Henry A. J. Ramos - Democracy and the Next American Economy: Where Prosperity Meets Justice

Praise forDemocracy and the Next American Economy

Ramos work is impressive for its breadth and refreshing for its focus on tangible solutions and opportunities at a time that is dominated by expressions of concern about the growing litany of problems we all see before us.

Anthony D. Romero, Executive Director, American Civil Liberties Union

Henry Ramos doesnt merely envision a new, more equitable, inclusive economy, supported by truly representative democracy. He shows us how to get there.

Jared Bernstein, Ph.D. and former Chief Economist and Economic Advisor to Vice President Joe Biden

Ramos offers a compelling vision of how we can create a more equitable and inclusive economy by building on real life examples and proven practices that are showing us the way; in doing so, he reveals that the future we wish for is already hereshould we choose to act.

Deborah Frieze, Founder and President, Boston Impact Initiative

This book is necessary reading for all seeking to live in a world infused with equity and justice. Getting there requires work. Fortunately, Henry A. J. Ramos has provided us with the blueprint for action.

Angela Glover Blackwell, Founder in Residence, PolicyLink

Every now and then a book appears that gives us a new perspective on our situation and flips a switch so we see new possibilities for our future. Democracy and the Next American Economy is one of those works.

Susan Henderson, Executive Director, Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund

Ramos offers a strong case for a new and different kind of way to advance democracy and prosperity-sharing based on real life examples from all across the nation.

Saru Jayaraman, Co-Founder and Co-Director, Restaurant Opportunities Centers (ROC) United

Henry A. J. Ramos has assembled a must-read book for all people who want a more inclusive and sustainable political economy that is better for people and the planet.

Cristina Jimnez, Co-Founder and Executive Director, United We Dream

Democracy and the Next American Economy should be required reading for all Americans who are troubled by our current path and seeking tangible alternatives.

Zachary Norris, Executive Director, Ella Baker Center

Inspiration is importantbut so is a roadmap. With this book, Ramos offers a practical pathway to a better way forward, using proven and promising innovations from regions and cities across the land to connect the dots.

Manuel Pastor, Director, Program on Environmental and Regional Equity, University of Southern California

Henry Ramos approaches his research like any good organizer: he gathers people and ideas and creates a synthesis that is greater than the individual parts.

Felicia J. Wong, President and CEO, Roosevelt Institute

HENRY A. J. RAMOS

Foreword by Anthony D. Romero Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union

This volume is made possible in part through a major grant from the Marguerite Casey Foundation, as well as generous individual contributions from Dr. Michelle Cale, Shirley Fredricks, Sergio Garcia and Amelia Gonzalez, Linda Gebroe, Robert L. McKay, Feisal Nanji and Gretchen Sandler. We are grateful for their support.

Recovering the past, creating the future

Arte Pblico Press
University of Houston
4902 Gulf Fwy, Bldg 19, Rm 100
Houston, Texas 77204-2004

Cover design by Mora Desgns

Names: Ramos, Henry A. J., 1959-author.

Title: Democracy and the next American economy : where prosperity meets justice / Henry A.J. Ramos ; foreword by Anthony D. Romero.

Description: Houston, TX : Arte Pblico Press, [2019]

Identifiers: LCCN 2018053265 (print) | LCCN 2018060163 (ebook) | ISBN 9781518505706 (epub) | ISBN 9781518505713 (kindle) | ISBN 9781518505720 (pdf) | ISBN 9781558858763 (alk. paper) Subjects: LCSH: DemocracyUnited States. | DemocracyEconomic aspectsUnited States. | Polarization (Social sciences)United States. | Income distributionUnited States. | ViolenceUnited States. | Social justiceUnited States. | United StatesEconomic conditions21st century.

Classification: LCC JK1726 (ebook) | LCC JK1726 .R36 2019 (print) | DDC 330.973dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018053265

The paper used in this publication meets the requirements of the American National Standard for Information SciencesPermanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1984.

2019 by Henry A. J. Ramos

This book is dedicated to the everyday men, women, and young people of America who have struggled and sacrificed over the centuries to advance freedom, democracy, opportunity, justice, community, kindness, joy, and beauty.

Every moment is an organizing opportunity, every person a potential activist, every minute a chance to change the world.

Dolores Huerta

We must trust our own thinking. Trust where were going. And get the job done.

Wilma Mankiller

In the pages that follow, I offer both a critique of current trends in American political economy as well as a call to action and a peek into a select sampling of alternative emerging practices that, properly attended to and scaled, would do much to put America and the world on a more just and sustainable path. Presently, the topics covered here are of interest across the US political and intellectual landscape. There is no shortage of loud and enthusiastic voices entering the fray with varying ideas and opinions about what is happening in the current moment. There are fewer pundits offering more concrete and proven (or at least highly promising) alternatives. This book is my humble attempt to contribute to the discourse from a progressive perspective through analysis of the issues, but also with an eye to lifting up models of innovation that are showing us the way to a future of living democracy, economic restoration and environmental sustainability.

I come to the conversation with a healthy degree of reluctance and regret. Frankly, I wish it were not necessary to offer this contribution to the present discourse. I would have much preferred for national and global events over the past several years to take us in another, better direction, one that would have inspired a greater sense of purpose and continuing progress from a human and ecological point of view. But with the Fall 2016 election of Donald J. Trump to serve as the United States 45th president, and subsequent events, it has proven impossible for me not to make an impassioned plea for another pathway to the future. In the current context, it is vital for all forward-looking American civic leaders, intellectuals, artists, workers, youth, immigrants and others with strong opposition to the path we are on as a nation to actively express their concerns and proposals for a better way. What follows is my personal response to this imperative, first and foremost as a progressive American and, second, as a Latino American. On both fronts, the impulse to pen this work came during the very early stages of the 2016 Republican presidential primary, following Donald Trumps announcement of his intention to seek the presidency.

In Trumps very first statement as a candidate, he disparaged Mexican immigrants as drug dealers, criminals and rapists. Soon thereafter he had one of North Americas most prestigious Latino journalists, Jorge Ramos of the Univision Television Network, a naturalized US citizen from Mexico, physically removed from an Iowa press conference for asking uncomfortable questions about the candidates positions on immigration issues. Soon after that, Trump went on record arguing that a California federal district court judge, Gonzalo P. Curiel, a Mexican American who was slated to hear cases related to alleged wrongdoing by Trump University and the Trump administrations authority to build a new wall separating the US and Mexico, was unsuited to preside over these cases owing to his Mexican heritage. Trump later went on to publicly chastise San Juan, Puerto Ricos mayor, Carmen Yuln Cruz Soto, after Hurricane Maria, accusing her of poor leadership (following her criticism of Trumps lackluster response to the crisis) and implying that the people of the devastated island were not doing enough to help themselves. And, most recently, in May 2018, he used the word animals to refer to the undocumented individuals being repatriated along the US southern border by ICE under the administrations crack down on immigrants. These irresponsible assertions and actions were sadly matched by comparably objectionable and inappropriate comments made by Trump during his first two years in office, relating to African Americans, Muslim Americans, Native Americans, disabled Americans, women, African countries and others.