We work to develop, protect, and expand vital policies that alleviate hardship and ensure economic stability for people nationwide.
A father hugs his son in the family RV, October 2020, in Phoenix, Arizona. (Getty/John Moore)
What We're Doing
Ensure an equitable recovery from COVID-19
The best opportunity we have to break the cycle of poverty is to make sure no one gets left behind now. To avoid a repeat of the slow recovery seen after the Great Recession, we are building support for race-conscious investments and policies that center those most affected by the pandemic.
Modernize and repair the safety net
The safety net underpins our economy, but it must provide sufficient and accessible support. We are working on ideas to address harsh restrictions in cash assistance programs while building pathways to broader access to housing, food, and other crucial supports at the state and federal level.
Reduce child poverty
The expanded child tax credit has already seen great success in reducing hardship among families with children in 2021, but we will fight to make it permanent alongside other policies to support families and children.
How Weak Safety Net Policies Exacerbate Regional and Racial Inequality
While all low-income individuals and families, particularly those of color, struggle to avoid falling into poverty, some receive less support solely because of where they live.
CAP’s Poverty to Prosperity team works with nonpartisan organizations and coalitions throughout the poverty policy space by coordinating research and advocacy efforts to sway public opinion and influence legislation that would help those in need. Some of the team’s closest partners are listed below.
The United States Can End Hunger and Food Insecurity for Millions of People
Policymakers must reimagine the United States’ long-term approach to food production and distribution to build an equitable and sustainable system that works for all.
The recently passed Inflation Reduction Act will fight inflation; bring down the skyrocketing cost of prescription drugs; cut health care costs; make historic investments to tackle climate change; and significantly cut the deficit.
With Prices Rising, States and Cities Must Raise Their Minimum Wages
Lily Roberts and Rose Khattar outline why, 13 years since the federal minimum wage was last increased, states and cities must take action to ease the economic strain many workers and families face now in light of global inflation.
11 Ways the Inflation Reduction Act Will Help Americans
The new Senate deal will reduce inflation; bring down the skyrocketing cost of prescription drugs; cut health care costs; make historic investments to tackle climate change; and significantly cut the deficit.
The Inflation Reduction Act Brings Down Costs and Boosts Energy Supply, Cutting Inflation and Making Historic Investments
The Inflation Reduction Act would solve mismatches between supply and demand at work in the U.S. economy, reducing inflation and strengthening the country’s long-term economic outlook.
The Strong US Labor Market Suggests the Economy Is Not in Recession
Economists have long considered many indicators—including the state of the labor market, which is still booming—when determining if the United States is in a recession.
Continued Job Growth in July Points To Persistent Strength in Economic Recovery
The recovery of all private sector jobs points to a lingering strength in the economy, but overaggressive Fed action to tackle inflation risks causing a harmful downturn.
Latino Workers Continue To Experience a Shortage of Good Jobs
Although Hispanic and Latino workers have high employment rates in the United States, labor market experiences differ substantially within this community, with Mexican, Guatemalan, Honduran, and Salvadoran Americans experiencing significant and intersecting gender and ethnic wage gaps.
A Strong Start in Life: How Public Health Policies Affect the Well-Being of Pregnancies and Families
Understanding how the key social determinants of health—including housing, employment, and education—affect perinatal health is critical to ensuring that federal policies support healthy babies and families.
The United States Must Deliver on Equitable Housing Outcomes for All
Federal investments kept millions of Americans in their homes during the pandemic; in the long term, commitment to bold federal housing policy can eliminate housing insecurity for millions while uplifting historically disadvantaged communities.
It’s Long Past Time To Increase the Federal Minimum Wage
This month marks 13 years since the federal minimum wage was increased. The lack of an increase during this period has disproportionately harmed women and people of color.
The National Baby Formula Shortage and the Inequitable U.S. Food System
It is past time for policymakers to develop a long-term vision that addresses the infant formula crisis and focuses on building a more responsive, resilient food system and safety net for all.
Congress must act now to resolve the nation’s infant and specialty formula crisis by addressing supplies, cost, and accessibility and then take steps to prevent future shortages.
Fighting Hunger: How Congress Should Combat Food Insecurity Among Low-Income Americans
With food insecurity worsening due to the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting economic recession, and, more recently, supply chain issues and inflation, congressional action is necessary to ease hardship for millions.
TANF Must Be Able To Respond Faster and Stronger to Economic Crises
By reforming Temporary Assistance for Needy Families as a strong automatic stabilizer, policymakers can keep millions of Americans out of poverty and counteract recessionary pressures.
Black Men and the U.S. Economy: How the Economic Recovery Is Perpetuating Systemic Racism
While the U.S. economy is recovering for many Americans, Black men continue to experience persistent unemployment gaps and reduced economic opportunity.
The ARP Grew the Economy, Reduced Poverty, and Eased Financial Hardship for Millions
Data show that in just one year, the 2021 American Rescue Plan eased hardship for millions of Americans and demonstrated the need for further federal investment to build a long-term, equitable economy that works for all.
Workforce Development’s Role in Building the Infrastructure Labor Force
Marina Zhavoronkova, a senior fellow on the Poverty to Prosperity team at American Progress, discusses the important role the public workforce development system can play in building a skilled, diverse infrastructure workforce.
Expanded Child Tax Credits Have Been a Lifeline for Many
Expanded child tax credit payments have provided much-needed financial support to a wide range of families across income level, race/ethnicity, and education.
COVID-19 Likely Resulted in 1.2 Million More Disabled People by the End of 2021—Workplaces and Policy Will Need to Adapt
Workplaces will need to adapt to significant increases to both the disabled population and disabled workforce, and future labor market analysis must center disability.
2021 Was a Year of Bold Economic Policy That Must Be Extended
A plethora of temporary programs helped low-income Americans weather the pandemic in 2021, and extending them would be a meaningful step toward building an economy that works for all.
Alleviating Food Insecurity in the Disabled Community
As food insecurity worsened for the disability community during the pandemic, several disability organizations developed innovative solutions that could provide a road map toward better equity around food access.
The Senate Must Act Now and Pass the Build Back Better Act Before the Expanded Child Tax Credit Expires
If the Senate fails to pass the Build Back Better Act by the end of the year, the expanded Child Tax Credit will expire and millions of families will be pushed back into poverty.
The American Rescue Plan Can Help States and Localities Meet Employment Goals and Invest in Workers
American Rescue Plan funding allows state and local governments to invest in employment solutions for their residents, including skills training, career pathways in educational settings, child care, and other basic needs.
The United States Must Advance Economic Security for Disabled LGBTQI+ Workers
Data indicate that disabled LGBTQI+ workers experience higher rates of barriers to obtaining and maintaining employment, resulting in difficulties in obtaining economic security.
How the Government Can End Poverty for Native American Women
American Indian and Alaska Native women in the United States make just 60 cents for every dollar earned by their white male counterparts, and this wage gap forces too many of them and their families into poverty.
Investing in Home Care and Early Childhood Educators Has Outsize Impacts on Employment
Proposed investments in the Build Back Better agenda would benefit a significant number of workers, particularly women and women of color; transform the home care and early childhood sectors; and lift living standards and employment prospects for millions of Americans.
New Poverty and Food Insecurity Data Illustrate Persistent Racial Inequities
Data make it clear that policymakers must finally commit to an expansive racial equity agenda to ensure that racial and gender economic disparities do not continue into the future.
These Americans Helped Save Health Care. Don’t Forget Them Now.
Author Mia Ives-Rublee urges progressives not to neglect the disability community—which has been on the front lines of the fight for the Affordable Care Act, among other progressive causes—as they debate President Joe Biden's Build Back Better agenda.
How Weak Safety Net Policies Exacerbate Regional and Racial Inequality
While all low-income individuals and families, particularly those of color, struggle to avoid falling into poverty, some receive less support solely because of where they live.
Supplemental Security Income: An Essential Program for Disabled Americans
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a vital anti-poverty program for disabled people, and Congress has the monumental opportunity to raise benefits and fix harmful archaic rules.
Making CTC and EITC Expansions Permanent Would Reduce Poverty and Grow the Economy
The child tax credit and earned income tax credit benefit low-income and working families, help families get back to work, and promote future work, while lifting children out of poverty and alleviating hunger.
Rep. Murphy must consider ‘care infrastructure’ in twin House votes
Author David Ballard criticizes Rep. Stephanie Murphy's (D-FL) attempt to drastically scale back long-overdue investments contained in the reconciliation framework.
