Ideas Do Matter: Introducing the 2017 10 Ideas

April 10, 2017

At the Roosevelt Institute, we understand the importance and value of young people’s ideas, and we’re actively working with a new generation of leaders committed to fighting for their vision. Our oldest and most competitive policy journal, 10 Ideas, promotes that work by elevating the top student-generated policy proposals from across the country.


Today, we’re releasing the 2017 edition of the 10 Ideas Journal. The ideas showcased in this volume span seven issue areas—human rights, foreign policy, education, health care, economics, energy and environment, and democratic access—and every major region of the country. From bringing public accountability to Michigan charter schools to increasing access to capital for minority-owned businesses in Georgia to reducing the number of wrongful convictions in New York, our members are pushing for policy reforms that lift up communities. Most importantly, students are fighting to promote the public good through both government and private-sector institutions.

And we don’t just leave our ideas on the page: We know real progress happens through long-term civic engagement. Roosevelters advocate for policy change at the state and local level by meeting with their representatives, writing op-eds, and organizing local actions. Following publication of their idea to expand absentee voting in Michigan in the 2016 10 Ideas, Roosevelters at Michigan State convened a coalition of organizations and Roosevelt chapters, wrote up a policy brief, and brought together more than 120 students to lobby for their policy during Michigan’s 2017 legislative session.

There is a wellspring of student activism in this country, and with the future in the balance, we need as much inspiration and as many visionary ideas as we can get. The ideas contained in this year’s journal are shining examples of how Roosevelters are pushing to realize a progressive social and economic vision. Take a look and let us know what you think.