Policy Work
We advance policy to build an economy rooted in democracy and care.
In coalition with partner organizations, CED has taken on several policy initiatives to cultivate democracy in our economic systems.
Policy Work for Municipal Democracy
In Boston, MA we have organized for policies that enable residents to have collective power in municipal decision-making.
Charter Reform in Boston
From 2020 to 2021, we crafted and won Question 1, a Boston-wide ballot question that enables the participation of everyday residents in the City’s spending decisions through Participatory Budgeting. This was made possible through the reform of Boston’s city charter which expanded the powers of Boston city council and mandated community control over a portion of the city’s annual operating budget.
Participatory Budgeting Rulebook
In 2024, the Rulebook for the Participatory Budgeting process in Boston was crafted by an Oversight Board of elected community residents under the Boston's Office of Participatory Budgeting. This comprehensive framework was developed with feedback from members of the Better Budget Alliance to ensure the implementation of a participatory budgeting process that advances equity and inclusion in city practices.
Policy Work for Worker Ownership and Power
With our coalition partners across MA, we won state support for worker-owned cooperatives. We’re also building toward democracy in corporations.
State Office for Worker Ownership
In 2022, in partnership with the COWOP Coalition, we won the creation of the Massachusetts Office Of Employee Ownership as a new state office to support worker-owned businesses.
Democratizing Corporations Brief
In 2023 we drafted a policy brief on democratizing corporations. We shared the vision behind it with other labor organizers at Umass Amherst’s Building Worker Power conference.
