ABOUT

Our Mission

The Georgetown Center on Poverty and Inequality’s (GCPI) Economic Security & Opportunity Initiative’s mission is to expand economic inclusion for all of the United States through rigorous research, analysis, and ambitious ideas to improve programs and policies.

Our Work

The Economic Security & Opportunity Initiative works to alleviate poverty and inequality in the United States. We develop and advance proven and promising ideas while identifying and articulating risks and harms from ineffective policies and practices, with a cross-cutting focus on racial and gender equity.

We work with policymakers, researchers, practitioners, and advocates to design and advance policy and programmatic recommendations at all levels of government. We analyze data and conduct in-depth research in the following areas:

• Ensuring a more inclusive economy through education, training, and good jobs;
• Strengthening our system of economic protection through public benefits and taxes;
• Improving well-being through innovative strategies for the delivery of health, human, and employment services;
• Protecting and advancing inclusive and equitable democratic institutions; and
• Enhancing our understanding of economic hardship and well-being through high-quality data.

Our Approach

The Economic Security & Opportunity Initiative’s approach is collaborative, cross-cutting, and comprehensive. We utilize our staff’s extensive experience and deep expertise in the research and policymaking process to affect laws, regulations, and practices. The Initiative acts as a bridge between the worlds of research and policy, fostering innovative and research-based strategies to improve the lives of everyone in America. These strategies include:

• Producing widely disseminated, substantial reports, and careful analyses;
• Authoring timely articles, op-eds, and blogs posts;
• Informing and educating policymakers, the media, and the public;
• Hosting national conferences and discussions; and
• Engaging with national, state, and local coalitions and working groups.