About IASP
The Institute on Assets and Social Policy (IASP) is dedicated to advancing economic opportunity, security, and equity for families and communities left out of the economic mainstream. Our work proceeds from the understanding that lacking assets renders economic security fragile and unsustainable. Building assets inspires hope that positive change is within reach.
About Dēmos
Dēmos is a public policy organization working for an America where we all have an equal say in our democracy and an equal chance in our economy. Our name means “the people.” It is the root word of democracy, and it reminds us that in America, the true source of our greatness is the diversity of our people. Our nation’s highest challenge is to create a democracy that truly empowers people of all backgrounds, so that we all have a say in setting the policies that shape opportunity and provide for our common future. To help America meet that challenge, Dēmos is working to reduce both political and economic inequality, deploying original research, advocacy, litigation and strategic communications to create the America the people deserve.
The IASP and Dēmos Partnership
In 2014, IASP and Dēmos, noted leaders in research and public policy that promotes economic opportunity and equity for all, came together to create the Racial Wealth Audit ™.
To expand the reach of this ground-breaking racial equity framework, IASP and Dēmos are now collaborating on a series of projects and briefs that demonstrate the value of the Racial Wealth Audit™, applying it to specific policy proposals from across the political spectrum, particularly in the areas of education, housing, retirement security, wealth transfers, tax policy, and work.
The foundational report in this series, The Racial Wealth Gap: Why Policy Matters, was published first. The second in the series, Less Debt, More Equity: Lowering Student Debt While Closing the Black-White Wealth Gap, utilizes the Racial Wealth Audit™ to explore the issue of student debt. The next Racial Wealth Audit™ report, The Asset Value of Whiteness, released February 6, 2017, interrogates the popular understanding of why racial inequality exists in the United States.