About the Progressive Policy Shop

Progressive Policy Shop is my personal project—a one-person operation born from frustration with the gap between progressive values and actionable legislation. I’m a millennial in my late 30s with no claims to being a policy expert or government insider. What I do have is time, curiosity, and a growing impatience with Democratic messaging that offers lofty (or less-than-lofty) ideals without concrete plans.

As someone who has watched progressive politics for years, I’ve grown tired of seeing Democrats campaign on abstract concepts of fairness, equality, and democracy without offering voters specific blueprints for implementation. When asked how they’ll achieve their goals, too many progressive politicians offer vague platitudes rather than detailed roadmaps.

I believe this lack of specificity doesn’t just stall progress—it erodes public trust. When we promise change without demonstrating exactly how it will work, we inadvertently reinforce the skepticism that our ideas are merely aspirational rather than achievable.

As a hobbyist policy thinker, I’m setting out to:

1. Draft Model Legislation: Create legislative frameworks for progressive priorities, getting into the nuts and bolts that politicians often skip.
2. Develop Persuasive Messaging: Craft communication approaches that might help these ideas gain traction with diverse audiences—including those who might initially resist them.
3. Find Common Ground: Explore how progressive policies can appeal to conservatives and business interests when presented outside traditional partisan frameworks.
4. Learn Publicly: Document my journey of research and thinking, acknowledging when I’m wrong and sharing what I learn along the way.

I’m guided by three simple principles:

• Practical Focus: I believe that bold visions require practical roadmaps. I want to go beyond “we should have X” to “here’s exactly how X could work.”
• Research-Based: While I’m not an expert, I’m committed to grounding proposals in research and evidence, acknowledging the limits of my knowledge and seeking to fill those gaps.
• Willing to Be Wrong: I view this blog as a learning process. I’ll make mistakes, receive criticism, and adjust accordingly—that’s part of the point.

Though this started as a personal project, I welcome contributions from anyone interested in this approach to progressive politics. Whether you have expertise I lack, perspectives I haven’t considered, or simply share my frustration with the current state of progressive messaging, I’d love to hear from you through this site.

This is a hobby project with serious intent—because sometimes, the work of creating change starts with one person asking, “What if we did it like this instead?”