national research and consumer advocacy group, reported consumer credit card debt has almost tripled over the last two decades - from $238 billion in 1989 to $800 billion in 2005.

"S.C. residents see increase in home foreclosures"
The Associated Press, Times and Democrat, The Daily Comet, Myrtle Beach Sun News, Charleston Post Courier
October 15, 2006
U.S. homeowners, who owe about $400 billion on adjustable-rate mortgages, could see their monthly payments double in the next five years, said Tamara Draut, director of the Economic Opportunity Program of Demos.org, a New York-based nonprofit group funded by grants from the Ford Foundation and other foundations.

"Foreclosures increase in state"
The State, Centre Daily Times, The Myrtle Beach Sun News, Rock Hill Herald
October 15, 2006
U.S. homeowners owe about $400 billion on adjustable-rate mortgages. They face increases in monthly payments of 50 percent to 100 percent over the next five years, said Tamara Draut, director of the Economic Opportunity Program of Demos.org, a New York-based nonprofit funded by the Ford Foundation and others.

"IN THE PIPELINE: Debt-free is the new American Dream"
The Florida Times-Union
October 14, 2006
According to Demos, a nonpartisan research group in New York, adults between 25 and 34 years old spend about a quarter of every dollar they make to pay off debt at the minimum rate due. The rest of that dollar goes to rent and other expenses.

"5 Questions For Allison Fine, Senior Fellow, Demos
Philanthropy News Digest
October 13, 2006
Allison Fine is a senior fellow with Demos in New York City. In 1992, Fine founded the Innovation Network (InnoNet), where she was executive director and president until 2004. She also has served as CEO of the e-Volve Foundation. Her first book, Momentum: Igniting Social Change in the Connected Age, was recently published by Wiley & Sons. PND spoke with Fine about activist organizations and how nonprofits can be more responsive to people interested in their work.

"Debt firms not always helpful"
South Bend Tribune
October 13, 2006
Consumer credit card debt has almost tripled since 1989 and increased 31 percent since 2000, according to research released last fall by Demos and the Center for Responsible Lending.

"Welcome to IncumbentWorld"
The Philadelphia Daily News
October 13, 2006
In his book, "Stealing Democracy," Spencer Overton, a George Washington University law professor, said, "Our democratic system is crumbling, and, with it, the legitimacy of our institutions."

"Homeward Bound"
Long Island Press
October 12, 2006
The increase continued until 1998, when 8 percent of 25- to 34-year-olds were living with Mom and Dad, according to Tamara Draut, an economist who recently published a book entitled Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead. "The economy has changed significantly," Draut tells the Press. "Young people today deal with different financial pressures than their parents did." Draut says that the average college grad starts out in the red, especially because of student-loan debt, which reaches an average of $20,000. In addition, 71 percent of American students don't have bachelor's degrees, and will face even lower salaries than employees who have earned a bachelor's before entering the workforce.

"Uneven labor standards undermine community colleges"
The Seattle Times
October 12, 2006
The Harry Bridges Center will host a public forum, "Labor, Knowledge and the Economy," beginning Friday evening with a keynote address by Robert Kuttner in Kane Hall, and extending to Saturday with discussions involving labor, business and education leaders.

"Americans wise up to phony 'values' politics"
Idaho Mountain Express
October 11, 2006
Boston Globe columnist Robert Kuttner also did some dot connecting. He finds President Bush and Vice President Cheney have filled every executive agency with industry lobbyists and executives who've relentlessly weakened regulatory activities and virtually transformed them into industry mouthpieces.

"D.C. Responsibility"
University at Buffalo The Spectrum
October 11, 2006
To borrow from public policy wonk David Callahan, what none of the politicians seem to understand is that spanning the divide of conservatives and liberals, America is full of Cares and Care-Nots. Right now, regardless of the right and the left, people in this country who care are furious.

"White-Collar Workers Unite!"
AlterNet
October 10, 2006
The result was some seed money from the SEIU and a plan to build a grassroots, membership-based organization with local chapters, modeled vaguely on the AARP. In addition to Mike Dolan of the SEIU, a number of business and policy people have joined the UP board as members and advisors, including Jared Bernstein of the Economic Policy Institute and author and Demos director Tamara Draut. At $36.50 a year for members, UP hopes to be self-funding.

"Closing the Gap on Gen Y's Debt Crisis"
New Man Magazine
October 9, 2006
Recent reports from public policy research group Demos indicate as much as 75 percent of 18 to 24-year-olds carry a credit card balance, due in large part to aggressive marketing by credit card companies on college campuses.

"Incumbent Galvin wins secretary of state poll"
Standard-Times, South Coast Today
October 9, 2006
Bonifaz founded the National Voting Rights Institute, which is based in Boston, and now serves as its general counsel. Bonifaz supported the state's Clean Elections law, which the Legislature did not fund and ultimately abolished for legislative candidates in the midst of a fiscal crisis. He also called for the state to implement same-day registration in elections and improve voting access for citizens who do not speak English.

"Author urges young people to stand up for change"
The Marion Star; CentralOhio.com
October 9, 2006
"People don't think of their experiences being related to politics at all," she said. "Until young people get involved and stand up for what country they want to live in, nothing will change." Draut, a youth commentator and director of the economic opportunity program at Demos, a New York City-based public policy center, focused her first book on the "new obstacle course" facing adults under 35. She said getting ahead is getting harder as they try to build careers, buy homes and start families, often while they are trying to pay off college loans and other debt lingering from college.

"Not all young adults are slackers about savings"
South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Contra Costa Times, The Columbus Dispatch, Montgomery Advisor, The Baltimore Sun, Hartford Courant, Chicago Tribune, Lansing State Journal, Greensboro News-Record, The Monterey County Herald
October 8, 2006
The average 25- to 34-year-old spends 25 cents out of every dollar earned on debt payments, according to Demos: A Network for Ideas & Action, a New York-based policy research-group that advocates for expanding economic opportunities and reducing poverty.

"Efforts made to curb voting rights violations"
Amsterdam News
October 5, 2006
The National Voting Rights Institute recently filed suit in federal court against Ohio Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell and the state's Director of the Department of Job and Family Services (DJFS) Barbara Riley for violating the 1993 National Voter Registration Act (Motor Voter Act). The suit claims that low-income residents were not provided with opportunities to register to vote at public-assistance and motor vehicles offices, as is required by the act.

"Did the Media Kill Outrage-- and Can We Trust It?"
Huffington Post
October 5, 2006
But these days, journalists barely rank above used car dealers-- and if the large turn-out at the Demos/ New York Society for Ethical Culture talk on "Ethics and Journalism: Should We Trust the Media?" is anything to go by, I'm far from the only one who is concerned.

"Today's lesson: Guilty until proven innocent"
HeraldNet
October 5, 2006
Then it is argued that it's not the students, it's society. David Callahan's book "The Cheating Culture" gets quoted often in these discussions. Cheating students simply reflect our cheating ways, from business to sports to personal relationships.

"Capitol Crimes"
Moyers on America PBS Now
October 4, 2006
THOMAS FRANK: There's a book that came out a few years ago called THE CHEATING CULTURE. This is well before the Abramoff affair. He focused a lot on things like Enron and WorldCom, where you see a lot of the same kind of forces at play, and a lot of people rationalizing the things that they were doing. And what he keeps coming back to is that these things are the product of...they are intrinsically related to the kind of society we are, the inequality that you're seeing in America nowadays. I mean, the vast change that has actually been worked by conservative economic policy in the last 30 years.

"Honest business behaviour starts in the classroom"
Business Report
October 3, 2006
"There is little social sanction for cheating when so many people are cheating that it becomes normal," said David Callahan, a co-founder of the New York-based think-tank Demos and author of The Cheating Culture.

"Moral Center: Values, Politics and America's Future"
WGBH Boston, Forum Network
October 3, 2006
"David Callahan challenges the right's monopoly of values issues, articulating a forceful moral vision for progressives."

"Global economy calls for global politics"
Marketplace
October 2, 2006
President Bush signed a bill Saturday extending economic sanctions against Iran without the support of China or Russia. Commentator and political philosopher Benjamin Barber argues that such unilateralist tactics are passé.

"'Fusion' election poses a question"
The Berkshire Eagle
October 1, 2006
Ben Healey, lead organizer for the Mass Ballot Freedom Campaign, which is sponsoring Question 2, said a coalition including the National Voting Rights Institute, the Senior Action Council, the Massachusetts Coalition of Independent Voters and 25 labor organizations have endorsed the change because "they really recognize how stultified the culture is on Beacon Hill and see this as a way to give voters a chance to send a message with their votes."

"Heard off the street: Study suggests Cheating 101 more prevalent at business schools"
Pittsburg Post-Gazette
October 1, 2006
Whatever the intensity of the offense, reducing cheating at business schools is important. But business shouldn't be the whipping boy for the larger societal problem David Callahan examined a few years ago in his book, "The Cheating Culture."

"Business school ethics get grades that are only oxymoronic"
Bloomberg News, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
October 1, 2006
"There is little social sanction for cheating when so many people are cheating that it becomes normal and routine," said David Callahan, author of "The Cheating Culture" and a co-founder of the think tank Demos in New York. "When everybody's doing it, you don't feel bad if you do it, too."

"Suppressing The Vote"
The Nation
September 29, 2006
Demos, a national public policy organization, reports that the legislation would disproportionately impact people of color, individuals with disabilities, rural voters, people living on reservations, the homeless, and low-income people - all of whom studies show are less likely to carry a photo ID and more often have to change photo ID information.

"Inflated property appraisals targeted"
Rocky Mountain News
September 27, 2006
In a report last year, Demos, a New York City think tank, quoted an unidentified Denver appraiser who wrote on a Web site that "finding a mortgage broker client who wants a fair market value on one of their deals is like finding a needle in a haystack these days."

"Nomi Prins Peers Inside Our Wallets -- and Finds America's Burgeoning Debt, Crippling Gas Prices, Job Insecurity, and Our Health"
BuzzFlash.com
September 27, 2006
On the one hand, there's our government's policies, and on the other, there's the money or credit card tucked inside your wallet. Journalist Nomi Prins crisscrossed America to talk to people about what's in their wallets, and, in doing so, she found plenty of evidence of the impact of politics and policies on average Americans.

"Playing whack-a-George"
The Star-Telegram
September 26, 2006
Or Chavez might have learned from the American Prospect's Robert Kuttner that Bush's governance amounts to "a slow-rolling coup d'etat."

"Our cheating culture"
King 5 Seattle
September 26, 2006
While the score may not matter in friendly rounds of golf, in the contact sport that is the real world, the author of "The Cheating Culture" says people cheat more than ever. "Our culture's very cutthroat, very focused on money, our economy creates big rewards for the winners on top and insecurity for the people who don't get to the top," said David Callahan.

"Business Can't Get Rid of Liars, Cheats: Matthew Lynn (Correct)"
Bloomberg.com
September 26, 2006
"There is little social sanction for cheating when so many people are cheating that it becomes normal and routine," said David Callahan, a co-founder of the New York-based think tank Demos and author of "The Cheating Culture," in an e-mailed response to questions. "When everybody's doing it, you don't feel bad if you do it, too."

"College Debt Load Gives 'Generation Y' Grim Outlook"
The New York Sun
September 26, 2006
The issue has inspired popular books like Tamara Draut's "Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead." Financial institutions, many of which issue credit cards and structure college loans in the first place, are also pointing out the dangers of taking on large amounts of college debt.

"Debt weighs heavily on women in their 20s and 30s"
St. Paul Pioneer Press
September 25, 2006
Draut says the country's "debt for diploma" system has made borrowing one's way through college the norm. "A generation ago, student financial aid was grant-based; now it is debt-based," Draut said. "You could work through the summer and pay for a whole year of college. That's not the reality anymore."

"Ohio Again the Focus of Voting Rights Complaints"
Crosswalk.com
September 25, 2006
Lisa Danetz, a spokeswoman for the five groups -- the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), the National Voting Rights Institute (NVRI), the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Project Vote and Demos - told Cybercast News Service that Blackwell's office and the ODJFS violated the National Voter Registration Act of 1993.

"Legislature must embrace strict ethical standards"
Asbury Park Press
September 24, 2006
Tom O'Neill, in his recent report put forth by the New Jersey Policy Perspective and Demos, makes the point particularly well: New Jersey's citizens deserve the assurance that elected officials are free of conflicts of interests, and that public officeholding is rooted in public service, not personal enrichment.

"Rising Debt Plagues Young Americans"
Voice of America News
September 22, 2006
The majority of the jobs that are being created are also in lower-paying industries. That means that for many people, the ratio of debt service to income is rising. The public-policy group, Demos, found that between 1992 and 2001, that ratio increased by 28 percent for people between 18 and 34-years-old.

"Planning to Vote in Austin? Don't Bother"
The Austin Chronicle
September 22, 2006
In these districts, registered Republicans or Democrats may have a say in the primaries, but everyone else's vote is for all intents and purposes meaningless," writes Mother Jones' Sasha Abramsky.

"Ohio's Blackwell Named in New Voting Rights Suit"
The New Standard
September 22, 2006
National Voting Rights Institute attorney Lisa Danetz said the failure of Ohio state officials to provide voter registration services at public assistance offices disenfranchises low-income people.

"Callahan Says Nothing the Matter With Kansas, Values Matter, But Populist Focus Should Be On Selfishness"
Corporate Crime Reporter
September 22, 2006
Callahan says that to grab the populist baton from the right, the left is going to have to get a grip on this fundamental reality  and not demonize conservative Republicans. Instead, activists should refocus populist moral outrage on rampant selfishness.

"Students Dogged by Debt"
The Tampa Tribune
September 21, 2006
"Today's young adults are being hit from all angles," said Tamara Draut, author of "Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead."

"Lawsuit alleges inadequate low-income voter registration services"
Associated Press, Akron Beacon Journal
September 21, 2006
The National Voting Rights Institute, which filed the lawsuit on behalf of the plaintiffs, based it in part on research supplied by ACORN that claims interviews ACORN conducted outside of public assistance agencies found that few low-income people were offered an opportunity to register to vote.

"Ohio Republican Sued for 'Violating Rights of Low-Income Voters'"
CNSNews.com
September 21, 2006
"Once again, Ohio officials are breaking the laws they are sworn to uphold, and thousands of Ohioans have lost their right to register to vote as a result," said Lisa Danetz of the National Voting Rights Institute, which is representing the plaintiffs. "The state's disregard for the voting rights of low-income Ohioans is appalling."

"Blackwell sued, accused of failing voter registrations"
The Plain Dealer
September 21, 2006
While Elections officials in Iowa and North Carolina have worked with ACORN to improve voter registration, Blackwell has done little more than provide a toll-free number for human services directors to call when they run out of registration forms, said Lisa Danetz, an attorney at the National Voting Rights Institute who is handling the case.

"Voting rights groups sue Ohio officials including Sec of State Blackwell for allegedly violating federal voter registration law"
The Raw Story
September 21, 2006
Lisa Danetz, staff attorney for the National Voting Rights Institute, calls Ohio's "disregard" for low-income residents' voting rights "appalling" in the press release. "Once again, Ohio officials are breaking the laws they are sworn to uphold, and thousands of Ohioans have lost their right to register to vote as a result," said Danetz.

"Governor race not only one on ballot"
Associated Press, North Adams Transcript
September 19, 2006
Another primary race to be decided Tuesday is the Democratic contest for secretary of state. Incumbent William Galvin is being challenged by John Bonifaz, a human rights attorney and founder of the National Voting Rights Institute.

"Guarding the Vote"
Columbia Journalism Review
September 19, 2006
In his recent book, Stealing Democracy: The New Politics of Voter Suppression, Spencer Overton points out that in our country the will of the people is channeled through a matrix of rules and regulations that can "filter out certain citizens from voting." And that in our closely divided political environment, that can make all the difference.

"Election Dysfunction"
The Nation
September 18, 2006
Bonifaz, the founder of the National Voting Rights Institute, is one of a number of activists and advocates who are running in races for secretary of state positions around the country this year.

"No middle ground"
Boston Globe
September 17, 2006
"Is the typical American middle-class family doing better than they were 25 years ago?" The answer was a flat "No."..."This is the fight between the center-left and the center-right," says Robert Kuttner, editor of the Prospect, who himself rejects Rose's arguments.

"Treaties on the blood red snow"
Canada Free Press
September 17, 2006
The Boston Globe offers us an article, "Rebelling against torture and Bush," by Robert Kuttner where the author explains that his father survived the horrors of Nazi captivity as an American Jew because of the life saving intervention of "reciprocal agreements on the humane treatment of prisoners."

"Twenty-somethings get fiscally fit"
Sun-Sentinel
September 14, 2006
The average 25- to 34-year-old spends 25 cents of every dollar earned on debt payments, according to Demos, a New York-based policy research group that advocates expanding economic opportunities and reducing poverty.

"From Author, Help for White-Collar Workers"
The New York Times
September 14, 2006
The group's directors and advisers include Mr. Holland, author of "Are There any Good Jobs Left?"; Jared Bernstein, author of "All Together Now: Common Sense for a Fair Economy"; and Tamara Draut, author of "Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead."

"All politics might be local, but the campaign dollars sure aren't"
St. Paul Pioneer Press
September 14, 2006
Campaigns counter they need cash to get their candidate's message out, particularly on the costly television ads that have dominated our airwaves since we became a battleground state. Yet what's puzzling about this argument is that only 20 percent of voters find such ads to be a "very important" source of information about candidates. According to the NVRI survey, public debates, forums and news coverage in newspapers, on radio and on television all ranked significantly higher among voters as important sources of information about candidates.

"As gas prices continue to fall, some say more needs to be done to curb consumption"
Newsday
September 13, 2006
Economist Robert H. Frank of Cornell University, for example, favors a $2 a gallon increase in the federal tax on gasoline - now 18.5 cents a gallon - but he would refund money to families in the form of an income tax rebate - something President Jimmy Carter had proposed when gasoline prices were surging in 1979. "This is a win-win proposal - if somebody could get the public's ear long enough to explain it clearly," Frank said yesterday.

"We're Getting Jacked By 'Conservative' Pickpockets"
AlterNet
September 12, 2006
Author Nomi Prins saw enough of this phenomenon to write a book about the increasing strain that living in a business state has put on the wallets of ordinary Americans. Jacked: How "Conservatives" Are Picking Your Pocket (PoliPointPress, 2006) is Prins's new book, and it gets right at the heart of the economic pain that many of us are feeling. AlterNet caught up with Prins to discuss her book and what she thinks regular people should do to stop getting "jacked."

"Early Planning Tips For New Grads"
Shelbyville Daily Union
September 11, 2006
Coupled with that, average credit card debt among young professionals stands at $4,088 - a 55 percent jump between 1992 and 2001, according to a report by Demos, a public policy group.

"Review of Jacked: How "Conservatives" Are Picking Your Pocket"
BuzzFlash
September 3, 2006
This book will make you aware of what you're not getting from your government, why you're not getting it, what you're entitled to, and how to get it. It will also show you that you're not alone. If we do this right, politicians in Washington will become more concerned about the people they represent. That's what real America should be. Real people, real wallets, real soul, real ideas--and that's what you'll find in the following chapters.

"Homebound"
Washington Post, Houston Chronicle, SE Missourian.com, Florida Today, The News Journal, The Tampa Tribune, The Nashua Telegraph, Modesto Bee, Philadelphia Inquirer
September 3, 2006
Other research suggests that credit cards may be an even greater burden as young adults get older: An analysis of Federal Reserve data by the policy-research group Demos: A Network for Ideas and Action showed that adults between 25 and 34 have an average credit card debt of $4,358.

"Forced out: A real ID problem for trans people"
Advocate.com
August 29, 2006
Real ID is raising concerns for other people too. For more on the act, see NCTE Advisory Board Member Cole Krawitz's excellent article on the Demos Web site.

"The Conservative War on the War on Drugs"
Utne.com
August 24, 2006
A legalizing initiative is scheduled to appear on the ballot there this fall. If approved, the "tax and regulate" measure would make the sale of marijuana more like alcohol, reports Sasha Abramsky for Mother Jones.

"Young Women in Debt"
Kansas Witchita Eagle, Rocky Mountain News
August 22, 2006
By 2001, the median consumer debt for households under 35 had tripled to $12,000, according to Tamara Draut, author of "Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead."

"Subsidy Economics 101"
The American Spectator
August 22, 2006
Similarly, a "briefing kit" on "the economic challenges facing young adults" from the left-leaning think tank Demos proposes, among other things, more generous federal aid for low- and moderate-income college students, and a dollar-for-dollar tax credit on down payments for first-time homebuyers who earn less than $50,000 a year.

"Cities fail to embrace spirit of voting act"
The Republican
August 20, 2006
John Bonifaz, founder of the National Voting Rights Institute, a candidate for secretary of state here and the first Latino ever to run for a statewide office, has been emphasizing that "the right to vote does not speak only one language. It is universal. No one should be denied the right to vote because of a language barrier."

"The Long and Short of Sales"
The New York Times
August 20, 2006
In that book, "The Winner-Take-All Society," the economists Robert H. Frank and Philip J. Cook argued that technology, among other factors, was turning large segments of the economy into a kind of lottery that showers disproportionate rewards on a few winners, to the detriment of everyone else.

"Exceptions to The Rules"
LA Times
August 20, 2006
David Callahan, senior fellow at Demos, a New York think tank, is author of "The Cheating Culture: Why More Americans Are Doing Wrong to Get Ahead." He sees a clear connection between performance-enhancing drug use and the skyrocketing salaries that players can earn. "Many top athletes are fanatics, exceptionally driven to win and money further ups the high stakes," he said.

"Knee-deep in debt"
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
August 20, 2006
Draut says the country's "debt for diploma" system has made borrowing one's way through college the norm. "A generation ago, student financial aid was grant-based; now it is debt-based," Draut said. "You could work through the summer and pay for a whole year of college. That's not the reality anymore."

"Generation Debt"
Columbia Springs Independent
August 17, 2006
"We now require young people to go into debt to have a better future," says Tamara Draut, author of Strapped: Why America's 20-and-30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead. "We've gone from helping young people pay for college to helping them borrow."

"Giving Credit Before It's Due"
The Columbus Dispatch
August 16, 2006
Credit-card companies spend a lot of time enticing students to sign up for a card because they are lucrative customers. "It's a low-risk market," said Tamara Draut, author of Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-somethings Can't Get Ahead. "Students tend to pay their bills, and when they can't mom and dad step in."

"Plastic Predicament"
Newsweek, MSNBC
August 16, 2006
Consumer credit-card debt has almost tripled over the last two decadesfrom $238 billion in 1989 to $800 billion in 2005, according to an analysis of Federal Reserve Board data by Demos, a national research and consumer advocacy group.

"In too deep"
Detroit Metro Times
August 9, 2006
"We now require young people to go into debt to have a better future," says Tamara Draut, author of Strapped: Why America's 20-and-30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead. "We've gone from helping young people pay for college to helping them borrow." Draut is one of the experts who claims the problem has reached "epidemic" proportions - yet the issue continues to worsen as more and more graduates and young people find themselves drowning in debt.

"Agony of deceit in sports comes from the game of life"
USA Today
August 3, 2006
A couple of years ago, noted business author and lecturer David Callahan wrote the book The Cheating Culture: Why More Americans Are Doing Wrong to Get Ahead. His thesis is that incentives for betraying honorable behavior are more lucrative - that cheating is now a rational endeavor because of what is at stake, and if everyone's doing it, why not me?

"Dishonesty, trickery commonplace in today's sports world"
East Valley Tribune
August 1, 2006
In his book "The Cheating Culture," author David Callahan expands on that thought. "Professional sports are an extreme environment," he writes. "Success can transform you into a cultural icon and a centa-millionaire, while failure can leave you injured, broke and barely employable. People act in extreme ways with stakes like these."

"With deep roots, cheating grows, soils perception"
Baltimore Sun
July 28, 2006
"The rational incentives to cheat are increasing and it makes sense that there would be more cheating. And it seems there is more cheating," says David Callahan, author of the 2004 book The Cheating Culture: Why More Americans Are Doing Wrong to Get Ahead and founder of a New York City-based think tank that does research and advocacy.

"Mike's Corner: Cheaters never win; winners never cheat"
The Adobe Press
July 28, 2006
First, lets define the word. Cheat, according to Websters Dictionary, is defined as to defraud, to swindle, to deceive, to violate rules, etc. People cheat in education, in sports, in personal relationships and in our government. There is even a book on the subject titled "The Cheating Culture: Why more Americans Are Doing Wrong To Get Ahead," by David Callahan.

"Marriage as Anti-Child-Poverty Program"
Correct for Kids
July 24, 2006
"The average annual cost of childcare is $6,000 per child," reports Tamara Draut, author of Strapped. No wonder the East Capitol Center for Community Change offers free child care during its marriage initiative classes.

"For many, a primary's importance is secondary"
Kansas City Star
July 24, 2006
"I think many people, unfortunately, have a sense that 'my vote doesn't count,'" said Miles Rapoport, president of Demos, a national research and policy organization focusing on expanding democratic participation. "That there's a big impersonal system out there - and what does one person matter?"

"The Rise of the Super-Rich"
The New York Times
July 19, 2006
There is already evidence that the benefits of education are not as straightforward as many people seem to believe they are. In his review of "Inequality Matters," a collection of essays from a conference at New York University conference in 2004, Mr. Hacker, the Queens College political science professor, cited findings from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to show that many college graduates now hold jobs that once required only a high school diploma. Today, according to the bureau, 37 percent of flight attendants have completed college, as have 35 percent of tour escorts, 21 percent of embalmers, and 13 percent of both security guards and casino dealers. Mr. Hacker notes that more people are expected to earn college degrees in preparation for well-paying professions. "But we cannot expect the economy will automatically create better-paid positions to match the cohort acquiring higher education," he writes.

"Digging Out of Grad Debt"
TheStreet.com
July 19, 2006
Unfortunately, too many of Matt's peers don't have his resources, and the money they borrow for college is pressuring them to delay marriage, start a family and buy a home, says Tamara Draut, author of Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead. "It's hard to feel like an adult when you have a storm cloud of debt hanging over your head for a decade." Today, two-thirds of undergrads who borrow graduate with just under $20,000 in loans, according to the College Board's 2005 Trends in College Pricing. That doesn't include credit card debt, adds Draut, who directs the program for economic opportunity at Demos, a research and policy advocacy group in New York City.

"Protecting The 2006 Vote"
TomPaine.com
July 19, 2006
Similar, if not always as comprehensive, limitations on voting rights are at work in other states, experts say, including Florida, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Missouri, Indiana and Arizona. And under the guise of stopping voting fraud (in truth, quite rare), such states are basically saying, "They don't trust voters," observes Spencer Overton, a George Washington University law professor and author of the important new book, Stealing Democracy: The New Politics of Voter Suppression.

"A Call for Open Arms, Not Sealed Borders"
Inter Press News
July 18, 2006
Speaking recently at Demos, a liberal Manhattan think tank, Wucker argued that economic inequality between the United States and the primary sources of emigrants -- especially Mexico, Central America and Africa -- has caused a massive influx of immigrants. The solution, then, is not to just tighten border security, but to equalise the economic and working conditions in those regions.

"College Costs Are Damaging Future of Americans"
Bloomberg.com
July 17, 2006
"One in five students say student debt impacts their job choice," says Tamara Draut, author of "Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead." "It's an economic competitiveness argument. We need to continue to make progress on higher education."

"America's new debtor class"
Chicago Sun-Times
July 16, 2006
Draut has concrete policy suggestions -- for instance, on converting loan aid to grants in a program weighted according to family income. Although Draut does not state it, her model is the GI Bill, which revolutionized the system of higher education because it gave grants to veterans to use at whichever college they chose. Draut estimates that such a program would cost $30 billion, which might seem expensive but which could be generated "by reversing the last Bush tax cut."

"Tamara Draut: Change at the top"
News and Observer
July 16, 2006
"Everyone has the perception that the media portray young people as very affluent with big TVs and expensive cars," said Tamara Draut. "But I almost never see any young person with a plasma TV. In reality, it's a lot different. They are more likely to be home eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches rather than sushi."

"Young and broke?"
News and Observer, Red Orbit
July 16, 2006
Tamara Draut, author of "Strapped: Why America's 20-and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead," says it's not entirely their fault. Everything is simply too expensive now -- housing, tuition, child care, health care. Meanwhile salaries, when adjusted for inflation, have decreased.

"Pay raise a bid `for respect' for public service"
Toronto Star
July 15, 2006
For instance, when the young U.S. writer Tamara Draut investigated in her recent book, Strapped, why "America's 20- and 30-somethings can't get ahead," she found several reasons. But among them is the lost faith in government and the power of community. "We have been socialized to believe that government is ineffective, wasteful and nothing but an unnecessary evil, and that is no accident. "Conservatives have worked diligently over the last three decades to undermine our trust in government. Government became the bungling idiot that could do nothing right."

"Conned by Sasha Abramsky"
Uprising Radio
July 10, 2006
GUEST: Sasha Abramsky, author of "Conned," Senior Fellow for Democracy at the public policy organization Demos, whose previous book was "Hard Time Blues: How Politics Built a Prison Nation."

"The Politics of Voter Suppression"
National Public Radio
July 5, 2006
Farai Chideya talks with Spencer Overton, professor of law at George Washington University, about his book Stealing Democracy: The New Politics of Voter Suppression.

"Stealing Democracy"
C-Span Washington Journal
July 5, 2006
Washington Journal Entire Program with Admiral Thad Allen, United States Coast Guard, Commandant; Spencer Overton, Author,"Stealing Democracy"; and Jendayi Frazer, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs 7/5/2006: WASHINGTON, DC: 3 hr.

"Why Blacks Don't Vote Republican"
Chicago Defender, Louisiana Weekly
July 5, 2006
A recently-released book, 'Stealing Democracy' by George Washington University Law Professor, Spencer Overton, indicates that in state after state in the South where Republicans are mostly in political control, they have attempted to enact election requirement that disproportionately reduce the access of Blacks to the ballot box. A recent example is the passage of onerous ID requirements to register and to vote, but there are many others.

"Young adults can learn to borrow wisely"
Arizona Republic
June 30, 2006
Credit cards are a logical choice but also a potential pitfall. Seven of 10 young adults with credit cards aren't able to pay off their balances in full each month, reports Demos, a public-policy research and advocacy group in New York. In fact, the typical college senior has six credit cards and an average balance of more than $3,200, reports Demos, using figures for 2002.

"High Court Upholds Texas Redistricting Map"
Newshour with Jim Lehrer
June 28, 2006
We talk a good game here in this country about exporting democracy to other countries, but, in fact, the people are often not in control. Certainly, they weren't in Texas. As we saw in Texas, the voters don't choose politicians; the politicians choose voters through partisan gerrymandering.

"Sympathy for the Devils?"
Independent Weekly
June 28, 2006
"The rational incentives to cheat have grown dramatically," suggests David Callahan, author of The Cheating Culture, "even as the strength of character needed to resist those temptations has weakened."

"High court rejects limit on campaign spending"
Baltimore Sun
June 27, 2006
The Vermont law had been defended by a coalition of liberal reformers, led by the Boston-based National Voting Rights Institute and Common Cause. Stuart Comstock-Gay, the group's executive director, said yesterday's decision "marks a lost opportunity to end the arms race for campaign cash."

"Vermont's loss a blow to reformers nationwide"
Burlington Free Press
June 27, 2006
The ruling will renew calls for public financing of campaigns, predicted Stuart Comstock-Gay, executive director of the National Voting Rights Institute, which defended the law in court alongside the state of Vermont. "This ruling should be a wakeup call to renew efforts to clean up our elections by financing them with public dollars rather than special-interest money," he said.

"Decision should open campaign spigots"
The Barre Montpelier Times Argus
June 27, 2006
"Knowing that a candidate can't outspend you is probably a good thing, and not having to always think he's going to have more money than you might make it a little bit easier," said Stuart Comstock-Gay, the executive director of the National Voting Rights Institute, a Boston-based advocacy group that supported Vermont's campaign limits. "But you know what? As long as people can spend money, they will, whatever they can get away with."

"Morgan Stanley fined over insider accounts"
USA Today
June 27, 2006
David Callahan, author of The Cheating Culture, said, "What Morgan Stanley has received in the past is a relative slap on the wrist. ... If you have no individuals who are ever held responsible for wrongdoing at these large financial companies, and if you have the financial penalties being relatively minor, given how large these organizations are, that's not a great deterrent."

"Supreme Court rejects Vermont campaign finance law"
The Barre Montpelier Times Argus
June 27, 2006
"The fact that three justices are now saying, in some form, that maybe spending limits are OK, is progress," Stuart-Comstock Gay, the executive director of the National Voting Rights Institute, a Boston-based advocacy group representing several organizations that supported Vermont's law, said. "Sometimes, issues take a long time. Nothing is going to happen right away."

"Supreme Court Overturns Vermont Campaign Finance Law"
Democracy Now, Bay Area IndyMedia
June 27, 2006
We take a look to the Supreme Court's decision overturning Vermont's campaign finance law. The 1997 law placed the nation's tightest restrictions on much candidates running for state office in Vermont could spend on elections and on how much individuals could bankroll candidates. Interview with Stuart Comstock-Gay, Executive Director of the National Voting Rights Institute.

"The New Funding Heresies"
In These Times
June 26, 2006
Alison Fine, who has served as CEO of the E-Volve Foundation and consulted with grant-seekers, says, "It's very hard to get people to put money into long-term infrastructure because it's not sexy. Funders want to fund things they can count, something they can bring back to their trustees or their country club and say "Look at what I funded," and what we desperately need is someone who is going to fund the process of progressive change."

"Justices reject strict campaign finance limits"
Los Angeles Times, Reuters
June 26, 2006
Stuart Comstock-Gay of the National Voting Rights Institute, which defended the law, said the ruling "marks a lost opportunity to end the arms race for campaign cash. "Even while we watch elected officials being marched off to jail for corrupt activities, today's decision gives money an even larger role in elections," he said.

"Campaign Finance Rules Struck Down by U.S. High Court"
Bloomberg.com
June 26, 2006
The ruling "marks a lost opportunity to end the arms race for campaign cash and make elections a contest of ideas rather than dollars," said Stuart Comstock-Gay, executive director of the Boston-based National Voting Rights Institute, which helped defend the Vermont law.

"Dual officeholding hinders sound policy-making"
Asbury Park Press
June 25, 2006
Tom O'Neill is a public policy consultant who retired last year as president of The Partnership for New Jersey. He recently completed a study of dual officeholding, "One to a Customer: The Democratic Downsides of Dual Office Holding," released by New Jersey Policy Perspective and Demos.

"Voting Rights Act protection not outdated"
The Atlanta Journal- Constitution, Baltimore Sun, Yahoo News!, Herald Tribune
June 25, 2006
In a new book, "Stealing Democracy: The New Politics of Voter Suppression," George Washington University law professor Spencer Overton writes: "The different voting patterns of many people of color give politicians the motive to suppress their votes, and the unique physical and socioeconomic traits that characterize people of color make them particularly vulnerable." In other words, a race-conscious remedy is still needed.

"Can't get ahead? Many grads worry about just getting along"
The Jamaica Observer
June 25, 2006
Draut, author of Strapped: Why America's 20-and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead, specifically cites rising college tuition costs, decreased government assistance for higher education, stagnant wages, increased housing costs, deregulation of the credit card industry, lack of health care and skyrocketing child care costs as central reasons for young adults' financial woes.

"Strapped young people"
Ottawa Citizen
June 24, 2006
In her Strapped: Why America's 20 and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead, media pundit and think tank adviser Tamara Draut (herself a thirty-something) paints a bleak picture of the obstacles Gen X and Gen Y face when starting out their lives.

"It's cynicism that is corrupting politics"
Spiked!
June 23, 2006
It was in this context that the organisers of the New York Salon had decided to hold a public meeting on corruption. David Callahan, the research director of Demos and author of The Cheating Culture, was the closest to the mainstream view of corruption (5).

"The next big reform"
Trenton Times
June 22, 2006
A joint project of New Jersey Policy Perspective and New York's public policy group, Demos, the report was written by Pennington resident Tom O'Neill (see today's opinion editorial on the facing page). He is the former head of the Center for Analysis of Public Issues and an observer of the state scene that lawmakers ought to listen to. The report calls for an immediate ban -- no exceptions -- for anyone holding two offices.

"Rights and Wrongs"
The Leonard Lopate Show
June 21, 2006
Barred from Voting Over 4 million Americansmainly poor, black, and Latinohave lost the right to vote because of felony disenfranchisement laws. In Conned, Sasha Abramsky investigates the impact these laws had on the 2004 Presidential election.

"Report criticizes the state for double officeholding"
Philadelphia Inquirer, NorthJersey.com
June 16, 2006
The Garden State leads the nation in politicians who hold more than one elected office, according to a report released yesterday by New Jersey Policy Perspective, which is a liberal Trenton think tank, and Demos, a self-described nonpartisan public-policy and research-advocacy organization in New York. The study, "One to a Customer: The Democratic Downsides of Dual Office Holding," found that the practice is illegal, unconstitutional, or "simply not done" in most states.

"Crafting the new American dream"
The Boston Globe
June 11, 2006
Additionally, a college education has become so expensive, making it more difficult to take these first steps toward the American dream, according to Tamara Draut , author of "Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-somethings Can't Get Ahead." The average student loans come to around $20,000, which means $200 a month out of an entry-level paycheck. On top of that, between 1995 and 2002 median rents in almost all major cities increased more than 50 percent.

"New college graduates get quick education about debt"
Chicago Tribune
June 11, 2006
Tamara Draut, who has written about the financial problems of graduates in the book "Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead," suggests putting two people into a one-bedroom apartment or living with parents. That way, she said, people in their 20s won't be haunted by their debts later. People in their 30s are delaying home purchases and having children because their debts are too great, she said.

"Plus Ça Change"
The Huffington Post
June 8, 2006
HAVA also created the concept of "provisional ballots," to be used when voters thought they should be allowed to vote but were not on the list--an important step towards universal same-day registration that is the norm in many democratic countries. Unfortunately, Demos, a leading voting rights organization, found evidence that some states ignored both the spirit and letter of HAVA's provisional ballot requirement.

"Objective, but not independent"
San Antonio Current
June 7, 2006
"It's potentially a problem if papers are telling their journalists they can vote for a pre-selected, major-party candidate but can't sign a petition for an Independent," said Comstock-Gay. He doesn't see the policy as helping newspapers appear neutral. To him, he said, it sounds like they are actually discouraging Independent candidates and a level playing field.

"Students leaving college burdened by debt"
Daytona Beach News-Journal
June 1, 2006
Financial planners are increasingly concerned about this. Three in four people between the ages of 18 and 24 carry credit-card balances, according to a Demos study, with the average college senior graduating with more than $3,000 in credit-card debt.

"Generation X's Debt Headache"
AlterNet
May 31, 2006
"Government no longer has our back," explains Tamara Draut, author of the recently published book Strapped, in an email. "Young adults today, working to get into the middle class -- they're being hit by a one-two punch: The economy no longer generates widespread opportunity, and our public policies haven't picked up any of the slack."

"Nonprofit summit examines future leadership turnover for local organizations"
San Diego Daily Transcript, Yahoo News!
May 31, 2006
The presentation was followed by a group activity facilitated by Frances Kunreuther, author of "Up Next: Generation Change and the Leadership of Nonprofit Organizations," and a panel discussion with five local nonprofit leaders: Sister RayMonda DuVall of Catholic Charities, Fernando Sanudo of Vista Community Clinic, Britta Justesen of San Diego Family Literacy Foundation and Jeffrey Kirsch of the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center.

"A conference with ghosts"
San Francisco Bay Guardian
May 30, 2006
In Conned: How Millions Went to Prison, Lost the Vote, and Helped Send George W. Bush to the White House, Sacramento-based investigative journalist Sasha Abramsky documents the way in which the widespread practice of stripping convicted felons of the right to vote has dramatically contracted the country's pool of eligible voters. This, he convincingly argues, has warped the outcome of local, state, and the past two presidential elections in favor of conservatives, whose richer, whiter constituency is, if not less crime-prone, less likely to be vigorously prosecuted than its poorer, darker counterpart.

"Windfall Profits Tax on US Big Oil Demanded"
Prensa Latina
May 26, 2006
The senior fellow at the public policy center Demos and author of "Other People's Money" and the forthcoming book "Jacked," says that without taxing the growing chasm between the cost of buying and refining crude oil, won't divert enough money into alternative sources that will ultimately reduce demand and thus prices.

"The Rich and Everyone Else"
The New York Review of Books
May 25, 2006
In Inequality Matters, a collection of excellent papers from a conference held at New York University in 2004, a recurring thesis is that the welfare state has been turned on its head. Indeed, the meaning of the term "redistribution" has changed. It used to mean taxing the better-off to assist society's less fortunate. Today the flow is in the reverse direction.

"Value of 'wealth' difficult to measure"
Baltimore Sun
May 22, 2006
Tamara Draut, with the public policy group Demos, says wealth isn't a number. "Wealthy in America is never having to worry. It's never having to worry about having to pay for health care or paying for your kid's college, to afford a home in a neighborhood with good schools," she says. "Unfortunately, wealthy today means stability and security that oftentimes used to come with being middle class."

"Cheating as smart choice"
The Philadelphia Inquirer
May 22, 2006
"The rewards for winners are just huge," said David Callahan, who studies the topic. In his book The Cheating Culture: Why More Americans Are Doing Wrong to Get Ahead, Callahan describes a society split into a "winning class," which has the power to cheat without fear of reprisal, and an "anxious class," whose members worry that they will blow their chance for success by not cheating.

"Opening Up, Beyond Anger and Shame"
Real Change News
May 19, 2006
Abramsky's quest for his latest book, Conned, was to document the lives and struggles of this nation's most unwanted citizens: the impoverished, adjudicated, imprisoned, and disenfranchised. Finding the statistics and studies to indicate the extent of the problem wasn't a challenge. But getting people to open up about their anger and shame was a hurdle to overcome; opening the doors to real conversation about disenfranchisement involved, by necessity, a willingness to immerse himself in the lives of people unaccustomed to any kind of real interaction with the media.

"Colleges Chase as Cheats Shift to Higher Tech"
The New York Times, The Arizona Republic, Gasden Times, International Herald Tribune
May 18, 2006
David Callahan, author of "The Cheating Culture: Why More Americans Are Doing Wrong to Get Ahead" (Harcourt, 2004), suggested that students today feel more pressure to do well in order to get into graduate or professional school and secure a job. "The rational incentives to cheat for college students have grown dramatically, even as the strength of character needed to resist those temptations has weakened somewhat," Mr. Callahan said.

"Why are recent grads so strapped?"
The Independent Weekly
May 17, 2006
ccording to Tamara Draut's new book, Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead, global economic competition has made it harder for everybody in the United States but especially those just starting out in adult life. And instead of maintaining the public policies that used to ease the transition from youthful dependence to adult self-sufficiency, our political leaders have done just the opposite, yanking the supports out from under our children and grandchildren while maintaining mortgage deductions on their own houses even when they're of McMansion (or beachfront villa) dimensions.

"Save on Student Loans"
SmartMoney.com
May 17, 2006
It's a heavy weight to bear when you're just entering the job market, says Tamara Draut, author of "Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead." Due to rising tuition costs and declining federal grant funding, significant student-loan debt is a growing problem. Graduates during the 1990s carried only $9,000 in loans, Draut notes. "Generationally, there's just no comparison," she says.

"Nomi Prins of Demos and Grover Norquist of Americans for Tax Relief discuss taxes and middle-class issues"
CNBC Larry Kudlow
May 16, 2006
"I think the main issue that's facing America isn't really an issue of values," said Nomi Prins, Senior Fellow at Demos. "You talk about tax cuts. You talk about the economy. Grover talked about the 11 trillion more in--in the stock market. We all know that's not real. What's real is what Americans feel at their dinner tables. It's the fact that gas prices are double. It's the fact that even though a tax cut happened to the average American, 600 bucks by the Congressional Budget Office's own numbers, the fact is that 600 bucks is eaten immediately by your increased university costs, your increased health-care costs, your premiums, your deductibles, your pump prices."

"Conned"
Mother Jones
May 15, 2006
Due to their past felony convictions, roughly half a million Floridians did not have the right to vote in the 2000 presidential election. If just 1 in 50 of those ex-cons had voted, and if 60 percent of them had voted Democratic, George W. Bush might be nothing more than a retired governor today. This simple calculus inspired Sasha Abramsky to examine the state laws that prevent huge numbers of largely poor and black ex-felons from voting, and which he concludes help Republicans keep winning elections.

"The 'Me' Mother's Day"
The Wall Street Journal
May 13, 2006
Financial pressures play into this, too. Young adults are carrying bigger debts, facing higher housing costs and may be the first generation not to do as well as their parents. The average credit-card debt among people ages 25 to 34 rose 55%, to over $4,000, between 1992 and 2001, according to Demos, a New York-based think tank in a report called "Generation Broke." Those ages 18 to 24 saw a 104% spike over the same period.

"Drawing the Line: Redistricting Reform"
Gotham Gazette
May 8, 2006
"The goal of redistricting and the election process is to give [communities with shared interests] a fair opportunity to have their interests represented," said Steve Carbo of DEMOS. "It is not a clean [process] that is best served by drawing the straightest and narrowest lines that are possible."

"Gen Y struggles with ABCs"
International Herald Tribune
May 7, 2006
Two recent books, "Strapped: Why America's 20- And 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead," by Tamara Draut, and "Generation Debt: Why Now Is a Terrible Time to Be Young," by Anya Kamenetz, deconstruct the outlook for recent college graduates, arguing that debt prevents young people from working toward goals like buying homes, saving for retirement or attaining a decent standard of living.

"Financial Plan: Don't Graduate Without One"
The New York Times, Barre Montpelier Times Argus, The Providence Journal
May 6, 2006
According to Tamara Draut, author of "Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead" (Doubleday, 2006), graduates are more in debt today than ever, in part because the skyrocketing cost of college has forced many more to borrow than in the past. Graduates today carry an average of $20,000 in student loan debt, "and about a quarter owe more than $25,000," said Ms. Draut, who is also the director of the economic opportunity program at Demos, an economic policy and advocacy group in New York.

"The Fruits of Capitalism"
Dissident Voice
May 3, 2006
Editors James Lardner and David Smith have compiled a book of essays, Inequality Matters: The Growing Economic Divide in America and Its Poisonous Consequences, that elaborates on how inequality permeates society and affects the masses of people adversely.

"The economic American Dream turns into a nightmare"
AlterNet
May 3, 2006
The ever-increasing crippling amount of debt (see Tamara Draut's "Strapped" for excellent analysis of young people's financial struggles) and impact of various crises (see the Center for Responsible Lending's report on bankruptcy) are key factors in this volatility.

"A Conversation With Lester Brown"
Tree Hugger TV
May 2, 2006
After a recent presentation at Demos in New York, Simran Sethi sat down with Lester Brown to talk about his latest book "Plan B 2.0', what gold and bottled water have in common, and what we can do to help the new economy rise.

"Book Review: Conned by Sasha Abramsky"
Esquire
May 1, 2006
Conned is an alarming look at what the war on crime and war on drugs have wrought, and how the expansion of the prison population changes the meaning of American citizenship.

"Homeownership a struggle for many"
Contra Costa Times
April 30, 2006
"In California, the starter home market has really disappeared," said Tamara Draut, author of "Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead." Younger adults are struggling to make ends meet, Draut said, because many have student loans and start with low wages, which make it hard for them to save and build wealth.

"Central Jersey king of castle-like homes"
Bridgewater Courier News, Daily Record
April 30, 2006
Robert H. Frank, a professor of economics at Cornell University, said castle-like construction has recently been picking up after a dip dating to the 2001 recession. He said huge homes are a sign that the biggest financial gains continue to be at the very top of the economic ladder.

"Easter hare no match for nest-robbing tuition fees"
The Clarion Ledger
April 30, 2006
"The media lavish endless attention on college sports, misbehavior on spring break, and binge drinking," writes Tamara Draut in Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead, a manifesto for young people today. "What goes badly underreported is the high-stakes pressure cooker that college has turned into. Most college students are working more hours than ever before and are taking longer to complete their degrees."

"Reporting on America's Most Unwanted"
In These Times
April 27, 2006
Abramsky's ability to hone in on undercovered, emerging social trends has been apparent since he burst onto the American journalism scene. His first major exposé on the American prison system was published in The Atlantic Monthly when British-born Abramsky was just 26. For that piece, he and noted photographer Andrew Lichtenstein waded into a world that few outsiders wanted to experience: sprawling prison yards, maximum-security lock-ups and privately-run companies behind prison walls--a system of mass incarceration that, as Abramsky correctly surmised, was in the process of becoming a full-fledged "prison industrial complex."

"Forum explores effects of widening prosperity gap"
Florida Today
April 26, 2006
The event, called Inequality Matters, will be held from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Saturday at the Eau Gallie Civic Center, 1551 Highland Ave., Melbourne. Admission is a $3 donation. It is sponsored by Demos, a national, nonpartisan public policy research and advocacy organization; and Space Coast Progressive Alliance, a grass-roots organization dedicated to public education and involvement in the political process.

"Excerpt: Conned"
AlterNet
April 25, 2006
In this excerpt from his new book, Sasha Abramsky reveals what really happened during the 2000 Election voter 'purge.'

"Democracy Behind Bars"
AlterNet
April 25, 2006
In his new book, "Conned: How Millions of Americans Went to Prison, Lost the Vote, and Helped Send George W. Bush to the White House," award-winning journalist Sasha Abramsky takes us on a journey across the nation, documenting through personal interviews of people in prison, former prisoners, state legislators and advocates how felon disfranchisement laws fundamentally undermine America's democratic ideals.

"Students Strapped with increasing debt"
The Mills College Weekly
April 24, 2006
Draut's controversial first work published in January, Strapped effectively frames the new challenges facing young people with compelling statistics and a dozen narratives by 20- and 30-somethings. According to Draut, factors that helped our parent's transition to adulthood like access to jobs with fair wages, a robust economy, and public policies to promote economic mobility have all but vanished in our generation.

"Priced out of the American dream"
Newsday
April 23, 2006
As director of the economic-opportunity program at Demos, the Manhattan-based public-policy think tank, she has quickly become the go-to expert on the tough economic realities of modern middle-class life. At 34, she has taken economic analysis beyond the stuffy academy - to the American kitchen table and the backyard deck. And now she's written a book that echoes right out of her own life. "Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead" is just out from Doubleday.

"Inequality matters: Book of essays highlights economic problems"
Memphis Business Journal
April 21, 2006
"Inequality is not purely a partisan thing or a purely government thing," says Jim Lardner, Senior Fellow of Demos, "it's a whole ethos, where you're on your own and everybody's in it for themselves. There's no social responsibility. The top 1% of the population is getting the lion's share of the gains. Everyone else loses out." Lardner says the problem is strictly an American one.

"Author condemns most advice about investment"
Daily Record
April 21, 2006
I haven't read his latest book, "The Birth of Plenty" (McGraw-Hill), because I'm busy reading Larry Swedroe's new book on bonds as well as a superb book on today's unhappy young people by Tamara Draut, called "Strapped."

"Get Out"
The Gilroy Dispatch
April 20, 2006
According to a 2004 study conducted by the Demos research and advocacy organization, nearly one-third of Americans 65 and older carry balances. Between 1992 and 2001, credit card debt among indebted retirees increased by 89 percent.

"'Inequality Matters': America's growing economic divide"
Cleveland Jewish News
April 20, 2006
"As wealth grew in the US, many believed the assumption that 'a rising tide lifts all boats,'" says Rapoport. "That is not happening. Instead, there is an incredible amount of wealth being accumulated at the top with ramifications throughout society."

"The Bank of Mom and Dad"
The New York Times, The Ledger, Los Angeles Daily News, Wilmington Morning Star, The News & Observer
April 20, 2006
Ms. Draut, the director of the economic opportunity program at Demos, a New York think tank, said students now leave college with an average of $20,000 in loans, which "added to these flat-lined paychecks and high costs of living, tips people over the edge."

"Ohio Recount Mismanagement Case Moves Forward"
The NewStandard
April 19, 2006
Stuart Comstock-Gay, executive director of the National Voting Rights Institute (NVRI), a non-partisan voter advocacy organization, said his group had not expected the election-worker indictments and was pleased to see problems with election administration being taken seriously. But he also said he does not think the indictments will make the problems go away.

"Buyer (And Seller) Beware"
BusinessWeek, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Asia News, MSNBC
April 10, 2006
The expectation of rising prices became a self-fulfilling prophecy as office mates and in-laws tried to leapfrog each other. The prevailing mindset: "You see people who aren't particularly talented, who aren't hard-working, who buy a house with nothing down, and they've been getting rich doing it. If they're getting richer, then you're falling behind," says Robert H. Frank, a Cornell University economist and author of Luxury Fever.

"Growing Income Inequality in U.S."
Between the Lines
April 7, 2006
Interview with Miles Rapoport, president of DEMOS, a group that combines research and advocacy to strengthen American democracy has recently published a book exploring this topic titled, "Inequality Matters: The Growing Economic Divide in America and Its Poisonous Consequences."

"James Lardner to lecture on U.S. inequality"
South Bend Tribune
April 7, 2006
Economic journalist James Lardner will give a lecture on "U.S. Economic Inequality and Why it Matters" at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the University of Notre Dame.

"Tavern of the Seas"
Cape Argus
April 3, 2006
David Callahan, the author of a book called The Cheating Culture, says: "We've passed the tipping point where cheating is so common that it's accepted as the norm.

"Boomer kids seem financially unprepared"
Ventura County Star
April 2, 2006
Tamara Draut of the Economic Opportunity Program at Demos, a think tank, says that Americans born between 1971 and 1987 "will be the first generation who won't match the prosperity of their parents."

"Court Rejects Felon 'Poll Tax'"
The New Standard
March 31, 2006
Sasha Abramsky, a senior fellow with the liberal think tank Demos, has researched felon disenfranchisement in Washington. He told TNS that institutional barriers to the polls could rival legal ones. "Even with this court ruling," he said, "there are going to be an awful lot of people in Washington who for years, if not decades, have been told that they couldn't vote  who aren't overnight going to suddenly realize they can."

"Poll Vault"
The Nation
March 30, 2006
Drake's maddening story is one of dozens captured by Nation reporter Sasha Abramsky in his new book Conned, a shattering assessment of American injustice. Abramsky first investigated the disenfranchisement of ex-felons during the chad-ridden ordeal of the 2000 recount, when it turned out that hundreds of thousands of Floridians, most of them African-Americans from Democratic districts, had been purged from the rolls.

"Generation Debt"
Real Change News
March 29, 2006
In her acclaimed book Strapped: Why Americas 20- and 30-Somethings Cant Get Ahead (Doubleday, 2006), author Tamara Draut describes the financial ordeal of young adults and the policy and market forces arrayed against them.

"Advocates: Ex-felons denied vote"
Star Gazette
March 28, 2006
The Brennan Center and Demos made several recommendations, including that the state simplify the law by restoring voting rights upon release from prison.

"Have-nots, have-a-lots"
Boston Globe, St. Paul Pioneer Press, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Salt Lake Tribune, The Star-Ledger, Arizona Daily Star, MENAFN, The Myrtle Beach Sun News
March 27, 2006
All Americans are equal, but some Americans are a lot more equal. That paraphrase of the pigs' explanation for their exalted status in George Orwell's Animal Farm encapsulates the recurring theme of Inequality Matters, an anthology of essays focusing on the rapidly widening wealth and opportunity gaps between the wealthiest 1 percent to 5 percent of Americans and the poor and the economically beleaguered middle class.

"Go Away: You Can't Vote"
The New York Times
March 25, 2006
Unfortunately, the law isn't being followed, as was vividly documented in a new study by two civil rights groups, the Brennan Center for Justice, and Demos. Canvassers who contacted all of the state's county election boards found that nearly 40 percent were actually ignorant of the state's voting rights law and that nearly one-third continued to disenfranchise probationers and former inmates who were eligible to register and vote under state law.

"What's the law: Are released felons allowed to vote?"
Nieman Watchdog
March 24, 2006
The survey was conducted late last year and was a follow-up to one done in 2003. In the first survey, according to the report, more than half the counties in the state demanded that ex-felons produce, as a condition for voting registration, documents that were not required by law. In many cases the documents requested did not even exist, the report stated. The surveys were conducted by the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law and a group called Demos: A Network for Ideas and Action.

"Deep in Debt -- for Food"
The Motley Fool, Yahoo News!, Yahoo Finance
March 24, 2006
According to an article by Stephanie Salter at creditcardsmagazine.com, those who are racking up debt are increasingly doing so by charging essentials, such as food, necessary car repairs, healthcare expenses, and schooling: "According to a riveting study by a pair of national not-for-profit, nonpartisan organizations [Demos and the Center for Responsible Lending], about one-third of all U.S. households categorized as low-income or middle-income are racking up credit card debt to pay for basic living expenses."

"Middle class families face economic inequality"
News 14 Carolina
March 24, 2006
"We need to make sure more people are covered under our health care system, we need early childhood education to give people a good start in life, and we need to make college education affordable for everyone," said Demos President Miles Rapoport.

"A Growing Debt to Society"
The Chronicle of Philanthropy
March 23, 2006
Tamara Draut, director of the economic-opportunity program at Demos, a nationwide advocacy and public-policy group in New York, says lack of advocacy on the issue has led to an unquestioned acceptance of what she calls "the debt-for-diploma system" among the public and executives of nonprofit organizations.

"First default, then despair"
Kansas City Star
March 23, 2006
Tamara Draut who heads the economic opportunity program at Demos, a New York think-tank on consumer issues, sees an ominous future for many Americans. "The recent jump in foreclosures is a sign of a much larger problem: The American household economy is at a breaking point," Draut said.

"Study Shows Election Boards Blocking NYers From Voting"
North Country Gazette
March 22, 2006
Many of New York's local boards of election are systematically and illegally preventing thousands of eligible New Yorkers from registering to vote, according to a new study released by the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law and Demos.

"Book World Live with Tamara Draut"
Washington Post
March 22, 2006
Household debt expert and commentator Tamara Draut will be online Wednesday, March 22, at 1 p.m. ET to discuss "Strapped," her book on the financial obstacles facing America's young adults.

"The Kids Aren't All Right"
BusinessWeek Online via Yahoo! News; WCVB-TV The Boston Channel
March 21, 2006
These numbers come from the Federal Reserve's authoritative Survey of Consumer Finances, released in February. They suggest that people who have written about the plight of the young -- including Tamara Draut, author of the new book Strapped, and Susan Berfield, who wrote a story for BusinessWeek entitled Thirty and Broke (Nov. 14, 2005), are right on target. While the overall state of the economy is better than it was a decade ago, the young have lagged behind.

"Returning the Vote"
City Limits Weekly
March 20, 2006
Election boards in over a third of New York State counties improperly deny voting rights to people convicted of felonies. That finding is part of a report released March 15 by the Brennan Center for Justice at the NYU School of Law and Demos: A Network for Ideas.

"Survey: ex-cons left out of electorate"
Legislative Gazette
March 20, 2006
New York's 63 local boards of elections are illegally preventing ex-convicts and citizens on probation from registering to vote, according to a survey released last week by the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law and Manhattan think tank Demos.

"Beyond Their Means"
Washington Post
March 19, 2006
The more scholarly take on this tale of woe is found in Strapped. Draut, director of the Economic Opportunity Program at the New York-based think tank Demos, offers diverse, thoroughly contextualized case studies with supporting statistical data, as well as the occasional outburst of advocacy. The thirty-something author knows whereof she writes, and occasionally references her own experience. But having already reached some milestones of adulthood -- marriage, career -- she also has some perspective on the situation.

"Survey: Ex-cons denied voting rights"
Poughkeepsie Journal
March 16, 2006
As problems continue, based on the groups' findings, Democratic lawmakers working with the Brennan Center and Demos said they are drafting legislation that would require the state to crack down on non-compliant election boards and assess penalties.

"I'm 28. How do I grow up?"
Salon.com
March 16, 2006
Anyway, now, as I am writing this, our local public radio station, KQED, is conducting a discussion with Tamara Draut, author of "Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead." I am reminded that aside from questions of style and personal maturity, there are, of course, important economic hurdles.

"Democrat: Republicans fear letting ex-cons vote"
Newsday, NBC3, CBS6, WSTM-TV, WCAX-TV 3
March 15, 2006
The survey was conducted by the Brennan Center for Social Justice at New York University's law school and by Demos, a New York City-based, generally liberal think tank. The survey involved calling local election boards and asking for information about voting rights for felons and for those on probation.

"Inequality Matters on The Show 2006"
Weekly Signals
March 14, 2006
Our guest is Jim Lardner co-editor and a co-author of Inequality Matters: The Growing Economic Divide in America and Its Poisonous Consequences.

"Making strides"
Redeye Chicago Tribune
March 14, 2006
McCall said despite recent attention to more women earning advanced degrees, it's nothing new. "The segment of women whose families earned more always had access to a higher level of education, but those women were still blocked from career opportunities once they graduated," McCall said.

"Sonny, Can You Spare Some Change?"
The Motley Fool
March 14, 2006
Credit card debt is behind an alarming trend highlighted in 2004 by Demos (pdf available for download), a nonpartisan public-policy group in New York City. It found that bankruptcy among senior citizens has increased 217% in the past decade.

"Boomerang generation hits mainstream with 'Free Ride'"
The Northern Light
March 14, 2006
Two books released in early 2006 are finally attracting mainstream attention to the economic plight of 20- and 30-somethings. Tamara Draut's "Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Something's Can't Get Ahead," and Anya Kamenetz's "Generation Debt: Why Now is a Terrible Time to be Young," examine the root causes of a trend that traps both high school dropouts and college grads in the same tangle of briars: the mass migration back into the nest.

"Defending the party of Davos"
CNNMoney
March 13, 2006
When former Treasury Secretary and Goldman Sachs chief and current Citigroup director Robert Rubin makes the case for a strong dollar, Faux said during the Q&A session after his speech last week at the New York think tank Demos, listeners should be aware that he and his Wall Street peers benefit from such a policy. "If you want to buy up banks in China, you want as strong a dollar as possible."

"Sweet 16 party: Pricey"
Philadelphia Inquirer
March 12, 2006
The fact that it is not only the super-rich, but the very comfortable who are spending such large sums on gifts and parties is understandable, said Robert H. Frank, author of several books including Luxury Fever: Why Money Fails to Satisfy in an Era of Excess. "When everyone else is spending more, in order for you to achieve a standard, the bar is ratcheted up. People just below the top are close enough that they're influenced."

"A prize-winning critic, a reformed alcoholic and other rock stars"
Austin American Statesman
March 11, 2006
Draut gave a 20-minute summary of its key points, which can be summarized in a single sentence: Debt is making it harder than ever for young people to get an education and enter the middle class and this is not good news for America.

"Library lines"
Lexington Winchester Star
March 9, 2006
Callahan's premise is that, yes, there is a true moral crisis in this country, but it has nothing to do with so-called 'family values' - and everything to do with the fact that more Americans are feeling the pressure to cheat to get ahead.

"Americans using credit cards to pay for basics"
Terre Haute Tribune Star
March 9, 2006
Titled "The Plastic Safety Net: The Reality Behind Debt In America," the 44-page report is a yearlong, joint effort of Demos and the Center for Responsible Lending. It is based on a national survey that aimed to provide extra dimension to the usual snapshot of Americans relationship with the behemoth credit card industry.

"Debt Becomes Them"
Salt Lake City Weekly
March 8, 2006
Think-tank wonk Tamara Draut's Strapped is a more nuanced polemic that assesses how zoning policies and the housing bubble hurt young families the hardest.

"Follow My Money"
BusinessWeek
March 6, 2006
Books such as Tamara Draut's Strapped and Anya Kamenetz' Generation Debt: Why Now is a Terrible Time to be Young and articles like BusinessWeek's "Thirty and Broke" (Special Report, Nov. 14, 2005) call attention to financial problems that plague us: sizable student loans, credit-card debt, a tight job market, and skyrocketing housing prices.

"Strapped"
Georgia Straight
March 2, 2006
Ironically, Draut finds that young adults today are more family-oriented than the boomers were, yet their greater ambivalence toward government leads them to discount the main tool for changing the policy hurdles that make it harder than ever to start and support a family: political involvement.

"Cutting the purse strings"
Miami Herald, St. Paul Pioneer Press, The Daily Collegian, Deseret Morning News, Houston Chronicle, Duluth News Tribune, The Olympian, South Bend Tribune
February 28, 2006
Now, wait a minute here. Boomers' kids have it rough, according to a new book, "Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead" (Doubleday) by Tamara Draut. The phenomenon has less to do with poor money management than with skyrocketing housing prices, college tuition increases, depressed wages, increasing health costs and credit-card debt, Draut says in her book.

"Incomes Fall, Hunger Worsens as Bush Says 'We're Doing Fine'"
OneWorld.net, Yahoo! News
February 27, 2006
"Every American should be able to achieve middle class economic security, a hallmark of national and household stability in this country," said Tamara Draut, director of the economic opportunity program at research and advocacy group Demos. "But the Federal Reserve's findings spotlight trends that are causing economic fragility in today's middle class and are closing the door on low-income Americans."

"Austinist Interviews Tamara Draut, Author of Strapped"
Austinist
February 27, 2006
The dominant dialogue in this country is one of generational stereotyping. The media reflect where we are at in the culture, and right now, we are in this era of personal responsibility. The message is that if you aren't getting ahead, it's your own fault.

"The Debt-for-Diploma Crunch"
BusinessWeek Online, MSNBC, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Asia News
February 27, 2006
Will the younger generation be able to dig its way out? BusinessWeek Online reporter and Gen-Xer Sonja Ryst spoke with Draut about the challenges faced by this age group -- and some of the author's ideas to help fix things.

"Wisdom at a Very Nice Price"
Business Week Online
February 27, 2006
Draut takes a hardline stand in her book. She argues that the younger American generation faces a life of "downscaled dreams." The traditional middle-class life is out of reach for more and more young people.

"MIDDLETOWN: Young adults focus of author"
Middletown Journal
February 26, 2006
Draut, 34, is a Middletown native whose just-published book, "Strapped," is getting wide attention. The work is a hard-nosed look at, as a subtitle puts it, "Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead."

"Sanchez: Don't wash my mouth out"
Waco Tribune Herald
February 26, 2006
The essay, which ran in the Chronicle of Philanthropy, challenges what seems to have become a fundamental assumption about government in our country today--that it needs to be reined in, that government programs are bad. "However, who speaks out for the beneficial role of government as a whole?" asked the authors, Michael Lipsky, a former officer for the Ford Foundation, and Dianne Stewart, the former head of the Austin-based Center for Public Policy Priorities.

"Debt load afflicts young adults"
The Register-Guard
February 26, 2006
Tamara Draut, author of "Strapped" (Doubleday, 277 pages, $22.95), writes about the career instability that many in this stratum confront. They are more likely to hold a succession of temporary jobs that offer few benefits and little chance for advancement.

"Inflated appraisal can leave homeowner deflated"
Bankrate.com
February 26, 2006
A 2005 study by the nonpartisan public policy group, Demos, called "Home Insecurity: How Widespread Appraisal Fraud Puts Homeowners at Risk," shows that nearly half of all appraisers report some pressure from lender and broker communities to overstate values, and that appraisers who don't play this game are often blacklisted or go unpaid.

"College rankings or junk science?"
The Boston Globe
February 25, 2006
Forty percent of all college students from the most affluent quarter of the population get a bachelor's degree within five years. For kids in the bottom income quarter, the figure is just six percent, according to a new book, "Strapped," by Tamara Draut.

"Lori Sturdevant: A hopeful new blend found at Common Grounds"
Minneapolis Star Tribune
February 25, 2006
Draut backs her thesis with solid research. The remedy she recommends--a surge in political involvement that will press state and federal governments to do better by young adults--won't come easily. She's asking for a sea change in thinking and behavior among disengaged Generation Xers.

"On, not off, The Bus"
The Oregonian
February 24, 2006
The center of attraction Tuesday was Tamara Draut, the feisty young New York author of the latest Gen Y Us? bible, "Strapped." That's the book that seeks to explain why so many young people find themselves "swimming upstream" economically.

"Liars! Cheaters! Evildoers!: Demonizations and the End of Civil Debate in American Politics"
C-SPAN Book TV
February 20, 2006
Tom De Luca asserts that American politics have been demonized. In "Liars! Cheaters! Evildoers!," the book he co-authored with John Buell, he argues that the civil debate on policy has been replaced by attacks on the personal character of politicians. This event was hosted by Demos in New York City.

"Bernanke Breaks With Greenspan, Sympathizes With China Critics"
Bloomberg.com
February 17, 2006
Bernanke "is quite sensitive to the idea that when you open a market to free trade, yes, the pie gets bigger, but that doesn't mean everybody gets a bigger slice," said Robert H. Frank, an economist at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, who wrote an economics textbook with the new Fed chairman.

"Gen X and Y living on the financial edge"
Robertson County Times
February 14, 2006
In her new book, Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead, Draut looks at why so many young people struggle.

"Economics of youth"
The Cleveland Plain Dealer
February 14, 2006
Think-tank wonk Tamara Draut's "Strapped" is more nuanced. Her polemic also assesses how zoning policies and the housing bubble hurt young families the most.

"10 Financial Questions to Ask Before Saying "I Do""
AccountingWEB.com
February 13, 2006
Tamara Draut, author of Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead, agrees, telling MSNBC "It's much more difficult for this generation to work to educate their way into the middle class. They'll probably never match their parents' standards of living because of big loans, low income growth and a cost of housing that's much more expensive than for a generation ago."

"Ask the Pro"
Newsweek
February 13, 2006
We've got to end the debt-for-diploma system. We need to create more good jobs. We need to provide young families with the kinds of real support that's offered in every other industrialized nation, such as paid parental leave and affordable child care.

"Fake memoirs seem sign of times"
The News Tribune
February 12, 2006
To try to understand whats going on, we turned to David Callahan, author of "The Cheating Culture" (Harcourt, 366 pages, $14), a book that explores the recent rise of plagiarism, accounting fraud and other forms of dishonesty. Callahan will publish a new book, "The Moral Center," in September.

"Drowning in debt"
Albany Democrat-Herald
February 11, 2006
Its not just college students and middle-income families who are experiencing the credit card blues. Demos, a national public policy organization, notes that credit card debt among people ages 55-64, rose some 47 percent in the 1990s. Debt among those 65 and older jumped a whopping 89 percent.

"Pay Dirt: Generational brickbats"
Star Tribune
February 10, 2006
At a forum on the topic Wednesday, Tamara Draut, author of "Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-somethings Can't Get Ahead," told the youthful crowd that they must embrace politics by voting and staying aware of public policy issues. "But I already do all of those things!" a woman in the audience cried. "Then you need to elevate it, take it to a higher level," Draut replied.

"Cash may be classic, but is plastic as fantastic?"
Daily Breeze
February 9, 2006
In the past decade, credit card debt among 18- to 24-year-olds has risen 104 percent, reports the nonprofit research firm Demos. This "buy now, pay later" mentality is exacerbated by the fact that credit and debit cards are like casino tokens -- they don't look like real money.

"Oh, c'mon - surely you have a few bucks for a book"
The Seattle Times
February 8, 2006
Addressing everything from record-high credit-card debt, to buying a house, to having kids, to paying closer attention to politics, the book covers what has gone wrong for the under-35 crowd. It also offers ideas on how to create reform, including examining our values, reassessing our views about government and working together to make change.

"Debt trap"
Old Colony Memorial
February 7, 2006
In fact, 60 percent of that demographic is struggling to make ends meet, said Draut, now 34 and the director of the Economic Opportunity Program at Demos, a New York-based public policy group. Draut is also the author of the recently-released book, "Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead," in which she dissects the root causes of the financial troubles young people face today.

"The broke generation"
St. Paul Pioneer Press
February 7, 2006
But, according to author Tamara Draut, young adults don't deserve all the blame for their current situation. Draut, who directs the economic opportunity program at Demos, a New York-based research group, explains in her new book, "Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead" (Doubleday), why this age group is in such dire financial shape compared with those who came of age during the 1960s and 1970s.

"How Bad Rap, Stacked Deck, Tuition Whomps the `Slacker' Set"
Bloomberg.com
February 6, 2006
Tamara Draut, author of "Strapped", writes about the career instability that many in this stratum confront. They are more likely to hold a succession of temporary jobs that offer few benefits and little chance for advancement. They're often the first to be fired in a slump. "Today's young adults swim for a while, then sink, then swim again," Draut writes

"Up Against It At 25"
BusinessWeek
February 6, 2006
Tamara Draut and Anya Kamenetz have a long list of grievances: Flawed government policies have forced many students to borrow huge sums for college. Once they enter an increasingly competitive workforce, these young people find that traditional benefits, such as health care, have become scarce.

"With Bills Nearing Enactment, Groups Slam Voter ID Regs"
The NewStandard
February 6, 2006
On of the more comprehensive analyses of voter disenfranchisement in the US was conducted in 2003 for the progressive democracy think tank Demos. The researchers interviewed state officials in 12 states and scoured news databases for instances of prosecutable voter fraud. They concluded: "Election fraud appears to be very rare in the 12 states examined. Legal and news records turned up little evidence of significant fraud in these states or any indication that fraud is more than a minor problem. Interviews with state officials further confirmed this impression."

"The Young and The Penniless"
Commonwealth Magazine
February 2, 2006
For author and advocate Tamara Draut, the financial pressures on young adults aren't just professional, they're personal

"Are We Better Off Today?"
SmartMoney.com
January 31, 2006
It's no secret that debt levels have ballooned over the past 20 years, from $124.4 billion in revolving debt in 1985 to nearly $800 billion in 2005, according to the Federal Reserve. The average American household currently owes $8,650 on their credit cards, according to the latest survey on consumer debt by Demos, a New York-based economic research and advocacy group.

"You're Not Getting Any Younger"
The Motley Fool
January 30, 2006
Wait ... you've been saving money along the way, right? Maybe not. According to Tamara Draut of the Demos think tank, 60% of young adults in Generation Y are struggling for financial independence.

"The desperate state of the union"
The Star-Ledger
January 30, 2006
We can promote an ownership society all we want, but the actual percentage of equity homeowners have in their homes is dropping. On average, homeowners have 56 percent equity in their homes, according to the Demos public interest research group.

"Five Reasons Why iPod Generation Is Better Off"
Bloomberg.com, Business Report
January 30, 2006
The New York-based research group Demos recently published a book called "Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead."

"Health Debtor Accounts"
TomPaine.com
January 29, 2006
America is facing a health care crisis: Health care costs continue to outpace inflation, and a growing number of Americans are turning to credit cards to keep up. A recent survey of low- and middle-income households with credit card debt by Demos and the Center for Responsible Lending found that credit cards are becoming the new safety net: Seven of 10 households surveyed used credit cards to pay for basic living expenses, including medical care.

"Charities' next mission: finding new leaders"
San Diego Union Tribune
January 29, 2006
Too often, there is a "glass ceiling" among more experienced nonprofit leaders that prevents them from tapping the insights of younger associates, Kunreuther said. "They don't see you, they don't listen to you, even though they were running nonprofits when they were 35," she said. "I have to constantly remind myself to stop and listen to the next generation, and sometimes not go to that meeting and let someone else go."

"Young People Living At Home Longer"
CNN in the Money Transcript
January 28, 2006
Tamara Draut discusses why today's young people are living at home longer.

"Mind the gap: Income inequality, state by state"
CNN Money
January 26, 2006
Robert Frank, an economist at Cornell University, for instance, found that in counties with the widest income gaps, rates of personal bankruptcy and divorce rates were higher than average. He also notes that when wealthier families see their incomes rise at a faster pace than everyone else, their spending can create what he calls an "expenditure cascade." That is, the demand for bigger and better homes or safer cars can create new standards for those lower down on the economic scale.

"Shackled by debt"
Edmonton Sun, 24 Hour News Service/Canada
January 26, 2006
"Many young adults in their 20s and 30s blame themselves for being strapped, but there are a lot of external issues in play," says Draut, now 34 and a director of the economic opportunities program at a think-tank in New York. She recently wrote the book Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead (DoubleDay, $32.95), an examination of the shifts in public policy priorities, ideology and market dynamics that have created obstacles for today's young adults.

"Paycheck paralysis"
CNN Money
January 26, 2006
In her book, "Strapped: Why America's 20-and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead," Draut cites a number of hindering factors. Key among them: debt coupled with paycheck paralysis.

"How to draw the line"
Whittier Daily News and San Gabriel Valley Tribune
January 26, 2006
For its part, the California League of Women Voters opposed the measure, but not redistricting. No, members do indeed want to see new lines drawn for the same reasons espoused by others, including the Center for Governmental Studies and Demos: A Network for Ideas & Action. Last year, the two nonpartisan policy organizations released a joint reapportionment plan, Drawing Lines: A Public Interest Guide to Real Redistricting Reform.

"Advice for the financially frustrated at Town Hall"
Spectator Online
January 25, 2006
On Monday, Jan. 30, Tamara Draut, think-tank analyst and author of "Strapped," is scheduled to discuss depressed wages, sky-high educational costs and the unavailability of affordable health and child care. She will argue that these factors make it more difficult for young adults to succeed in the real world.

"Krugman Among 'Inequality Matters' Panelists"
Editors and Publishers
January 24, 2006
Krugman -- whose column is syndicated via the New York Times News Service -- is also the author or editor of 20 books and a professor of economics and international affairs at Princeton University. He'll be part of a panel that includes people who contributed to the new book "Inequality Matters: The Growing Economic Divide in America and Its Poisonous Consequences."

"Saving Our Democracy"
The Nation
January 23, 2006
Miles Rapoport, President of Demos and Wade Henderson, executive director of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights argued for the need for national voting standards, open source codes for electronic voting machines, paper trails, non-partisan administration of elections, federal standards and, in a prescient comment--considering Monday's front page Washington Post story about the Department of Justice's Voting Rights Division--both pro-democracy leaders lamented the dangerous politicization of critical departments in Justice, particularly in the Voting Rights area.

"Young earners face intense financial challenge"
USA Today, Yahoo! News, Cherry Hill Courier Post and Marketwatch MENAFN.com
January 23, 2006
In Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead, Tamara Draut takes aim at the root causes of the money troubles that young adults face today. Draut, director of the Economic Opportunity Program at Demos, a New York-based think tank, writes about those born between 1971 and 1987 and their jobs: bouncers (going from job to job); jugglers (working full time while in college); pajamas (working at home); and tempsters (working temp jobs).

"Young people tapped out financially"
Investment News
January 23, 2006
Astronomical student debts, depressed wages, and soaring health-care and housing costs are among the reasons that 18- to 34-year-olds face a "crippling financial situation," according to Tamara Draut, author of "Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead" (Doubleday, 2006).

"20-somethings face grim future, young authors"
Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce
January 23, 2006
Tamara Draut takes a different approach. As the director of the Economic Opportunity Program at Demos, a public policy center based in New York, Draut argues that the government has let young people down, and it's time to demand more.

"Tamara Draut speaks about her new book, "Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead""
NBC News Transcript
January 21, 2006
This morning on TODAY'S MONEY, getting ahead for a younger generation. The goal of a comfortable life is getting harder for most 20 and 30-somethings, including that college student or grandchild in your family.

"Escalating War on the Middle Class"
Lou Dobbs Tonight
January 20, 2006
TAMARA DRAUT, AUTHOR, "STRAPPED": The story, in terms of what Congress is doing for the middle class, is really about what they're not doing.

"Starting out behind the financial eight ball"
MSNBC
January 20, 2006
Drowning in student loan and credit card debt? Can't afford to get married, buy a home, have children? In "Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead," Tamara Draut offers a look at the new obstacle course facing young adults--the under 35 crowd--as they try to build careers, buy homes, and start families. Draut visited "Weekend Today" to discuss her book.

"Small Change: Down and out: For post-Boomers, the personal is never political"
The Village Voice
January 20, 2006
Strapped, by Tamara Draut, cuts out much of Kamenetz's slack and expands on an interesting twist. It's not just that Generation Debters haven't been given a safety net--reared during the Reagan years, they're not prepared to agitate for it. Instead, their '80s upbringing conditioned them to go it alone, working temp jobs, settling debts, and often getting educated at the same time.

"Out of reach; College debt and unstable economy keep young adults 'Strapped'"
The Boston Herald
January 19, 2006
According to Tamara Draut, author of ``Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead,' McEachern's situation is not unusual. "It has always been hard to be an adult," Draut, 34, said. "But the challenges that face this generation are unique."

"The underwhelming under-35 vote"
Toronto Star
January 19, 2006
Young adults with similar concerns should probably run, not walk, to their local bookstore and pick up a copy of Strapped, a new book by Tamara Draut on the plight of 20-and-30-somethings in America who have essentially been shut out of the new economy and have - to their own considerable cost - all but tuned out of politics. Draut's analysis - both a lament for a generation and a call to arms - is as dire for young people as it is difficult to refute.

"The Poorest Generation"
ABC News
January 18, 2006
Jan 18, 2006--TV Interview with Tamara Draut, author of "Strapped" answering why America's 20-somethings can't get ahead.

"Young Americans Feel Cash-Strapped"
ABC News
January 18, 2006
In her new book, "Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead" (Doubleday), author Tamara Draut takes a hard look at why so many adults under 35 struggle for financial independence. Draut says astronomical student debts, depressed wages, rising health care costs and soaring property values are just a few reasons an entire generation of young people cannot overcome crippling financial situations.

"Pitfalls of Young America Finances"
ABC News Now / Money Matters Transcript
January 18, 2006
Many young adults are searching for financial independence, and they're not finding it. Our guest, Tamara Draut, says that there's an entire generation of Americans who just can't get their finances and their futures on track.

"Social Justice: Dr. King's Forgotten Legacy"
The Daily Evergreen
January 18, 2006
Surprisingly however, these words were not issued by a political and social activist of 2006, they were delivered by a political and social activist of 1967, a man whom we remembered this past Monday named Martin Luther King Jr. This less-hyped part of Dr. King's legacy was brought to media attention in a Boston Globe article entitled "What King Really Dreamed." The article, co-authored by Rich Benjamin and Jamie Carmichael, speaks of a King who was increasingly outspoken about issues of economic equality, social justice and the poor.

"Readers Write: 'Strapped' for Adulthood"
AlterNet
January 17, 2006
One notable theme was that Draut's book struck a nerve with readers of all ages -- not just those in their 20s and 30s. Lizmv started off the conversation by noting that, "As a 51-year-old single mom whose kids are now finally out of the house, I am still struggling to pay off the debt incurred by dentist bills and helping the kids get through college as best I could. I have just come to the conclusion that I will NEVER own a home, so I will never have that security. I expect to work until the day I die."

"Deferred futures: Why young adults can't hang on to what they earn"
San Francisco Chronicle
January 15, 2006
But if you're that child, Tamara Draut offers comfort, and ammunition for your next dinner with your parents. In her convincing, impressively researched call to arms, "Strapped," she explains why your genteel temp gig masquerading as a job won't cover your outrageous housing costs, oppressive credit card bills, outsize health care premiums and payments on your five-figure student loan. And she gets that, with your boyfriend in the same boat, it'll be years before the two of you can swing marriage or the white picket fence.

"NONFICTION: Strapped: Why America's 20-And 30-somethings can't get ahead"
Richmond Times-Dispatch
January 15, 2006
Tamara Draut is out to change the world with her first book. In "Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead," she describes a problem, explains its root causes and suggests solutions. Her presentation will convince many and may be useful even to those who disagree with her.

"Mortgage default rate shooting up"
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
January 14, 2006
That all portends "payment shock" for those with adjustable-rate mortgages whose loans are due soon to adjust, said Javier Silva, senior research and policy associate with the public policy research group Demos in New York City.

"Young dream-seekers strapped by debt"
The Christian Science Monitor, CBS News, ABC News and WKYT - Money
January 11, 2006
Tamara Draut and Stuart Fink didn't expect it to come to this. After eight years of marriage, the couple found themselves with less than a dollar and with three days until the next paycheck. Seated on the living room floor, they sorted through their compact discs, choosing ones to sell. "We never imagined we'd be peddling our wares for food money at the age of 30," Ms. Draut says. A combination of graduate school tuition, meager salaries, unemployment, a career change, and the cost of setting up housekeeping had drained their modest resources.

"The It-Sucks-To-Be-Me Generation"
Slate.com
January 9, 2006
Draut argues that "with the possible exception of having a larger array of entertainment and other goods to purchase, members of Generation X appear to be worse off by every measure" than prior generations.

"The roots of corruption"
Jamaica Gleaner
January 8, 2006
To help us with this task I want to draw on the work of the Princeton-educated Dr. David Callaghan, co-founder of the public policy centre in the United States, Demos, and author of the book, The Cheating Culture: Why More Americans are doing Wrong to get Ahead. Callaghan notes that the Religious Right and other conservatives have been inveighing against the moral decline of America, but have largely focused on issues of sexual morality - abortion, teenage pregnancy, premarital sex, pornography, divorce, homosexuality as well as drug use, violent video games etc. But the facts show that teenage pregnancy is down, drunk driving is down and so is abortion and then use of tobacco and illicit drugs. Crime is also down.

"Climbing Up, and Losing Ground"
The New York Times
January 8, 2006
Then they will have to pay for day care in an economy that gives bigger tax breaks to "someone buying a second home than raising a second child," Tamara Draut writes in "Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead," a grim tale of one-sided generational war.

"Credit Card Companies Not Doing Us A Favor"
Southwest News-Herald
January 4, 2006
I'll prove it. Look at the data. According to the web site cardweb.com, the average household or individual debt (or both) is about $9,300 per household holding at least one credit card. According to the advocacy group Demos, the average balance among lower- and middle-income households is $8,650.

"Seniors Caught in Credit Card Mess"
ABC News
January 4, 2006
The most recent data available show that credit card debt among people aged 55 to 64 rose 47 percent in the 1990s. Debt among those 65 and older increased an astounding 89 percent during the same period. "This is not just happening to the worst cases," said Tamara Draut, director of the economic opportunity program at Demos, a nonpartisan, public policy organization. "This is becoming much more common and widespread and more of the ordinary face of older Americans than it was decades ago."

"Fast Facts About Credit Card Debt"
ABC News
January 2, 2006
According to the advocacy group Demos, the average balance among lower- and middle-income households is $8,650.

"Pumping Up Prices"
Voice of San Diego
December 30, 2005
A fraudulent appraisal "can lead homeowners to borrow more money than their homes are worth, putting themselves at risk of being 'upside down' in a home -- e.g. not being able to sell for a high enough price to pay off their mortgage," according to a briefing paper on appraisal fraud put out by Demos, a New York-based think tank. That same research paper found that up to half of all real estate appraisers nationwide have reported feeling pressure from lenders or brokers to push up their price predictions.

"Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead"
Pop Matters and AlterNet
December 23, 2005
Since my mother and I both find the prospect of me moving back home nightmarish, I decided to end our "standards of living: then and now" debate once and for all. I sent her Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead, and guess what? It worked! Yes, the Strapped method of garnering parental support work for me. I want to do infomercials for the book now. "Do your baby boomer parents wonder why all their success hasn't rubbed off on you? Do they ask you why they bothered to send you to college when you're un-or-underemployed? Do they think you're paying more than half your paycheck in rent just because you're decadent? Then this book is for you!"

"Of the Rich by the Rich for the Rich"
Chicago Sun-Times
December 18, 2005
Bill Moyers, Special to The Chicago Sun-Times. Published with the permission of The New Press. This piece appears as the foreword to a new book by Demos, Inequality Matters: The Growing Economic Divide in America and Its Poisonous Consequences.

"Mainstream lenders prey upon the weak"
Contra Costa Times
December 18, 2005
For at least the past decade, the credit card industry has been boosting late fees, slicing grace periods, canceling low introductory rates for a single infraction and increasing interest rates in general, notes a study by Demos, a New York-based research and advocacy group. All of these trends disproportionately affect those with spotty credit histories, irregular cash flow and limited income.

"Even miserly families find money is tight"
Kentucky Lexington Herald-Ledger
December 17, 2005
Kifarkis' response to unexpected inflationary prices is not unusual. A nationwide survey of low- and middle-income people by Demos this year revealed that moderate-income Americans are not using credit cards to live beyond their means, says researcher Tamara Draut. Instead, the study of about 1,500 households showed 7 of 10 families are using the cards as a "safety net" for basic living expenses, medical expenses or repairs on cars or homes.

"Living costs crimp S. Fla. 20-somethings"
Miami Herald
December 14, 2005
The results, said Tamara Draut, who co-authored the study, is a young generation whose income is swallowed up by paying off debt -- nearly a quarter of every dollar earned by an indebted young adult. "They're weighed down by student loan debt, with starting salaries that haven't kept up with the cost of healthcare or housing," Draut said. "They never have a chance to catch up and get ahead. This is a generation that finds that it's constantly running to stand still," she added.

"Bankrupt -- and now getting credit offers"
NBC Today Show
December 13, 2005
Interview with Tamara Draut on the findings of "The Plastic Safety Net".

"Many at home with cheating"
Baltimore Sun and Newsday
December 13, 2005
"I guess I see it as all part of the same phenomenon, that 'win at all costs' mentality," said David Callahan, author of The Cheating Culture: Why More Americans Are Doing Wrong to Get Ahead. "There's this gray zone in sports where there's probably a lot of fan acceptance that it's part of the strategy to bend the rules."

"Solvency depends on discipline"
Sioux Falls Argus Leader
December 13, 2005
A person with $12,000 in credit card debt who repays with a minimum monthly payment of 3 percent or $20, whichever is more, will pay a starting minimum payment of $360 and accumulate $9,287 in interest payments over 18 years. That's according to a recent study titled, "The Plastic Safety Net: The Reality Behind Debt in America" by Demos and the Center for Responsible Lending, two research and consumer- advocacy organizations.

"Credit Card Companies Target Bankrupt Consumers"
WBAL TV Baltimore
December 13, 2005
According to a recent study by the research group, Demos, credit card debt has nearly tripled since 1989, reaching almost $800 billion. The study's co-author, Tamara Draut, said the offers are a double-edged sword for the newly bankrupt.

"College debts and broken dreams"
MSN Money
December 13, 2005
"This is the first generation who won't necessarily do better than their parents," says Tamara Draut, director of the economic opportunity program at Demos, a research and advocacy organization in New York. "They've been told: 'Apply yourself. You'll get a job, a home.' For many young people that's not the case."

"Credit card peril lurks"
CourierPost Online
December 11, 2005
Between 4 percent and 10 percent of card holders submit just the minimum monthly payment, according to surveys by the American Bankers Association and Demos, a consumer-advocacy group.

"Newly Bankrupt Raking In Piles of Credit Offers"
The New York Times, Gasden Times and Tuscaloosa News
December 11, 2005
Americans owe $800 billion in credit card debt, more than triple the amount from 1989, and a 31 percent increase from five years ago, according to a recent report, "The Plastic Safety Net," by the Center for Responsible Lending, and Demos, a research group based in New York.

"Book Review: Strapped by Tamara Draut"
Monsters and Critics
December 9, 2005
You`re not the only one who can barely keep up with the rent, school loans and credit card debt: There`s a whole generation out there in exactly the same position. According to Draut, director of the Economic Opportunity Program at liberal think tank Demos, a high proportion of Americans between the ages of 18 and 34 are caught in an economic crunch with no easy way out.

"Insecurity in Action: Why Families Are Taking on Debt"
The Century Foundation
December 8, 2005
A major survey released by the think tank Demos provides some important new insights on how average American families are using credit cards.

"Miles Rapoport on Connecticut's campaign finance bill"
TalkBack! - Hugh Hamilton WBAI
December 7, 2005
Miles Rapoport on Connecticut's campaign finance bill

"Monogamy is good - and good for you"
The Christian Science Monitor
December 5, 2005
Happiness research is "enormously important" if it can be applied to policy, says Robert Frank, an economist at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y. For example, since money doesn't buy much happiness, the nation could institute a steeply progressive consumption tax that taxes income (minus savings and investments), rather than the mildly progressive income tax we have, he says.

"Credit cards leaky lifeboat for new grads"
Chicago Tribune, Hartford Courant, Sun-Sentinel, Greenwich Times and Orlando Sentinel
December 4, 2005
Those studies, however, reflect only part of the problem. "Right after graduation is when credit card debt really starts to add up quickly," says Tamara Draut, author of "Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead" (Doubleday, $22.95), to be published next month. Suddenly faced with significant costs, such as the security deposit on an apartment, along with the onset of student-loan payments, many young people turn to credit cards to stay afloat.

"Miles Rapoport on Connecticut's Political Reform"
Laura Flanders Show on Air America
December 3, 2005
MILES RAPOPORT, president of Demos.org, on Connecticut's political reforms.

"Preparation can blunt 'payment shock'"
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, MENAFN
December 3, 2005
That all portends "payment shock" for those with adjustable-rate mortgages whose loans are due soon to adjust, said Javier Silva, senior research and policy associate with the public policy research group Demos in New York City. "Lots of ARM customers are experiencing payment shock already, and we're only see the first wave of adjustments upward," Silva said. "People didn't understand how much their interest rate could rise, or were unprepared for it. I'm not surprised that we're seeing rising foreclosures. It's absolutely going to get worse."

"Break Free From Debt"
Interest.com
December 1, 2005
Debt has become a deadweight on an increasing number of African- Americans, according to "Costly Credit," a recent report by the public-policy organization Demos. The study found that nearly 20 percent of credit-card-indebted Blacks who earn less than $50,000 are in debt hardship, which means 40 percent of their income goes to debt payments.

"The State Fiscal Analysis Initiative Now Reaches"
Grantmakers Income Security Taskforce (GIST) Newsletter
December 1, 2005
Lipsky, now a senior program director at Demos, observed, "the growing success of SFAI is based on the undeniable importance in a democracy of reliable and accessible information. In the difficult struggles in the states over the allocation of public funds and raising of state revenues, SFAI groups level the playing field so that low income and working families can expect better outcomes."

"New nonprofit helps people live true"
Summit Daily News
November 30, 2005
Walsh waited to start the nonprofit until one of his main inspirations, David Callahan, author of "Cheating Culture: Why More Americans Are Doing Wrong to Get Ahead" could come to town to speak.

"Mortgage defaults jump 18.6% across U.S."
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Black Enterprise and Builder Online
November 28, 2005
Even if it's not happening now, tougher times await those deeply in debt, said Javier Silva, senior research and policy associate at Demos, a public policy group in New York City. His group is to present findings from "The Plastic Safety Net," a credit card debt report, today. Among the report's findings: In the last three years, 20% of households tapped their home equity to pay credit card bills only to wind up increasing their total debt.

"Shoppers search for holiday bargains"
Tahoe Daily Tribune
November 28, 2005
"The results are clear: Wages have stagnated while medical and housing costs have skyrocketed, and if confronted with a layoff or health emergency there are few, if any, personal or public safety nets adequate enough to help in a crisis," said Tamara Draut, director of the Economic Opportunity Program and co-author of the report, in a statement. "Households are turning to high-cost credit cards to keep afloat."

"How Far Must You Walk to Work Off Thanksgiving Calories?"
Poynter Online
November 24, 2005
Just in time for the holiday shopping season, here are new findings from "The Plastic Safety Net," a report from a survey conducted by Demos and the Center for Responsible Lending. (For information on the survey's methodology, see Page 6 of the PDF version of the report.)

"Throw the Books at Them"
In These Times
November 24, 2005
As economists Heather Boushey and Christian Weller note in their contribution to Inequality Matters: The Growing Economic Divide in America and Its Poisonous Consequences, a fascinating collection of essays commissioned by New York think tank Demos, "the average real income of the bottom 90 percent of American taxpayers declined by 7 percent between 1973 and 2000, while the income of the top 1 percent went up 148 percent."

"Wallets Start Opening"
Hartford Courant
November 23, 2005
For low- and middle-income households, or those earning between 50 and 120 percent of their local median income, the new rules could exacerbate an already difficult situation. They are carrying an average balance of $8,650 on their credit cards, according to Demos, a public policy institute in New York. For them, exuberant holiday spending could spell trouble.

"Buy This Book: Inequality Matters"
Paul Soglin: Waxing America Blog
November 21, 2005
My copy of INEQUALITY MATTERS: The Growing Economic Divide in America and Its Poisonous Consequences, edited by my new friend James Lardner and my old friend, David A. Smith just arrived. Run out and buy a copy. No buy several, one for yourself and lots as holiday gifts for everyone you know.

Louisiana Citizens Requesting President Bush For Contracts Online
Bayou Buzz
November 21, 2005
With the nation looking at its budget and Louisiana needing so much assistance, there is a move afoot that just makes sense. Below is a letter to the President of the United States asking for more transparency in contracts related to the rebuild.

"Too Much Debt, or Not Enough?"
Inside Higher Ed News
November 17, 2005
Tamara Draut, director of the economic opportunity program at Demos, a nonprofit research group, and author of the forthcoming Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead (Doubleday), offered a litany of reasons why young Americans -- "the first young adult generation" in U.S. history that has been "asked to shoulder the cost of their higher education through loans" -- can ill afford to continue to accumulate the rates of debt they are now facing.

"Luxuries you can live without -- and should"
MSN Money
November 17, 2005
In his book "Luxury Fever," economist Robert Frank describes the rise of this swankier-is-better mentality -- and the toll it's taking on people's financial lives.

"Discard pile"
The Christian Century
November 15, 2005
Demos, a public-policy organization based in New York City, reports that upwards of 3 million people were disfranchised this way in 2000. It estimates that at least a half-million votes were denied in 2004 by state rejection of provisional ballots alone.

"The Letter Your Bank Will Never Send"
The Motley Fool
November 15, 2005
According to a Demos study, Americans from 2001 to 2003 cashed out $333 billion in equity from their homes. Many did so to pay off credit card debt and finance ongoing living expenses -- both good and noble financial causes.

"Thirty & Broke"
BusinessWeek
November 14, 2005
"This is the first generation who won't necessarily do better than their parents," says Tamara Draut, director of the economic opportunity program at Demos, a research and advocacy organization in New York. "They've been told: 'Apply yourself. You'll get a job, a home.' For many young people that's not the case."

"Anatomy of corporate chicanery"
Newsday, Sun-Sentinel
November 14, 2005
Although that impact can be far-reaching, it often starts in far smaller ways. "I don't think they set out to be inherently crooked," said Nomi Prins, author of "Other People's Money: The Corporate Mugging of America." "But they're finding themselves in a position to be able to be crooked and rationalizing it, in the desire to be on top, and grow to the top and stay on top."

"Money can't buy happiness"
Canoe Network
November 14, 2005
American Economist Robert Frank would agree. He claims that we live in an age of "luxury fever" characterized by a boom in the sale of high-end homes, furniture, appliances, cars, jewellry and clothes.

"Inflation ratchets up, in plenty of key areas"
Chicago Tribune, Baltimore Sun, Hispanic Business, Rutland Herald, Buffalo News, The Sun Herald, Houston Chronicle and Middle East North Africa Financial Network
November 13, 2005
Kifarkis' response to unexpected inflationary prices is not unusual. A nationwide survey of low- and middle-income people by Demos this year revealed that moderate-income Americans are not using credit cards to live beyond their means, says researcher Tamara Draut. Instead, the study of about 1,500 households showed 7 of 10 families are using the cards as a "safety net" for basic living expenses, medical expenses or repairs on cars or homes.

"Bill could cut $15 billion from student loan programs"
Daily Orange
November 11, 2005
Crawford provided an article written by Nomi Prins, author of "Other People's Money: The Corporate Mugging of America," in criticism of the bill. According to Prins, it was introduced to fulfill President George W. Bush's request for a $50 billion budget cut. "That's not a very visionary way to take care of the deficit," Prins wrote, "particularly since the education allocation represents a mere one-half of 1 percent of the total entitlement budget."

"ELECTION ROUNDUP 2005"
City Limits magazine
November 7, 2005
Given the inertia of the state political machine, any major administrative change will likely take years, said Steve Carbo, director of the Democracy Project at Demos, a nonpartisan think tank that will host a Nov. 10 roundtable discussion on city elections.

"Comment: Brenda Power: Count your blessings, not your money"
The Sunday Times
November 6, 2005
Professor Robert Frank of Cornell University, the author of Luxury Fever, compares conspicuous consumption in an economy like ours to the military arms race, and we already know that's destined to end in mutually assured destruction.

"Changes in payments aim to help erase debt, but may squeeze some"
Middle East North Africa Financial Network
November 1, 2005
Middle- and low-income American households owe an average of $8,650 on credit cards, according to a study published this month by Demos.org and The Center for Responsible Lending. It concluded that credit cards regularly cover basic necessities in many households but the balances have ripple effects through family finances.

"New rules may sting now, will hurt less in future "
The Arizona Republic
October 30, 2005
Low- and moderate-income households reporting a recent job loss or those lacking health insurance are about twice as likely to use credit cards to meet basic living expenses, according to a survey released this month by research group Demos and the Center for Responsible Lending. The study also found that for those low- and moderate-income households carrying card debt, the typical length is about 3 1/2 years.

"Church donations going plastic"
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
October 27, 2005
But fiscal success for churches can also mean serious financial woes for some worshippers, says Javier Silva, senior researcher and policy analyst for Demos, a non-profit public policy organization that recently co-sponsored a nationwide survey, "The Plastic Safety Net: The Reality of Household Debt in America."

"Bursting the housing bubble's bubble"
North County Times
October 27, 2005
"Appraisal fraud is part of a bigger, more ominous picture," says David Callahan, Home Insecurity author and Director of Research at Demos. "As home prices have continued to increase above inflation, even nearing 20 percent per year in some cities, American homeowners are vulnerable as never before to financial ruin if home prices fall to their natural market value." "To make matters worse, an increasing number of Americans have reduced the equity in their home to meet rising living expenses, like education and health care, or to pay off credit card debts. From 2001 to 2004, homeowners pulled out a staggering $485 billion worth of equity, and the trend is expected to continue. It is beginning to look like the American dream of financial security through homeownership is becoming a myth for far too many."

"Wednesday Edition: Giant Houses"
Poynter Online
October 25, 2005
In his book "Luxury Fever," Cornell University economist Robert Frank noted that Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen built a 74,000-square-foot house. According to Frank, that roughly equaled the size of Cornell's entire business school, with a staff of 100.

"Author speaks on ethics in society"
Technician
October 25, 2005
For David Callahan, the acclaimed author and frequent guest on national television and radio programs, the corporate scandals that occurred several years ago came as an epiphany.

"Credit Card Debt Preys on Middle and Low Income Households According to New Survey"
CardRatings.com
October 20, 2005
According to Tamara Draut, Director of the Economic Opportunity Program at Demos, "American families are facing financial hardship not experienced for generations, and we commissioned this survey to tell us precisely why they are turning to credit cards so often."

"U.S.: Consumers Are Finally Shifting Into Lower Gear"
BusinessWeek
October 19, 2005
Hefty heating bills will take the biggest bite out of the finances of households that are already struggling. A survey of credit-card use by lower- and middle-income families done jointly by public policy groups Demos and the Center for Responsible Lending shows that, on average, one out of three households surveyed used their credit cards to cover living expenses in four of the past 12 months.

"Your Excuses Aren't Good Enough"
The Motley Fool
October 19, 2005
"The Plastic Safety Net" study found that middle- and low-income households were racking up credit card balances just to cover everyday expenses. One-third of the 1,000 survey respondents said that basic living expenses contributed to their current debt level. Illness, job loss, car and home repairs, tuition, and major appliance purchases were other factors cited frequently by those struggling financially.

"The Consumer and the Economy"
Hoover's Online
October 18, 2005
Piper Jaffray Retail Analyst Jeff Klinefelter and Demos Sr. Research and Policy Associate Javier Silva talk about the effect of credit card debt and other factors on spending and the retail industry.

"Consumer Watch | Burden of debt grows heavier"
The Philadelphia Inquirer, Fort Wayne News-Sentinel
October 18, 2005
But things are tougher for the kind of borrowers portrayed in the new study, based on a survey of 1,150 middle-income cardholders who had carried a balance for the last three months. The most striking findings? To the study's lead author, Tamara Draut of the public policy group Demos, two stand out. Both are stark illustrations of why revolving debt is often an inescapable downward spiral.

"Credit Card Firms Raise Minimum Payments"
Atlantic Journal-Constitution
October 18, 2005
Last week, New York-based consumer action group Demos and the Center for Responsible Lending released findings from a new report, "The Plastic Safety Net: The Reality of Household Debt in America." The survey results found that 7 out of 10 low- and middle-income families are using their credit cards as a safety net, relying on credit to pay for car repairs, basic living expenses, medical expenses or house repairs.

"On Deadline"
Credit Union Journal Daily
October 17, 2005
"American families are facing financial hardship not experienced for generations, and we commissioned this survey to tell us precisely why they are turning to credit cards so often," said Tamara Draut, director of the Economic Opportunity Program for Demos, a co-author of the report.

"Record Numbers File for Personal Bankruptcy"
Accountingweb.com
October 17, 2005
Seven out of ten low- to moderate-income households said they used credit cards to pay for groceries, car repairs or house repairs according to a telephone survey of 1,150 adults conducted by ORC Macro for Demos, a nonprofit group that looks at economic opportunity and the Center for Responsible Lending, a nonprofit advocacy group that focuses on predatory lending, according to a separate report in MarketWatch.

"Credit Cards Seen As 'Safety Net'"
National Mortgage News
October 17, 2005
One-third of low- and middle-income consumers are using their credit cards to pay basic living expenses - including their monthly mortgage, according to a new study.

"Older Americans with Mounds of Debt Seek Financial Freedom"
Louisiana Weekly
October 17, 2005
In 2002, more than 450,000 people over the age of 50 filed for bankruptcy, according to the Consumer Bankruptcy Project at Harvard University. For those who are trying to pay off their credit card debt, the latest report by the research firm, Demos, cites that one-fifth of seniors spend more than 40 percent of their income on debt payments alone.

"Families owe $8,650 in credit card debt"
UPI, MENAFN, Monsters and Critics.com and WebIndia123.com
October 16, 2005
"The Plastic Safety Net: The Reality Behind Credit Card Debt in America" -- a report by the Center for Responsible Lending and the public policy organization Demos -- says credit card debt in America has almost tripled since 1989 and increased 31 percent since 2000.

"With a Plastic Safety Net, Debt Is Inevitable"
Washington Post, Boston Globe, Hartford Courant, Northwest Herald, Courier Post, Richard Times-Dispatch, Honolulu Advertiser, Sun-Sentinel, The Times Union, Muskegee Daily Phoenix and Times-Democrat and The Clarion-Ledger
October 16, 2005
"American families are facing financial hardship not experienced for generations, and we commissioned this survey to tell us precisely why they are turning to credit cards so often," said Tamara Draut, director of the Economic Opportunity Program at Demos, a nonpartisan, nonprofit public policy research and advocacy group based in New York.

"Backruptcy's new day"
The Atlantic Journal-Constitution
October 16, 2005
The average credit card debt of low- and middle-income indebted households was $8,650, according to the study from Demos and the Center for Responsible Lending.

"Appetite for credit card debt grows"
Inman News
October 14, 2005
More American families are turning to credit cards as their financial safety net, citing skyrocketing costs, dwindling savings and stagnant wages, according to a report released this week by Demos and the Center for Responsible Lending.

"Are Renters Bad With Money?"
The Motley Fool
October 14, 2005
A new study about America's credit card debt from policy research and advocacy groups Demos, the Center for Responsible Lending, and the AARP shows that the most debt-troubled consumers are those who don't own their homes, even though their credit card balances are lower than those who are their own landlords ($6,880 vs. $10,296).

"Subsisting on Plastic: Credit Cards Cover Living Expenses for Many: Survey"
Marketwatch
October 13, 2005
Job loss and medical expenses "are the two biggest predictors of which households are going to have higher relative levels of debt," said Tamara Draut, a co-author of the report and director of the economic opportunity program at Demos, in New York.

"Survey: Credit-card overuse is costly"
Newark Star-Ledger
October 13, 2005
The survey found the average credit-card debt was $8,650 and that 59 percent of those responding were in debt for more than a year, with the average more than 3.5 years. Also, seven out of 10 households said they used credit cards as a "safety net" to pay for basic living expenses.

"Why America's Really in Debt"
The Motley Fool
October 13, 2005
"The Plastic Safety Net," released Oct. 12 by policy research and advocacy groups Demos, the Center for Responsible Lending, and the AARP, reveals what's on our credit cards, why it's there, and what we're doing to manage our financial obligations.

"Too Much Plastic, Too Little Paper"
The Kansas City Star
October 13, 2005
"American families are facing financial hardship not experienced for generations," said Tamara Draut, an economic opportunity director at Demos, a Washington, D.C., nonprofit consumer research group that did the survey.

"Study Says US Consumers Use Credit for Basic Costs"
Reuters
October 12, 2005
DEMOS, a New York-based public policy group that studies economic opportunity issues, and the Center for Responsible Lending, a Washington policy group focused on predatory lending, said low- and middle-income families fall into credit card debt to cope with income declines or unexpected costs.

"The Left and Al-Qaida: Two Cheers for Sasha Abramsky"
Open Democracy
October 12, 2005
Kudos to Sasha Abramsky for proving that western empire has not caused Islamic empire seekers to murder us at random.

"Credit Cards Ensnare, Victimize Working Families, Report Finds"
Consumer Affairs
October 12, 2005
"The results are clear: wages have stagnated while medical and housing costs have skyrocketed, and if confronted with a layoff or health emergency there are few, if any, personal or public safety nets adequate enough to help in a crisis. Households are turning to high-cost credit cards to keep afloat," said Tamara Draut.

"The Worst Kind of Debt: Charging the groceries"
MSN Money
October 11, 2005
Today people are incurring a more dangerous kind of debt, says Tamara Draut, director of economic opportunity programs at Demos, a public policy organization in New York that's conducting a nationwide study of Americans and debt. "People are living paycheck to paycheck, and, after they've paid the bills, everything else -- like groceries or back-to-school clothes -- goes on the credit card," Draut says. "Credit cards are picking up the slack in the household budget."

"How That Huge Credit Limit Can Hurt You"
MSN Money
October 10, 2005
Consider these statistics from Demos, a nonpartisan and nonprofit public policy research and advocacy group in New York. Between 1993 and 2000, the credit card industry tripled the amount of credit it offered to customers, from $777 billion to almost $3 trillion.

"Suing Employer One Way to Redress a Flawed 401(k)"
Bloomberg.com, Ventura County Star
October 10, 2005
"Employers provide no guidance on how much company stock to invest in," says Nomi Prins, a former Goldman Sachs Group Inc. managing director and author of the book Other People's Money, which profiled the role of investment banks in the 1990s stock bubble.

"The Role of Government When Disaster Strikes"
KRCL 90.9FM Salt Lake City, Utah
October 4, 2005
The disaster of Katrina has opened up public debate about the role government should play in managing and relieving disasters. Many argue that it is the job of individuals to rescue themselves, while others contend that the government should collectively work to solve problems individuals cannot. Lorna led a discussion with Tom Huckin from the University of Utah and Patrick Bressette from DEMOS: A Network for Ideas and Action.

"Kara McGuire: Money matters on your mind"
Star Tribune
September 30, 2005
Eighteen- to 24-year-olds have an average $2,985 in credit card debt, according to last year's Demos USA study, "Generation Broke." The average plastic debt for 25- to 34-year-olds is $4,088.

"Out of Gas"
The Nation
September 29, 2005
Signs of the wreckage abound. There are, first of all, the high gasoline prices caused by damage to the Gulf Coast's drilling wells and refineries. Working-class commuters in rural areas will be particularly hard-hit, as Sasha Abramsky points out in this issue.

"Debt is a House of Cards"
The East Hampton Star
September 29, 2005
According to Javier Silva, a senior research and policy associate with Demos, a New York think tank and public policy organization, homeowners' equity fell from an average of 68.3 percent to 55 percent between 1973 and 2004. Americans now own a smaller stake in their homes than they used to. In the 1950s, they owned nearly 80 percent.

"Tour takes financial advice to the streets"
Chicago Tribune Redeye Edition
September 29, 2005
Tamara Draut, director of the Economic Opportunity Program for Demos, a New York-based think tank and advocacy group, said that large student loans are the biggest obstacle for young people trying to become financially independent.

"Ex-Tyco executives get up to 25 years"
Chicago Tribune
September 20, 2005
But jail time and severe punishment are not the most crucial components in deterring criminal crime, argued Nomi Prins, a former investment banker and author of "Other People's Money."

"Poll Position: Groups Push for Voting Rights"
City Limits
September 19, 2005
"Voting has never been a right in America. It has been a privilege," said Joseph "Jazz" Hayden, campaign director for Unlock the Block, a coalition of 85 organizations working to change the law prohibiting citizens with felony records to vote.

"Officials report boost in registration of elderly, disabled"
Sioux City Journal
September 15, 2005
Steve Carbo, of the Democracy Project, a New York-based advocacy group that pushed for broader voter registration, said Iowa did far better than many states in implementing the provision.

"Hurricane May Help Advocates Protect Medicaid, Food Stamps from Planned Cuts"
MLive.com
September 12, 2005
"People are so horrified by what appears to be government failures to protect the people in New Orleans they may mistake their anger at particular decisions as disappointment with government in general," said Michael Lipsky, a program director at Demos, a national public policy organization based in New York. "That would be an unfortunate outcome."

"Study Reveals Shocking Debt Information for Young Adults"
Chicolette Gazette
September 11, 2005
A 2004 study named "Generation Broke: The Growth of Debt Among Young Americans," released by the New York public policy group Demos, paints a grim outlook for the 18- to-34 age group.

"Hasta el Cuello con Tarjetas de Crédito"
Panorama
September 9, 2005
Un estudio del grupo de investigación estadounidense Demos señaló que, en general, el interés está subiendo automáticamente cuando un pago está tarde y ya no hay tal cosa como un período de gracia para pagos atrasados.

"Fallujah and New Orleans, New Twin Towns"
United Press International
September 6, 2005
"The challenge is to think about terrorism in the broader context of American purpose and American strategy, in an increasingly inter-connected world. The war on terror has become America's purpose by default," said Stephen Heintz, founder of the Demos public policy research group. "Our adversaries have shown the capacity to think holistically and to plan patiently, while we conduct foreign policy from crisis to crisis and from election to election."

"Teens should know facts of credit card use"
Missoulian; Sun Sentinel
September 5, 2005
Young adults are among those most in need of better financial education. According to a 2004 report released by Demos, a nonpartisan research group, the 25-to-34 age group has the second-highest rate of bankruptcy, just after those 35 to 44. Many times these financial situations originated with credit-card debt accumulated during college years - debt that was never handled properly.

"Climbing Out of Credit Trap"
The Arizona Republic
September 4, 2005
In addition, there are signs certain consumer groups are struggling with card debt. For example, African-Americans and Hispanics are much more likely to carry card balances than Whites, according to Demos, a public-policy advocacy and research group in New York. Blacks and Hispanics also have lower net worths and thus less of a financial cushion. And they're less likely to carry health insurance; big medical bills are a key cause of consumer bankruptcies.

"Why Refi? Taking equity out of your house can be a good move--but not always"
TIME Magazine
September 4, 2005
People ages 45 to 59 are the most likely to refinance, according to Demos, a nonprofit public-policy organization in New York City.

"Generation Broke"
BusinessWeek Online
September 2, 2005
Tamara Draut, who directs Demos' economic opportunity program, discusses why today's young Americans have so much debt. View Online at: http://businessweek.feedroom.com/iframeset.jsp?ord=631413

"Generation BUY"
The Shelby Star
August 25, 2005
A 2004 study conducted by Demos, a nonprofit research organization, found that the average debt carried by Americans between the ages of 25 and 34 increased 55 percent, to about $4,000, from 1992 to 2001.

"How Much is Your Home Really Worth?"
King 5 News
August 22, 2005
When an appraiser overvalues a home that can lead to an upside down mortgage where you end up owing more than the property is worth. "This is a major problem," says David Callahan, with an advocacy group called Demos that recently looked into just how widespread the problem is.

"Experts say solid standards needed for provisional ballots"
KGW.com
August 18, 2005
But Miles Rapoport, a former Connecticut secretary of state, said a patchwork of state-by-state policies raises the possibility of legal challenges that could snarl election results.

"Students' Financial Ignorance a Major Parental Concern"
Scripps Howard News Service
August 18, 2005
"This is an age when you set credit and finance benchmarks for the rest of your life," said Tamara Draut, lead author of the Demos report. "Young adults starting off in the red will find that it impacts their financial security for years to come."

"A Generation Drowning in Debt"
Lowell Sun
August 15, 2005
Tamara Draut, co-author of Generation Broke, said that burden falls harder on lower-income students. Federal Pell grants have not been able to keep up with rising tuition and enrollment -- the maximum grant award covers one-third of the cost of a four-year college today, as opposed to three-fourths of the cost in the 1970s, Draut said.

"Where Credit's Due"
Observer-Reporter
August 8, 2005
The heavy reliance on credit by young people is starting to have negative consequences. Young Americans between the ages of 25 and 34 have the second-highest rate of bankruptcy (just after those aged 35-44), according to a 2004 report by Demos, a nonpartisan research group.

"Mortgage fraud huge in Florida, FBI report says"
MSNBC
August 7, 2005
According to a study released in April by Demos, a public policy group in New York City, people are borrowing more than their homes are worth, and as a result, the amount of home equity has fallen from 68 percent in the early 1970s to 55 percent last year.

"The Big Talk: With Teens, Discussion of Credit Needs to be a Fact of Life"
CBS Marketwatch
August 7, 2005
Young adults are among those most in need of better financial education. According to a 2004 report released by Demos, a nonpartisan research group, the 25-to-34 age group has the second-highest rate of bankruptcy, just after those 35 to 44. Many times these financial situations originated with credit-card debt accumulated during college years -- debt that was never handled properly.

"Support Mixed for Mortgage Cap Plan"
San Diego Union Tribune
August 5, 2005
Javier Silva of Demos, a New York-based think tank, yesterday opposed any change. Raising the limit would extend a dangerous trend of loosening lending standards to enable consumers to buy homes they can't truly afford, Silva said. "The answer is to find ways to lower home prices, not simply raise debt limits to allow inflated prices to soar even higher," he said.

"Homeowners: Upside-down is no way to be"
CNN/Money
August 5, 2005
Demos's senior research associate and author of A House of Cards: Refinancing the American Dream, Javier Silva, said that, even in the absence of a real estate crash, many families "are facing a financial crisis," partially because they've taken on more mortgage debt.

"Freeing Up the Right to Vote"
Alternet
August 5, 2005
"I've been raising this issue since the early 1990s but people only started pay attention after the election of 2000," Hayden, director of the New York-based advocacy group Unlock the Block, said in a telephone interview. "It became an issue after people became aware that 800,000 citizens in Florida couldn't vote. And now there's not a major university in the country that doesn't have someone doing some research on the issue."

"Bankruptcy Law Gets Tough On Debtors"
Black Enterprise
July 31, 2005
"The Congress members of both parties who are embracing these punitive measures for working families are dangerously out of touch with the grim economic realities faced by ordinary families," says Tamara Draut, director of the Economic Opportunity Program of New York-based think tank Demos.

"SHOWING APPRECIATION: Inflated appraisals can create a house of cards"
The Patriot Ledger
July 30, 2005
But a recent report by Demos, a think tank in New York, said the refinance boom has put many homeowners at financial risk because inflated appraisals that are used to refinance homes can leave homeowners with negative equity in their properties.

"Young Adults Falling into the Debt Trap"
Old Colony Memorial
July 30, 2005
The study revealed some startling results that suggest a college education has become unaffordable to many young adults. For example, more students are taking on debt to finance their college education because of a shift in federal student aid programs. In 1980, the most common form of college funding was federal grants, which amounted to 52 percent of the government's student aid system. Loans followed at 45 percent. But by 2000, loans had risen to 58 percent of the student aid pie while grants dropped to 41 percent. Coinciding with the shift in federal student aid programs were dramatic increases in college tuition.

"Confronting the Culture"
American Journalism Review
July 28, 2005
It's not just young people who can begin to have a different view of the profession. David Callahan, author of the 2004 book "The Cheating Culture: Why More Americans Are Doing Wrong to Get Ahead," says a focus on the bottom line creates problems with ethics in many industries. Journalists, he says, feel their industry is being corrupted by money pressures, which lead to a broader cynicism.

"On the House | Is that home appraisal honest?"
Philly.com
July 24, 2005
"Appraisal fraud is part of a bigger, more ominous picture," said David Callahan, research director at Demos, a nonpartisan public-policy group in New York. "As home prices have continued to increase above inflation, even nearing 20 percent per year in some cities, American homeowners are vulnerable as never before to financial ruin if home prices fall to their natural market value.

"Thousands Learn Credit Usage the Hard Way in School"
The Daily Progress
July 21, 2005
Falling into debt early can have real consequences. Young adults 25 to 34 are more likely to file for bankruptcy than their parents' generation, according to a study by Demos, a think tank that studies economic issues.

"Left Out On Campus"
CBS News
July 18, 2005
Heather McGhee, economic-policy analyst with Demos said progressives value "shared prosperity."

"Pressure for Priority: Corporate Bankruptcy Laws Need to Be Reformed to Help Little Guy"
Black Enterprise
July 13, 2005
In reality, 90 percent of bankruptcies are caused by job loss, medical bills or divorce. The policy group Demos states that families are not suffering from irresponsibility, but rather "the effects of a stagnant economy and fraying social supports. Faced with declining real wages, job insecurity, long-term unemployment, and rising costs, American families have turned to increasingly available and expensive credit in order to make ends meet." People who file for bankruptcy often "do so as a last resort, having already paid creditors thousands in penalties and interest and fees on top of the repaid principal."

"Credit cards a tempting trap for young cardholders"
Dover Post
July 12, 2005
Average credit card debt among adults 18 to 24 year olds rose 104% to $2,985 between 1992 and 2001, according to the non-profit firm Demos. And the problems tend to get worse. During the same time period, credit card debt among those 25 to 34 increased 55% to $4,088.

"Youngsters Get Tips on the Dangers with Bankruptcy"
The Detroit News
July 11, 2005
The fact is America's population of young adults aged 18-34 are slipping into a downward debt spiral, according to Demos, a nonpartisan, nonprofit New York-based research organization. Demos recently released a report called "Generation Broke: The Growth of Debt Among Young Americans."

"Democracy must have one size to fit all"
San Francisco Bay View
July 8, 2005
Democracy is hard to get and hard to protect and should be a one-size-fits-all proposition. So says Joseph Hayden. The soft-spoken native New Yorker is leading a battle to win voting rights for some 5 million Americans. Like him, they were convicted of a felony and stripped of their voice in electoral politics.

"Appraisal Inflation 'Ticking Time Bomb'"
The Kansas City Star
July 4, 2005
A study of appraisers found that "more than half of appraisers have said they have experienced pressure to inflate property values," said David Callahan, director of research at Demos, a national consumer interest group.

"Leave Home Without Debt"
Redding.com
July 3, 2005
Americans ages 25 to 34 have the second highest bankruptcy rate -- after those ages 35 to 44 -- the research firm Demos found in a 2004 study.

"Financial Focus: Brian Ambrose"
Contra Costa Times
July 1, 2005
According to a 2004 study conducted by the Demos research and advocacy organization, nearly one-third of Americans age 65 and older carry credit card balances. Between 1992 and 2001, credit card debt among indebted retirees increased by 89 percent to $4,041.

"Card debt crisis hits Latino and African American cardholders worst"
Lafferty
July 1, 2005
According to Costly Credit, a report from Demos, a non-profit public policy group based in New York, 59 percent of African American households and 53 percent of Latinos had credit cards in 2001, compared to 82 percent of white households.

"Bank Scam Touches Collections Agencies"
Collections & Credit Risk
July 1, 2005
It is encouraging that some credit card companies have raised their minimum-payment rules for cards and that there is now more awareness that if you pay only the minimum it will take a long time to pay your debts, Draut says.

"3 On Your Side: Over-Appraising"
CBS3 Philadelphia
June 28, 2005
"More than half of appraisers say they have been pressured to inflate the value of a home," said Callahan

"Felon Voting Rights Conflict Hits Federal Court"
The NewStandard
June 24, 2005
Hayden, director of Unlock the Block, a New York-based campaign for felon voting rights, said the case for a link between incarceration and race was irrefutable. "The fact that [there is] racial discrimination in the criminal justice system is a slam dunk," he said. "There's no question about that." Yet if the case proceeds to trial, the plaintiffs' arguments will also seek to connect disenfranchisement to deeper social problems tied to racial inequality, from failing public schools to racial profiling by police. "We look at the lack of affordable housing and employment, and all the rest of that. I think we can make our case," Hayden said.

"Home Appraisals"
Marketplace
June 23, 2005
When you refinance your home, you put your financial future in the hands of two parties who have a clear conflict of interest. One's the loan originator, who just wants to get you in the biggest mortgage possible, so they can get the fattest commission. Two, the appraiser, who is doing the bidding of the loan originator 'cause they want to get future work. They have a huge incentive to play ball. Their livelihood is at stake.

"Extending Democracy to Ex-Offenders"
The New York Times
June 22, 2005
The laws that strip ex-offenders of the right to vote across the United States are the shame of the democratic world. Of an estimated five million Americans who were barred from voting in the last presidential election, a majority would have been able to vote if they had been citizens of countries like Britain, France, Germany or Australia.

"Battle Over Felon Votes Continue"
New York Newsday
June 22, 2005
And today his lawsuit, combined with a similar case, Hayden v. Pataki, will get an unusual hearing before the full Second Circuit. The case has potential national significance: Nearly 4.7 million people are in jail or prison on felony convictions, and the last presidential election was decided by 3.5 million votes, say Muntaqim's attorneys.

"Credit Card Debt a Growing Problem for Blacks, Hispanics"
Hispanic Link News Service
June 22, 2005
Black and Hispanic credit card users are more likely to carry a monthly balance than non-Hispanic whites, according to a study just released by the Economic Opportunity Program at Demos, a national, non-partisan public policy group.

"Advocates See Gains in Felon Voting Laws"
Los Angeles Times
June 21, 2005
On Wednesday, the full 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York will hear arguments in cases brought by two prisoners - one now freed - who say that the 1965 Voting Rights Act, which removed barriers to black voters, can be used to argue that the felony laws are unfair. "If there's such a thing as a political animal, I am it ... (but) come Election Day I can't vote," said Joseph "Jazz" Hayden

"Voting Rights of Inmates Should Not Be Arrested"
The Mississippi Link
June 20, 2005
The soft-spoken native New Yorker is leading a battle to win voting rights for some five million Americans. Like him, they were convicted of a felony and stripped of their voice in electoral politics. "It took African-American males 95 years to get the right to vote. It took women 144 years, and 18-year-olds finally got in 1971. The only group still left out is prisoners and parolees," said Hayden, who is on parole after serving 13 years in prison.

"Financial advisers offer help for paying off problematic debt"
Cape Cod Times
June 19, 2005
Accruing debt is like eating really spicy food: A little can be good, but too much will cause financial heartburn that can seemingly take forever to go away...According to the New York-based research group Demos, the average credit-card debt among indebted young adults increased by 55 percent between 1992 and 2001, to $4,088 in 2001. This group, which spends nearly 24 percent of income on debt payments, also has the second-highest rate of bankruptcy.

"Collegians need lesson in plastic"
Duluth News Tribune
June 18, 2005
According to Demos, a New York-based research group, young Americans have the second-highest rate of bankruptcy -- topped only by 35- to 44-year-olds. According to Nellie Mae, graduates are leaving college with $20,500 in student loans and $2,864 in credit card debt.

"Investing Book Targets Young Adults"
San Diego Union Tribune
June 17, 2005
"If you look at the statistics, every week and every day there is a story about how much credit card debt that demographic carries. They are targeting people younger and younger. The marketing and promotion of these products are very powerful, and people can't resist it." A recent study by Demos, a New York nonprofit research organization, found that credit card debt for people ages 18 to 24 climbed 104 percent between 1992 and 2001. The fastest growing group of bankruptcy filers are in the 18-to-24 age bracket. More than 80 percent of all undergraduates have at least one credit card.

"Fraudulent Appraisals May Be Putting Air in Bubble"
The New York Sun
June 16, 2005
The New York-based public policy group Demos charges that there has been an epidemic of mortgage appraisal fraud that has left home-buyers and refinancers struggling with higher mortgages than home equity, and the possibility of foreclosure.

"It's a Crime to Stop Felons From Voting"
Newsday
June 16, 2005
New York's election law bars Hayden from voting until he gets off parole, and essentially says that Muntaqim will never cast a vote in this state. There's been growing criticism of such laws since the 2000 presidential election, when one of the many flukes of the Florida election was that hundreds of thousands of felons who had completed their sentences were barred from voting.

"College Students Need to Learn Credit Card Lessons"
St. Paul Pioneer Press
June 15, 2005
According to Demos, a New York-based research group, young Americans have the second-highest rate of bankruptcy - topped only by 35- to 44-year-olds. Demos says financial troubles often start when students leave college with credit card debt and student loans that already are unwieldy. According to Nellie Mae, graduates are leaving college with $20,500 in student loans and almost $2,864 in credit card debt.

"Getting Rid of Credit Card Debt"
Baltimore Sun
June 12, 2005
Your credit card debt might look innocent enough today. The median balance for college students is $1,600, according to Nellie Mae's most recent National Student Loan Survey. But between the ages 25 and 34, the average balance mushrooms to $4,088, according to a 2004 report from Demos, a public-policy group in New York. Combined with fresh car loans, mortgages and student loans, that debt level easily can strain a young household's budget.

"Students Easy Targets for Credit Cards"
Texarkana Gazette
June 12, 2005
Young Americans between 25-34 years old have the second-highest rate of bankruptcy, according to a report released in 2004 by Demos, a nonpartisan research group. Part of this may be due to credit abuse by inexperienced consumers.

"Little Magazine, Big Ideas"
American Prospect
June 6, 2005
Scott Stossel and Joshua Green, now of The Atlantic, Jonathan Cohn of The New Republic, and David Callahan, author of three public-affairs books, also worked for the Prospect early in their careers.

"Help! My A.R.M. Is Moving"
The New York Times
June 4, 2005
As Javier Silva, senior research associate at Demos, a research and advocacy group, explained: "Prices have gone up so high that a lot of people can't afford to get into the market - so lenders have responded with these products," he said, stressing the popular loan world euphemism. Today, there are over a hundred of these multilayered products, many of them adjustable rate, he added, "but all they do is lower the monthly payment; they don't lower the cost of the mortgage."

"Who Says Cheaters Never Prosper?"
The London Free Press
June 1, 2005
Whether it's teenagers illegally downloading pop tunes, baseball players taking steroids, journalists making things up or politicians accepting kickbacks, Callahan says there's more cheating than ever -- particularly among the young, the wealthy and the well-educated.

"Old Dog, new (and nasty) tricks"
Savannah Morning News
May 28, 2005
The average credit card debt of those 65 and older in 2001 was about $4,000, an 89% increase since 1992, according to the public policy group Demos. Among those carrying credit card debt ages 55-64 moving toward retirement, almost one-third of their family income went to debt payments.

"Massive Review of Voting Laws Under Way"
Washington Post
May 26, 2005
The debate on voter ID is a clash between some people, many of them conservatives, who believe more restrictions are needed on voting and registration to rein in fraud, and others who think the process needs to be opened up to more voters, according to Miles Rapoport, who as secretary of state for Connecticut from 1995 to 1999 oversaw that state's election process.

"Young People Taking on More Debt"
Newshour with Jim Lehrer
May 25, 2005
Over the past decade, credit card debt among 18-24 year olds rose by 104 percent according to a report released by the nonprofit research organization Demos entitled "Generation Broke: The Growth of Debt Among Young Americans."

"Minority Report"
Cardweb
May 25, 2005
Demos concludes that any meaningful attempt to explain the widening debt gap between Latino and African-American families and their white counterparts must take into account the larger social, cultural and economic forces driving credit card debt.

"Committee Considers Same-Day Voter Registration"
The Barre Montpelier Times Argus
May 24, 2005
The worries are fraud and extra administrative burden on a busy day, said Ludovic Blain of Demos, a New York group that promotes Election Day registration and other reforms. He and other supporters of the change told the House Government Operations Committee that fraud wasn't any more likely with Election Day registration than under the current system.

"Appraisal Fraud: Your Home At Risk"
CNN Money
May 23, 2005
Appraisers, like auditors, are supposed to follow a strict standard of professional behavior, said David Callahan, senior fellow at the public policy organization Demos and author of a recent report about appraisal fraud. "What is actually happening is lenders and brokers are telling them what value they want," he said. "If [appraisers] don't play ball, they don't get paid or don't get work again."

"Mortgages Hot -- So Are Scams: Insiders, Not Borrowers, Called the Main Culprits"
The Mercury News
May 21, 2005
"This is just another area in American life where a boom, with all its money to be made, brought out the worst in us," Callahan said. "The carrots for cheating are getting bigger and even though the sticks are hitting harder, our watchdogs are asleep so it's easy to get away with things."

"Push is on to Crack Down on Appraisal Fraud"
The Seattle Times
May 21, 2005
"I don't think that anyone can assume that the appraised value of their home is based on reality," said research director David Callahan of Demos, a public-policy center in New York. "Appraisal fraud is so common that homeowners need to assume the opposite." Demos released a report about appraisal fraud in March, sparking intense discussion in the real-estate media.

"Harsh Reality Needed for Debt Loaded Young People"
Rockford Register Star
May 21, 2005
A NONPARTISAN PUBLIC policy group called Demos released a study last year called "Generation Broke: The Growth of Debt Among Young Americans." The study found that average credit card debt for adults age 24 to 34 was $4,088, a 55 percent increase between 1992 and 2001.

"'Ladder of Economic Opportunity is Broken' Letter to the Editor in response to 'The (Frugal) Graduate'"
USA Today
May 19, 2005
The following is an opinion piece published in the May 15, 2005 edition of USA Today that references Demos' research on credit card debt and young adults. In response to misleading and myopic representation of the research of Demos and others, EOP director Tamara Draut submitted a letter to the editor, which was published on May 19,2005. It is also included here.

"Debt-Loaded Message: Bankruptcy judge warns teens of credit card dangers"
The San Diego Union-Tribune
May 19, 2005
A recent study by Demos, a New York nonprofit research organization, found that credit card debt for people in the 18 to 24 age bracket climbed 104 percent between 1992 and 2001. The study also reported that 71 percent of the people in that age bracket carry credit card balances from month to month, compared with 55 percent of all cardholders.

"Credit Crunch"
Times Union
May 18, 2005
We live in an age when credit card debt has skyrocketed among young adults. It has risen 104 percent from 1992 to 2004 among 18- to 24-year-olds according to "Generation Broke: The Growth of Debt Among Young Americans," a report from Demos, a nonpartisan, nonprofit New York City-based research organization. With that in mind, the experts believe it's essential to teach young people the principles of sound financial management from an early age.

"Paying Off College Loans Means Laying Off the Luxuries"
St. Paul Pioneer Press
May 17, 2005
Forget the Jetta. Yes, the new model is darling. But the policy think tank Demos, which has been tracking the growth of debt among young Americans, estimates that for the average college grad, the monthly cost for a car, auto repairs, insurance and gas is $464 a month, the largest expense behind rent.

"The Generation Gap"
US News & World Report
May 16, 2005
"It's taking much longer for gen X-ers to achieve financial security, to get out of the roughand-tumble 20s into real financial stability on the path to savings," says Tamara Draut, director of the Economic Opportunity Program at Demos, a nonpartisan research group. "For a lot of young people, that's just not going to happen at all. They will still be living paycheck to paycheck well into their 40s, even at the upper end of the income spectrum."

"OverValued!"
Christian Science Monitor
May 9, 2005
"I don't think that anyone can assume that the appraised value of their home is based on reality. Appraisal fraud is so common that homeowners need to assume the opposite," says research director David Callahan of Demos, a public policy center. Demos released a report about appraisal fraud in March, sparking intense discussion in the real estate press.

"How to Negotiate with Credit Card Issuers"
North Lake Tahoe Bonanza
May 6, 2005
Most insurers now check for late payments in underwriting new businesses. Source: Demos, a New York public policy research group.

"Experts: Young People's Debt Skyrocketing"
ABC News
May 2, 2005
One example of the financial pinch: Student loan balances for the average college graduate were $18,900 in 2002, more than double the amount a decade earlier, even when adjusted for inflation, according to researchers at Demos, a nonpartisan public policy group. Their analysis of the most recent Federal Reserve data available also found that average credit card debt for adults age 24 to 34 was $4,088 in 2001, an increase of 55 percent since 1992.

"How To Protect Your Biggest Investment"
Consumer Report
May 1, 2005
A study by Demos found that 51 percent of households refinancing between 2001 and 2003 used home-equity loans to cover living expenses and pay down other debt such as credit-card debt.

"What Will Home Mortgage Borrowers Do When Boom Goes Bust?"
Daily Breeze.Com
May 1, 2005
The FDIC report says rising debt and growing reliance on subprime lending "are pushing homeowners -- and housing markets -- into uncharted territory." The subprime market allows buyers with damaged credit to borrow money at higher interest rates than conventional loans require. Demos, a public-policy advocacy group, characterizes the situation as "a house of cards."

"Creating early bird investors"
Washington Examiner
April 27, 2005
The average American between 25 and 34 owed $4,088 to credit card companies in 2001, according to Demos, a New York-based public policy group.

"Think Tank Report Paints Picture of Mortgage Appraisal Fraud"
Mortgage Daily News
April 27, 2005
Demos is a research institute based in New York City. Billed as a "network for ideas and action" they publish, on a regular basis, tracts and commentaries on a widely divergent series of topics - economic, political, and "other." Among its more recent publications are Households at Risk - the Bankruptcy "Reform" Bill and its Impact on American Families; Making Voting Easier - Election Day Registration in New York; and Swing & Miss - The Linkage Between Steroids in Baseball and the Rising Inequality in Our-Winner-Take-All Society.

"GENERATION IOU: Credit card Debt and College Loans are Creating Financial Hardship for Many of Today's Young Working Women"
Chicago Tribune
April 27, 2005
In a briefing paper titled "Generation Broke: The Growth of Debt Among Young Americans," New York policy group Demos said adults younger than 25 who have debt spend 30 percent of their income making the payments, double the percentage for this age group in 1992.

"Appraisal Fraud: A Need To Sort Out The Victims From The Perps?"
Mortgage News Daily
April 25, 2005
Recently Demos, a New York City based think tank, issued a "briefing paper" titled How Widespread Appraisal Fraud Puts Homeowners at Risk. The introduction to the paper, written by David Callahan says in part: While many U.S. households have benefited from the recent rise in real estate prices, homeowners who have bought at record high prices are vulnerable to a fall in property values that could leave them owing more on their mortgage than their home is worth.

"Preaching to the Heartland"
Tulsa World (Oklahoma)
April 23, 2005
"There is a lot of this all over the place, and Americans in all different walks of life are cutting corners to get ahead," Callahan said. In his book, "The Cheating Culture: Why More Americans Are Doing Wrong to Get Ahead," Callahan explores causes behind the problem.

"Cheating Rampant, Huntsman Says"
Desert Morning News
April 17, 2005
David Callahan, author of "The Cheating Culture: Why More Americans Are Doing Wrong to Get Ahead," chronicles rising numbers of people - not just in business - willing to cheat on their taxes, embellish resumes or lie to their auto insurance company about a claim.

"Mortgage Fraud Scams Costs Millions of Dollars Each Year"
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
April 17, 2005
"It's a shameful sign of our times," said David Callahan, research director at the public policy group Demos in New York, and Tim Doyle, director in government affairs for the Mortgage Bankers Association. "This is just another area in American life where a boom, with all its money to be made, brought out the worst in us," Callahan said. "The carrots for cheating are getting bigger and even though the sticks are hitting harder, our watchdogs are asleep so it's easy to get away with things."

"More Seniors Are Saying 'Charge It'"v
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
April 17, 2005
Like the Carmans, more seniors are heading into retirement still paying down mortgages or taking out home-equity loans. Roughly 30 percent of seniors now owe on their homes, compared with 20 percent in 1980, according to the Demos organization, a New York-based public policy group.

"Bankruptcy filing to get thornier"
The Arizona Republic
April 15, 2005
For Americans buried under a mound of debt, getting a new start will be more difficult under a bankruptcy reform bill that President Bush is expected to sign by next week.

"New Debt Law Punishes the Sick"
NYC Indymedia.org
April 12, 2005
While bill sponsor Senator Chuck Grassley (RIowa) claims that the recent growth of bankruptcies is due to "irresponsible consumerism," Tamara Draut of the economic policy group Demos disagrees. She attributes the growth in bankruptcies - over 1.5 million personal bankruptcies in 2004 - to a weak job market, rising tuitions and healthcare expenses.

"Mortgage Fraud Takes Heavy Toll"
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
April 10, 2005
"This is just another area in American life where a boom, with all its money to be made, brought out the worst in us," said Callahan. "The carrots for cheating are getting bigger, and even though the sticks are hitting harder, our watchdogs are asleep, so it's easy to get away with things."

"Scrimp, Save, Survive"
Daily Press
April 10, 2005
The average credit card debt among Americans over age 65 nearly doubled between 1992 and 2001, to more than $4,000, according to a 2004 report by Demos, a public policy group in New York.

"Financial Literacy and Kids"
Christian Science Monitor
April 9, 2005
The numbers speak for themselves. Young adults have the second highest rate of bankruptcy and are more likely to file for bankruptcy than baby boomers were at the same age, according to a recent bankruptcy study by the nonprofit group Demos.

"For Lenders, Good Times About To Roll"
Houston Chronicle
April 9, 2005
We are told it's about responsibility. Not theirs, ours. That's why this week the House is likely to approve the bankruptcy reform bill, a sloppy wet kiss to the credit card industry, which has been backing the measure for almost a decade. President Bush has promised a warm embrace when the bill reaches his desk. Call it the No Lender Left Behind Act

"Retirees Getting Snared In Credit Card Bind"
World News Tonight - ABC News
April 9, 2005
Older Americans' Debts Mounting as They Reach Retirement Age

"54-Page Review: House Judiciary Democrats' dissent from bankruptcy bill"
The Raw Story
April 5, 2005
Recently, Demos: A Network for Ideas and Action, released a study contradicting the assumptions of this bill's proponents. The Demos study showed how the amount of credit card debt per person has risen in the last 10 years. The study also showed how the increase in senior citizens filing for bankruptcy has been the greatest of any age group over the years.

"Demos: Mortgage Fraud A Threat"
The Housing Bubble Blog
March 29, 2005
If you haven't seen the Demos web site, this report is a good introduction. Titled "Widespread Mortagage Fraud Threatens America's Homeowners", the non-partisan group does a stellar job in pointing out misdealings in public policy.

"City Devotees Hunt for Room to Grow Builder of 3 - Bedroom Units Banking on Young Families"
The Boston Globe
March 25, 2005
And at the same time that housing prices are rising, many young adults are still paying off student loans and struggling to save up a down payment for a home purchase, noted Tamara Draut, a program director at Demos, a New York research group, and the author of an upcoming book about young adults titled "Strapped."

"Seniors drowning in credit card debt"
Boston Herald
March 21, 2005
Seniors and aging baby boomers are struggling with growing credit card debt - and experts expect the numbers to rise as retirement funds fall short and the cost of living spirals ever higher.

"Is big mortgage debt a threat?"
San Diego Union Tribune
March 20, 2005
The highly competitive home-mortgage industry may be setting up consumers to fail when the current housing boom ends, economic analysts and public policy advocates warn.

"Credit Card Companies Target Students"
The Technician
March 16, 2005
An offer from a credit card company promising low interest rate credit accounts is a familiar item in the mail for most college students. Prudent students quickly toss these tempting propositions away. Others find themselves lured in by assurances this card can only improve your life, not destroy it by forcing you into debt at a young age.

"Free-spending Young Adults Buried Under Mountains of Debt"
Sun Sentinel
March 14, 2005
They are both members of an age group that is racking up debt at an alarming pace -- faster, sooner and more deeply than in previous years and previous generations, federal and private foundation studies show. And their ranks are particularly common in South Florida, local officials say, thanks to soaring housing prices, sluggish salary growth, lack of insurance and credit card debt above the U.S. average.

"Teens Talk Fads, Fashions, Credit"
Philadelphia Inquirer
March 14, 2005
These kids don't know what will hit them. Virtually every college student now carries a credit card, which partly reflects how essential the cards have become to everyday life. But not all their effects are benign. Three-quarters of 18- to 24-year-olds carry balances from month to month, at interest rates than can range up to 30 percent, according to a recent study by Demos, a public-policy research group.

"Banking On The House"
New Jersey.com
March 13, 2005
The Lardieris joined a growing number of homeowners who borrow against their home equity, taking advantage of low interest rates and soaring home values. And lenders have streamlined the process, making it cheaper and easier to cash in on a home's value by taking out a home equity loan or line of credit.

"Equity Loans Booming"
Cincinatti Enquirer
March 12, 2005
But some consumer advocates aren't pleased about the trend. A recent study released by New York-based advocacy group Demos said the wave of borrowing is eroding the ownership stakes, or equity, of homeowners.

"Bankruptcy Bill Said to Hit Poorest Americans Hardest"
One World
March 11, 2005
"Families are borrowing to make ends meet, and they're one missed paycheck away from collapse," said Tamara Draut, director of the economic opportunity program at Demos, a think tank.

"Americans 65+ Have Low Net Worth and Income Dependent Largely on Social Security a Growing Population of 36 Million That Will Continue to Expand"
DB News Hartford
March 9, 2005
The MetLife Mature Market Institute Demographic Profile of Americans 65+ shows an aging population of 36 million people, some with few assets and relatively low income; 10% live below the poverty line.

"It's The Economy, Stupid"
GW Hatchet
March 7, 2005
Now a whole new generation is entering their 20s and following a similar trajectory. Traditional milestones of adulthood - leaving home, finding financial stability, getting married and having children - are not achieved until they are almost 30, and growing evidence suggests economics play a major role.

"The Economics of Education"
Hawaii Business
March 1, 2005
According to the consumer advocacy group Demos, from 1992 to 2001, the youngest adults (18 to 24 years old) saw the sharpest rise in credit-card debt-104 percent-to an average of $2,985. The second-highest increase-55 percent-was among young adults (25 to 34 years old), who also had the second highest bankruptcy rate, just after those ages 35 to 44.

"Federal Vote Panel's Hearings Not Public Enough, Group Says"
Cleveland Plain Dealer
February 22, 2005
Ohio Citizen Action wants a federal elections panel to put the "public" back in "public hearing." The activist group questioned on Monday why public testimony won't be taken at Wednesday's meeting of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission. Instead, citizens were invited to submit their comments by e-mail.

"Home Values Rise, But Equity Decreases"
The Post-Standard
February 20, 2005
Average U.S. home values have risen somewhere between 38 percent and 45 percent in five years, depending on whose numbers you believe. Clearly, in either case, just by living in their homes during that period, homeowners should have improved their financial security. But they haven't, according to a recent report by Demos, a nonpartisan public policy organization in New York City.

"Pay Dirt: Don't Bet The House On A Whim"
Star Tribune
February 17, 2005
Javier Silva, senior research associate with public policy and advocacy group Demos, found that the "majority of households has used the equity [in their homes] to pay for living expenses and pay down credit-card debt."

"Will Housing Prices Pop?"
CNN/Money
February 9, 2005
Experts debate if the housing market is an overinflated bubble, or a strong seller's market.

"Election officials work on making changes"
SF Gate
February 7, 2005
Flaw-proof election machines. Easy-to-read ballots. Registration systems that catch double-voters or dead voters still on the rolls. For top state election officials meeting here, the pressure is on to make sure the election changes demanded after President Bush's disputed 2000 victory are in place by the Jan. 1 deadline imposed by Congress.

"The Home Equity House of Cards"
Sun-Sentinel
February 6, 2005
She has plenty of company in borrowing against her home. Between 1973 and 2004, homeowners' equity -- the value of a house minus the total due on the mortgage -- fell from 68.3 percent to 55 percent, according to Demos, a nonpartisan public policy think tank in New York. In other words, Americans own less of their homes today than they did 30 years ago.

"Pair needs to get handle on debt from credit cards, loans"
The Sacramento Bee
February 4, 2005
If there's any comfort, a lot of parents are worried about the debt loads that their children face. In fact, a study by the Demos consumer group based in New York has found that the average credit card debt among those aged 25 to 34 had grown to more than $4,000.

"Debt Games Could Sink Homeowners"
St. Petersburg Times
January 19, 2005
Senior Policy Associate Javier Silva examines the new financial insecurities created as more Americans refinance their homes.

"Younger Americans Going Deeper into Debt"
Bankrate.com
January 17, 2005
Gen Xers yearn to carve a new direction for society. Unfortunately, the direction appears to be straight into debt. Americans between the ages of 25 and 34 now boast the second-highest rate of bankruptcy, just behind the 35-44 group. The average credit card debt for this group increased by 55 percent between 1992 and 2001, with the average young adult household now spending approximately 24 percent of its income on debt payments. Really want to worry? Take a peek at these findings from the Generation Broke report put out by social activist group Demos, using the Federal Reserve Board's survey of consumer finances.

"Staking Your House to Pay Off Debt"
Delaware Online
January 17, 2005
Some consumer advocates aren't pleased about this trend. A study released last week by New York-based advocacy group Demos said the wave of borrowing is eroding the ownership stakes, or equity, of homeowners. Americans own less of their homes today than they did in the 1970s or 1980s, according to Demos, which estimated that the average American homeowner's equity has fallen from 68.3 percent in 1973 to 55 percent in 2004.

"Big Loans Construct a House of Cards"
Kansas City Star
January 16, 2005
"If home values bust, many of these homeowners will be devastated," said Javier Silva, author of a new report, "A House of Cards: Refinancing the American Dream," released this month by Demos, a New York-based nonpartisan public policy organization.

"Too Much Home Equity Hurts Owners?"
Home Equity Wire
January 15, 2005
Homeowners are increasingly tapping in to their home equity to pay for their lifestyles, thereby jeopardizing their American dream of homeownership, according to Demos, a New York based public policy agency.

"Your view of '04 hinges on your vantage point"
The Kansas City Star
January 9, 2005
The bankruptcy bill, stuck in conference committee in 2004, is expected to gain momentum in 2005. "It's an extremely bad bill for consumers, and a very beneficial bill for the industry," said Tamara Draut, spokeswoman for Demos, a nonprofit public interest group.

"Spiritual Shortcuts"
Christianity Today
January 5, 2005
Forget the flu. From Wall Street to Main Street, from academia to the locker room, America's greatest epidemic may be cheating.

"Tuition Inflation Spurs Calls for Congressional Action"
CBS Market Watch
January 5, 2005
With college costs running as high as $40,000 a year, House and Senate education committees have tuition control on their to-do lists.

"For Some, Student Loans Become Heavy Burden"
Boston Globe
January 4, 2005
"The bachelor's degree has become the new high school degree," said Tamara Draut of Demos, the New York-based think tank.

"Getting an"F" in Real-Life Finances"
Fort Worth Star Telegram
January 3, 2005
Financial-aid directors at UT-Arlington and the University of North Texas at Denton said many students pay tuition with credit cards.

"Report Shows Pitfalls of Credit Card Use"
Epoch Times
January 3, 2005
A group of New York City councilmembers released a report last week highlighting the pitfalls of credit card use.

"Young Adults Sinking Into Debt"
News Herald
January 3, 2005
Tuition, student loans, credit card payments and living expenses add up.

"The Price of Character: Too High to Pay?"
Mercury News
December 28, 2004
In David Callahan's "The Cheating Culture," he illustrates how Americans have cut corners to get ahead. It is our culture of performance and pleasure, he writes, that "creates the tax evader, the resume fabricator, the digital file swappers . . . and the romantic cheaters."

"Credit Card Debt the Downside to Christmas for Many"
KSL TV
December 21, 2004
A recent associated press poll found young adults and those who make less than $25,000 a year were most likely to doubt their own ability to manage credit card costs. The average indebted adult between 25 and 34 spends nearly 25 cents of every dollar earned on debt payments, according to the Demos report.

"ESL Voter Fraud Probe: What Brings U.S. Into It?; Credible Evidencequot;
Belleville News-Democrat
December 12, 2004
To Steve Carbo, a spokesman for Demos, a nonpartisan think tank in New York City, the investigation in East St. Louis looks consistent with U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft's Voter Integrity Program, a nationwide campaign to stamp out vote fraud -- but also like a campaign fueled by a "very partisan agenda," Carbo said.

"Election Day Registration Paid Off"
United Press International
December 8, 2004
Demos, a non-partisan election reform group, said higher voter turnout, especially among youth, reversed a decades-old trend of low electoral participation. The group said about 120 million voted in the Nov. 2 election, an increase of 15 million voters from 2000.

"Groups Seek to Address Voting Troubles"
The New York Times
December 8, 2004
Steve Carbo, director of the Democracy Program, said voters should be allowed to cast provisional votes even if they vote in the wrong precinct, a practice many states now forbid. He also urged poll workers to be better trained on the use of provisional ballots.

"A Checklist for Generation Broke"
The Stuart News
December 5, 2004
For young adults, it's sometimes easier to avoid personal finance issues and adopt a "pay-as-you-go" attitude. After all, you're only on the way up, right? Worry about planning later.

"Student Loans, Credit Cards Pose Debt Threat to the Young"
American Banker
December 1, 2004
A combination of escalating student loan and credit-card debt, rising costs, slow wage growth and underemployment have accumulated debt "unmatched in modern history" undermining the economic security and financial health of young Americans aged 18-34, according to a new study.

"A generation weighed down by debt"
Christian Science Monitor, MSN Money
November 29, 2004
"These young adults are doing everything society tells them to do," says Tamara Draut, coauthor of a new study, "Generation Broke: The Growth of Debt Among Young Americans," published by Demos, a public-policy group in New York. "They're going to college, taking on tremendous student-loan debt, and working longer hours than ever before while in college. When they get in the real world, they can't get ahead because of the debt they went into to get the degree to get the good job."

"Generation Broke: Just starting out and already behind"
Chicago Tribune
November 28, 2004
"This is the first generation to truly shoulder the cost of education through loans rather than grants," said Tamara Draut, director of economic opportunity programs for New York-based Demos. "And the problem with a debt-for-diploma system is that it discourages a lot of people from finishing or even enrolling in four-year colleges."

"Generation Broke: New Grads Bear Heavy Load"
St. Petersburg Times
November 22, 2004
"This is as bad as it has been for young adults - absolutely," says Tamara Draut, who works for the Demos USA think tank in New York and recently analyzed the financial plight of young Americans.

"Bankruptcy Judge Takes Novel Approach in Warning Young People of Debt's Dangers"
The Washington Post
November 18, 2004
America's population of young adults are slipping into a downward debt spiral, according to Demos, a nonpartisan, nonprofit New York-based research organization. Demos recently released a report called "Generation Broke: The Growth of Debt Among Young Americans."

"Give Credit Where It's Due"
Nashua Telegraph
November 14, 2004
I settled on one of my favorite topics: debt. Not the national debt; rather, personal debt. And not anyone's personal debt; the personal debt of Generations X and Y.

"Progressive Incubators"
Tom Paine
November 11, 2004
For progressives, the 2004 election may feel like a brick wall. For at least the next two years, and more likely four years, progressives will be firmly blocked from enacting any decent policies at the federal level.

"Democratic Dysfunction"
San Fransisco Bay Guardian
November 10, 2004
Thousands of voters were disenfranchised by technical problems and official incompetence.

"Nation Had Its Share of Voting Problems"
South Coast Today
November 9, 2004
Although legal battles reminiscent of the 2000 election debacle did not surface in the aftermath of last Tuesday's presidential election, a handful of voting watch groups warn that the country should not rest easy.

"Generation Broke"
Pioneer Press
November 8, 2004
"One in five significantly changed their career plans because of student loans, nearly 40 percent delayed buying a home, and 20 percent reported their debt burden caused them to postpone having children," says researcher Tamara Draut, who conducted a study of 18 to 34-year-olds for Demos USA, a New York think tank.

"Debt Crushing Young Adults"
Akron Beacon Journal
November 7, 2004
It's not a pretty economic picture for many of today's adults under 34. Younger Americans are crushed with economic debt as a result of slow wage growth, underemployment, rising costs and mounting student loan and credit card debt, according to a new study by Demos, a nonpartisan public policy group.

"Taking Credit for Being Part of the Family"
Los Angeles Times
November 6, 2004
So it seems that the credit lifestyle has not only been passed down to a new generation, it's more out of control than ever because it's starting at a younger age.

"Miles Rapoport on Counterspin"
FAIR
November 5, 2004
This week on CounterSpin: Long lines of people waiting to vote, many giving up and going home; shortages of provisional ballots, registered voters who found their names weren't on the rolls, last-minute polling site changes, and don't forget those electronic voting machines.

"Miles to Go"
The Brian Lehrer Show - WNYC
November 5, 2004
Miles Rapoport President of the think tank Demos and former Connecticut Secretary of State says Ohio illustrates the need for sweeping voting reform

"Credit Card Come-ons Snare Young in Growing Debt"
Kansas City
November 4, 2004
My daughter is married and no longer lives with us. But we still get junk mail from credit card banks luring her into the buy-now, pay-later society.

"Minor Problems, Record Turnout Reported at Polls"
Washington Times
November 3, 2004
State election officials and watchdog groups yesterday reported scattered but minor problems at polls nationwide and said they expected turnout, which caused long waits in several jurisdictions, to break records.

"Election 'Smoother' Than Expected"
The Washington Times
November 3, 2004
Less than 24 hours after the polls closed, most election specialists and watchdog groups monitoring the 2004 presidential election cited long lines as the biggest problem affecting voters, and were unable to identify any major problems associated with voting systems.

"Voters Take Over as Hard-Fought Campaign Ends"
The Albuquerque Tribune
November 2, 2004
One of the longest and most vicious presidential campaigns in the annals of the republic finally lurches to a close today as Americans head to the polls, perhaps in record numbers, to choose the next leader of a deeply divided country.

"Flurry of Activity Greets Election Day"
Knoxville News Sentinel
November 2, 2004
One of the longest and most vicious presidential campaigns in the annals of the republic finally lurches to a close Tuesday as Americans head to the polls, perhaps in record numbers, to choose the next leader of a deeply divided country.

"Record Voter Turnout Predicted: Day of Reckoning Arrives at Last"
San Francisco Chronicle
November 2, 2004
Democrats say they have 10,000 lawyers in the field. Republicans say they're monitoring 30,000 polling places around the nation for signs of fraud. A new federal election law leaves key terms undefined. The nation is split down the middle, with any of a dozen too-close-to-call states holding the key to victory.

"Blocking the Black Vote in Jacksonville"
AlterNet
November 2, 2004
Florida Republicans in Jacksonville have been busy compiling and disseminating lists that many believe will be used to challenge minority voters today.

"Election Day 2004"
Democracy Now!
November 2, 2004
Today is D-Day, Election Day 2004. The polls are open and millions are lining up to cast their votes in an election that many feel is the most important of their lifetime. With fears of a repeat of the 2000 election, the eyes of the nation focus on the simplest of issues: The right to vote.

"Gen-X in Financial Trouble"
The Motley Fool
November 2, 2004
Just before Halloween, a public policy group called Demos released a scary report titled, "Generation Broke: The Growth of Debt Among Younger Americans."

"Glitches Thwart Some S.C. Voters"
Miami Herald
November 2, 2004
Technical glitches with voting machines and disputes over poll watching caused delays and frustrated some voters at precincts across South Carolina.

"Fighting for the Right to Vote"
Democracy Now!
November 2, 2004
Democracy Now! speaks with Ralph Neas president of the People for the American Way Foundation and Barbara Arnwine executive director of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.

"Analysis: Poll Watchers Top Wildcard"
United Press International
November 1, 2004
As both Democrats and Republicans prepare for battle Tuesday, there is the potential for a myriad of problems in the national election that could make the 2000 Florida presidential recount look like a cakewalk.

"Don't Imitate Government's Massive Debt"
Charlotte Observer
October 31, 2004
$7.4 trillion deficit is no excuse for consumers to pile up the red ink.

"It's Time to Keep an Eye on Debt"
Kansas City Star
October 31, 2004
Feeling clueless about where the economy is going and worried how your finances are holding up? You're not alone. Mixed messages are everywhere.

"It's Time to Vote. But Will We?"
NY Times
October 31, 2004
There was an electricity on Election Days in Connecticut in the 1950's and 60's. Each city's wards buzzed with news of who had voted and who had to be called to remind them to vote, said Bill Donohue, a 69-year-old New Haven resident.

"Democrats, Republicans Trade Charges on Voters"
The Washington Times
October 30, 2004
Democrats in Florida yesterday accused Republicans of already having a list of nearly 15,000 voters that Republican poll watchers will challenge on Election Day, while Democrats in Ohio won a court victory when a federal judge halted efforts by the state Republican Party to obtain hearings on challenges to thousands of voter registrations.

"Fraud By Voters Is Rare"
Tom Paine
October 29, 2004
Voter fraud is at most a minor problem across the 50 U.S. states, and does not affect election outcomes, according to a new study by Demos.

"Chads Passé, Provisional Ballot is In"
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
October 29, 2004
If no winner is declared on Election Day, the cause probably won't be voting machine glitches, dangling chads or confusing butterfly ballots.

"Not All Voters Get a V.I.P. Pass"
AlterNet
October 29, 2004
As America seeks to spread its enviable brand of democracy around the world, it would do us well to cut down our velvet ropes here at home.

"The Electoral Twilight Zone"
The Mercury News
October 28, 2004
Polling-Place Chills: Lawyers Already in the Wings as This Disturbing ELection Drama is About to Unfold

"Auditors Warn of Risks in Out-of-Precinct Voting"
Des Moines Register
October 28, 2004
Allowing Iowans to vote in the wrong precinct Nov. 2 could do more harm than good because their votes might not ultimately be counted, county auditors argued Wednesday in a court hearing.

"Protecting the Vote in Arizona"
The Nation
October 28, 2004
The problem, explains Ari Weisbard of Demos-USA , a nonpartisan group that has been on top of potential 2004 snafus, is that thirty states and DC--60 percent of the electorate--will throw out provisional ballots if they are cast in the wrong precinct; ten states will throw them out if ID isn't presented.

"Voters Fear Repeat of 2000 Election"
The San Francisco Chronicle
October 27, 2004
Poll shows 6 of 10 believe there won't be a winner Nov. 3 in presidential race. Features commentary by Demos President Miles Rapoport.

"Republicans Threaten Lawsuit Over Voter Registration Issue"
Des Moines Register
October 27, 2004
Controversy over Iowa's election laws heated up this morning when Republicans threatened to file a lawsuit and called for Iowa Secretary of State Chet Culver's resignation, just eight days before Election Day.

"Get Ready for a Messy Election Day"
Capital Hill Blue
October 27, 2004
Long lines, malfunctioning machines and dueling lawyers could turn next week's U.S. presidential election and its aftermath into a disorderly and even chaotic experience, political analysts said on Tuesday.

"Generation X Now Generation Debt"
CBS Marketwatch
October 27, 2004
Thanks to mushrooming college tuition and what's been called predatory marketing by credit-card companies, young people are ruining their credit histories before they've had a shot at building their wealth.

"Early, Big Debt: It's in the Cards"
Philadelphia Inquirer
October 26, 2004
To the recent graduates and college students of Generation X and Generation Y, easy credit has too often proved to be a slippery slope, with financial disaster at the bottom.

"What Congress Should Do"
New York Times Editorial
October 24, 2004
When the dust settles from this year's election, Congress should begin drafting a new, comprehensive election reform law that includes the following... Read this story online at nytimes.com/makingvotescount.

"Boomers Trying to Stay Afloat"
Desert Morning News
October 23, 2004
The first wave of baby boomers is drifting toward retirement, but many boomers are ill-prepared for the financial rapids that await them.

"The Daily Reckoning"
Howe Street
October 14, 2004
Survival debt... credit cards pick up the slack for household budgets.

"BBB Speaker Gives Views on American Ethics"
The Roakoke Times
October 13, 2004
The hotel ballroom was a far cry from a honky-tonk, but there was an awful lot of talk about cheating.

"Charging Groceries: The Worst Kind of Debt"
MSN Money
October 13, 2004
A whopping balance used to be evidence of a shopping frenzy or luxurious trip. Now, we're paying the rent with plastic. Survival debt is a bad, bad sign.

"State to Search Out Felon Voters"
Rocky Mountain News
October 12, 2004
Secretary of State Donetta Davidson on Monday said she will comb through three state databases and create a fourth to flag the more than 6,000 felons on Colorado voting rolls.

"Vote By Poor May Skyrocket This Year"
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
October 12, 2004
As the resident dean of the Crest Mobile Home Park in North Seattle, Wayne Nelson knows plenty of families struggling to keep food on the table. Voting can seem like a pretty useless exercise when there's a stack of unpaid bills on the kitchen table; he knows that from his own years of supporting a family on a cabdriver's wages.

"Protecting Poor People's Right to Vote"
National Civic Review
September 22, 2004
Imagine a country with a separate voter registration system for poor people. A country that neglects this registration system for the poor so severely that in most areas fewer than one out of ten unregistered citizens actually use it. A country that so disregards the plight of its low-income citizens that their disenfranchisement -- and the attendant political disregard for the needs of the poor -- is rarely, if ever, reported. If you are an American citizen, look around -- it's your country.

"Voter Drive Idles at Agencies"
The Oregonian
September 13, 2004
Activists say the state isn't doing enough to comply with a federal registration law, but agency leaders say efforts are increasing

"Felons Face Tougher Rules to Regain Right to Vote"
The Courier-Journal
September 6, 2004
Concerned that past governors had restored voting rights to felons too easily, Gov. Ernie Fletcher has given prosecutors unprecedented power to reject applications.

"Agency to Do More to Register Voters"
Associated Press
September 6, 2004
The Department of Human Resources says it will take a more active role in complying with a 1993 federal law that requires it to make voter registration easier.

"OWE NO! Increasing Numbers of Seniors Finding Themselves in Debt"
Ocean City Observer
August 25, 2004
Demos, a New York research and advocacy organization, recently noticed a marked increase in accrued debt among seniors. The generation that was noted for its frugality is now accumulating debt at an alarming rate.

"Older Americans Take on More Debt and Pay Dearly"
Associated Press
July 6, 2004
An increasing number of older Americans find themselves deep in credit card debt or even filing for bankruptcy.

"Rights Groups Steadfast in Challenge to NYS Felon Disfranchisement"
New York Beacon
June 30, 2004
The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF), the Community Service Society (CSS), and the Center for Law and Social Justice (CLSJ), co-counsel in Hayden v. Pataki, pledged to stand strong in their effort to restore the voting rights of New York's disfranchised Black and Latino prisoners and parolees despite an adverse decision from a federal court in New York.

"Business Rascals Have It Easier"
Hartford Courant
June 22, 2004
Anytime a rascal is caught with a hand in the cookie jar and ousted from office, a fresh feeling of cleanliness envelops folks who care about reform.

"Retiring debt"
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
April 2, 2004
In a report titled Retiring in the Red, Demos said that seniors are spending an average of $3,526 a year in out-of-pocket health care costs -- much of it with credit cards. "Most are using plastic to plug the hole between income and costs," said Tamara Draut, one of the study's authors.

"More retirees in the red, not the pink"
Christian Science Monitor
March 24, 2004
Their financial plight mirrors the challenges other older Americans are facing. A sobering new report by Demos, a public policy group in New York, finds that between 1992 and 2001, the average credit-card debt among Americans over age 65 nearly doubled to $4,041.

"The Ambition Tax"
The Village Voice
March 17, 2004
Why America's young are being crushed by debt- and why no one seems to care. First in a new series, "Generation Debt: The New Economics of Being Young". foreclosure. "When we look at the median cost of housing, it used to be 30 years ago that a teacher could purchase a home on their own salary," says Tamara Draut, director of the Economic Opportunity Program at Demos. "Nowadays, it's hard for two teachers to purchase a home on their combined salaries."

"Seniors are saying, 'Put it on the plastic'"
Baltimore Sun
March 17, 2004
The average credit card debt reported by those over age 65 in 2001 was $4,041, an 89 percent increase from 1992, a recent analysis of Fed data by Demos, a New York public policy group, showed. More startling is the rise in debt among the newly retired, ages 65 to 69, whose card balances averaged $5,844, a 217 percent increase over the decade, stated a Demos report, Retiring in the Red. The study adjusted the Fed numbers for inflation.

"Under the Crush of Debt"
The Dallas Morning News
March 13, 2004
Many seniors are in the same predicament. A recent study by Demos, a nonprofit public policy organization, found that one in five middle- to low-income seniors spent more than 40 percent of their fixed incomes on debt payments. They will all have to figure out ways to come up with the extra money to for the payments if rates rise. "As interest rates rise, we're going to see more and more people succumb to financial ruin," said Tamara Draut, director of the economic opportunity program at Demos.

"The Credit Card Trap for Older Americans"
Newsday
March 13, 2004
Conventional wisdom suggests the older generation is financially experienced and cautious about taking on debt. But, says report co-author Tamara Draut, "As older Americans face shrinking income and savings, just one unexpected expense - an illness, hospitalization or even a repair to a home - can start a vicious cycle." Seniors faced with borrowing more or going without, often choose the latter at the expense of their health.

"The Senior Debt Crisis"
SmartMoney.com
March 11, 2004
longer. "Credit-card debt is becoming common among older Americans in the same way it's common among all other age groups," says Tamara Draut, a director at Demos, a New York-based research and advocacy company, and co-author of a recent study on credit-card-debt trends among retirees. According to the study, nearly one-third of senior citizens in the U.S. carry card balances. Within that group, the average debt is $4,041  an 89% increase over the past decade.

"Older and Poorer"
Cleveland Plain Dealer
March 5, 2004
They are known as a generation used to paying cash, but now some seniors are barely surviving on credit.

"Bankruptcy "Reform" Could Punish Elderly"
MSN Money
March 5, 2004
Second, read a new report from Demos, a New York-based public policy research group. It found a frightening increase in credit card debt among older Americans. "Conventional wisdom suggests that this segment of the population -- with lifetimes of financial experience, an over 80% homeownership rate and a generational ethos of thrift -- would be immune to the record debt increases of the 1990s," the report notes.

"Family Debt Closer To Crisis Than Greenspan Suggests"
Hartford Courant
February 24, 2004
Speaking of credit cards, the all-important debt ratio - the measure Greenspan used to confer a clean bill of health on household finances - only includes minimum payments on credit card debt, not average monthly payments. If you pay the typical minimum every month on a $10,000 balance, at 18 percent interest, it will take you 56 years to check that debt off your list, according to a September 2003 report by Demos, a New York-based policy group.

"A cheating society only cheats itself"
Fresno Bee
February 24, 2004
Yet while nearly everyone cheats a little, few people feel good about it. Callahan, research director of the public advocacy and policy group Demos, says widespread cheating is a "real trouble sign."

"More Seniors Are Piling Up Debt"
Wall Street Journal
February 18, 2004
Demos, a nonpartisan group that studies election overhauls and economic security, says its study also suggests that the economic gaps among senior citizens are widening, with lower-income seniors taking on more debt, while higher-income seniors are reducing their debt burden. The study, "Retiring in the Red," is expected to be released today.

"El voto preso en Nueva York"
El Diario
February 4, 2004
"Cada vez que te llevas un autobús cargado de gente de nuestras comunidades, latina o afroamericana, también te llevas un autobús cargado de votos, y eso hace a la comunidad más débil e incapaz de participar en el proceso político", explica Hayden.

"Votos presos: el poder fantasma"
El Diario
February 2, 2004
Al reflexionar sobre la próxima elección presidencial, Joseph "Jazz" Hayden asegura: "Cuando veo esta elección y miro a los candidatos: Bush en una mano y los demócratas en otra, lo que veo son dos cabezas en el mismo cuerpo y no una elección real, una elección que pueda traer un cambio para la gente que se encuentra abajo de la pirámide".

"The Long Road Home to Ownership"
ColorsNW Magazine
February 1, 2004
For many people of color, home ownership represents a dream deferred. High prices and the legacy of racism have made it so. Ludovic Blain of the Democracy Program is interviewed and quoted.

"Strapped and Trapped"
South Bend Tribune
January 18, 2004
Consumer debt is at an all-time high, but reliable counseling is hard to find. Quotes heavily from the Demos report, "Borrowing to Make Ends Meet."

"Getting Out of Debt Gets Tougher"
Kansas City Star
January 8, 2004
While an improving economy has helped some consumers, job losses and flattened wages are combining to bury others under mountains of debt. Prominently quotes Tamara Draut of the Demos Economic Opportunity program.

"Escaping the debt net"
Tuscon Citizen
January 5, 2004
As a country, our collective credit card debt nearly tripled, rising from $238 billion in 1989 to $692 billion in 2001, according a report, "Borrowing to Make Ends Meet: The Growth of Credit Card Debt in the '90s," by Demos, a New York-based policy research and advocacy group. During the same time period, Demos reported, per-household credit card debt ascended 53 percent, from $2,697 to $4,126.

"The Cheating Culture: An Interview with David Callahan"
Salon.com
December 22, 2003
David Callahan explains to Salon.com's Heather Havrilesky why Americans lie more now than they did in the '50s, '60s or '70s.

"The Last Disenfranchised Class"
The Nation
November 23, 2003
Voting rights for ex-prisoners will be the next US suffrage movement, as lawyers, prison advocates, voting rights groups and foundations have recently begun to join forces and take up the cause. Features the case of Hayden vs. Pataki, whose lead plantiff, Joseph Hayden, also runs the NYC Unlock the Block campaign for Demos.

"Group Targets High Credit Card Fees"
Des Moines Register
November 2, 2003
An article about Demos's proposal to re-instate usury laws, drawing on local case studies and the Demos report "Borrowing to Make Ends Meet."

"Families Look to Credit Cards to Make Ends Meet"
Consumer Bankruptcy News
October 31, 2003
Succint summary of the key arguments of "Borrowing to Make Ends Meet," reported for bankruptcy lawyers in an industry news source.

"The Great American Burden"
The Baltimore Sun
September 28, 2003
"A new report shows rapid growth in families' debt from credit cards." Profiles "Borrowing to Make Ends Meet" and gives an in-depth treatment of the modern history of credit cards.

"Credit card debt plagues poorer folks"
Sacramento Bee
September 14, 2003
The average American family experienced a 53 percent increase in credit card debt since the first survey in 1989, and the balances just keep getting higher, Draut says.