Demos is a liberal

think tank A think tank, or policy institute, is a research institute that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, technology, and culture. Most think tanks are non-governmental ...

based in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

. Founded in 2000, Demos' stated mission is to "power the movement for a just, inclusive,

multiracial democracy Multiracial democracy is a democratic political system that is multiracial. It is cited as aspiration in South Africa after apartheid and as existing for the United States. See also * Cultural mosaic * Ethnopluralism * Intercultural relations * ...

." The organization's president is Taifa Smith Butler, formerly of the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute.

History

Founding

Demos was conceptualized in the late 1990s by Charles Halpern, President of the

Nathan Cummings Foundation The Nathan Cummings Foundation was endowed by Nathan Cummings (1896–1985), founder of Consolidated Foods, later renamed Sara Lee. Cummings was also a prominent art collector and supporter of Jewish causes. In his lifetime, Cummings made c ...

(1989–2000). Halpern wanted to create a counter-force to the growing influence of the many right-wing think tanks such as the

Heritage Foundation The Heritage Foundation (abbreviated to Heritage) is an American conservative think tank based in Washington, D.C. that is primarily geared toward public policy. The foundation took a leading role in the conservative movement during the pre ...

and establish a multi-issue organization that would focus on progressive policy development and advocacy. David Callahan, a Fellow at the Century Foundation, and Stephen B. Heintz, Vice-President of the

EastWest Institute The EastWest Institute (EWI), originally known as the Institute for East-West Security Stu