The Democracy We Haven’t Built Yet

Aaron Tanaka, CEO of One Project and founder of the Center for Economic Democracy, joins Sean Buffington on this episode of Luce Change to make the case that America’s political crisis is, at its root, an economic one. When the majority of people have no real agency over the decisions that shape their lives, democracy becomes a ritual rather than a reality. Tanaka traces this failure from the founding contradictions of the country through the bipartisan embrace of neoliberalism, and argues that the antidote isn’t better messaging—it’s restructuring who controls land, labor, and capital. Articles & Organizations Mentioned: One Project: https://oneproject.org/ Center for Economic Democracy: https://www.economicdemocracy.us Boston Ujima Project: https://www.ujimaboston.com Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative: https://www.dsni.org Right to the City Alliance: https://righttothecity.org City Life / Vida Urbana: https://www.clvu.org Climate Justice Alliance: https://climatejusticealliance.org Civic Lex: https://www.civiclex.org Amazon Sacred Headwaters Alliance: https://www.amazonsacredheadwaters.org Participatory Budgeting Project: https://www.participatorybudgeting.org Interested in joining the conversation? Share this episode with a friend, follow Henry Luce Foundation on Instagram & LinkedIn, or subscribe to our newsletter.