Equity & Justice
The Public Leadership Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan policy and leadership center organized to explore and raise public awareness about key public policy issues of equity and justice and to develop public leaders who will improve the economic and social conditions of all Americans.
IdeaLog
Robinson’s rules for campaign staffers
Posted on July 9, 2025
Thirty years ago, Democratic political consultant Will Robinson wrote a simple list of rules that, over time, became very well known. They still hold up. The tools have changed. Attention spans have shrunk. But...
Read MoreThe anthropology of MAGA
Posted on June 25, 2025
The MAGA worldview isn’t just political—it’s emotional, symbolic, and tribal. If we want to defend democracy, we need to understand what we’re really up against. That is a direct quote from “Understanding MAGA: A...
Read MoreTrump’s Razor—it’s always money and power
Posted on June 12, 2025
Like Occam’s Razor (the simplest explanation is usually best), we should recognize Trump’s Razor—that the truest motive for any of his actions is personal power and/or money. A corollary is that his actions are...
Read MorePLI Bulletin
Robinson’s Rules, Passive News, PLI Podcasts and More
Posted on July 9, 2025
Pet Insurance Act: More than four million pets, mostly cats and dogs, are covered by their own health insurance policies. The Pet Insurance Act, based on model legislation from the National Association of Insurance...
Read MoreRanked Choice Voting, Medical Decisions, Anthropology of MAGA and More
Posted on June 25, 2025
Register New Residents Act: Whenever people move, they should register to vote or update their preexisting voter registration. That’s why Seattle enacted a simple ordinance that requires landlords to provide information on voter registration...
Read MorePreemption, Green Earth, Police Force and More
Posted on June 12, 2025
Police Use of Force Act: Here we go again. Donald Trump is encouraging excessive force by police. The Police Use of Force Act limits law enforcement officers, requiring them to use no more force...
Read MoreIn the News
PLI President Gloria Totten in the New York Times
Posted on December 1, 2021
Where the Pro-Choice Movement Went Wrong, New York Times, December 1 …Having lost at the Supreme Court, anti-abortion organizations set out to restrict abortion in cities and states. By the late 1970s, the leading...
Read MoreThe Lily features the Playbook for Abortion Rights
Posted on October 21, 2021
The Lily, published by The Washington Post, ran a story headlined “Lawmakers are racing to mimic the Texas abortion law in their own states” which includes PLI’s Playbook for Abortion Rights. That section of...
Read MoreNew York enacts a PLI model
Posted on October 13, 2021
New York Governor Kathy Hochul recently signed legislation (S.343-A/A.3412-A) classifying certain threats to report a person’s immigration status as extortion or coercion under New York law. As acknowledged in the Governor’s statement about the...
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