Crafting and advocating for high-impact policies that can be deployed on a dime requires a strong strategic process. Ours begins with producing evidence-driven macroeconomic analysis, built on a nuanced understanding of how data is constructed and flawed. We are also mindful of how specific microeconomic factors can influence macroeconomic outcomes - in other words, we take a thorough look under the hood of the macroeconomic data to see where the strengths, weaknesses, and potential chokepoints may lie.
We also conduct scenario analysis to prepare for various risks and uncertainties that may emerge. It is not enough to say that an outcome is unlikely; it is essential to think through the most likely pathway to outcomes that are deemed unlikely but would be highly adverse - similar to a car manufacturer conducting systems and crash safety tests.
Through our robust approach, we can gauge where the balance of risks currently lie and where they may be headed. Observers of our work have noted our ability to shift gears when shocks and uncertainties hit the economy. This has allowed us to tackle various challenges as economic conditions rapidly evolved multiple times since our founding.
Next, we consider policy design across all relevant constraints. In addition to economic constraints, we engage in robust legal analysis to ensure our proposed policies are legally feasible. That means applying a variety of accepted approaches to interpreting constitutional, statutory, and regulatory provisions, as well as understanding how legislative and regulatory processes shape the range of policy outcomes possible. As with all matters of law and policy, legal feasibility considerations also overlap with political constraints and motivations. Policy change must command broad support and legitimacy to be successful.
Finally, we socialize our work with leading journalists and policymakers to ensure they are robust and stress-tested, and that stakeholders are equipped to understand, explain, and effectively fight for it. When we advance deeply researched, rigorously constructed policies that align with institutional realities, decision-makers are far more likely to act swiftly and decisively.
