This is the online home of the Northwest Progressive Institute, a regionally focused nonprofit working from Washington, Oregon, & Idaho to constructively transform our world through insightful research and imaginative advocacy. Learn more about us and the work we do.
Frequently requested resources
- Browse our latest publicly released research poll findings
- Open staff positions at NPI are posted here. Black, Indigenous, Latine, Asian American, Pacific Islander, disabled, and LGBTQ+ candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
- See the archive of Last Week In Congress, our recurring feature that shows you how Cascadia’s United States lawmakers voted.
Recently published by NPI
- Get an operator’s view of every new East Link / Line 2 light rail stationby Andrew Villeneuve on April 27th, 2024
View a collection of photographs that give a sense of what the new Eastside stations on Sound Transit’s Line 2 light rail line look like from the operator’s cab.
- What’s it like to ride East Link light rail? In a word: Incredible!by Andrew Villeneuve on April 26th, 2024
Read NPI’s recap of the East Link preview ride on April 25th, 2024, which gave reporters and photographers an opportunity to experience light rail firsthand as riders ahead of the April 27th grand opening to the public.
- Most voters in the Pacific Northwest want Democratic representation in the U.S. House, NPI tri-state poll findsby Andrew Villeneuve on April 25th, 2024
52% of 1,012 Washington, Oregon, and Idaho voters surveyed by Civiqs earlier this month for NPI said they’d vote for the Democratic candidate in their congressional district if the election were being held now, while 40% said they’d vote for the Republican candidate. 8% were not sure.
- President Joe Biden is on track for victory in Washington and Oregon this fall, while Donald Trump has a big lead in Idahoby Andrew Villeneuve on April 24th, 2024
Unsurprisingly, the Democratic Party’s presumptive 2024 nominee will likely have the support of a majority of voters in the Pacific Northwest this autumn and will probably carry two out of the region’s three states.
- U.S. Senate sends bipartisan lethal aid appropriations bill to President Joe Bidenby Andrew Villeneuve on April 24th, 2024
The bill will provide tens of billions of dollars in security assistance to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. It also contains a provision aimed at forcing China-based ByteDance to divest TikTok.
- Corporate backers of Mark Mullet launch an independent expenditure to boost his flagging campaignby Andrew Villeneuve on April 23rd, 2024
Although the ad looks at first glance like it was created by Mullet’s campaign, it is funded by Weidner Property Management, Marathon Petroleum, and wealthy men who don’t want Bob Ferguson to become Washington’s next governor.
Who we are and what we do
A strategy center is an organization that helps people think and act pragmatically so they can realize their goals. That is NPI’s role within the community of people and organizations identifying as progressive.
At our core, we’re a think tank with the soul of a tech startup, generating and refining ideas that would raise up our region and our country, leading to a more inclusive economy and society for everyone.
But we’re also a media, advocacy, and outreach organization, because we know that taking an idea from conception to implementation requires a lot more than research. It’s this commitment to communicating and organizing that sets us apart from conventional think tanks.
Metaphorically, NPI can be thought of as a Swiss Army knife for the progressive movement. We’re a multifaceted organization that has been built to move quickly and effectively. Ingenuity is in our DNA. We’re funded and supported by activists who want to invest in permanent infrastructure, not just win the next election. Our goal is to empower activists to become thought leaders, mastering the reframing skills needed to liberate our public discourse from right wing demagoguery.
We invite you to learn more about who we are and what we do.
Our Values
Progressive values are traditional American values, values that we are proud of.
We believe in a more perfect Union that guarantees freedom, liberty, equality, and opportunity for all of its citizens, with laws and rules rooted in our core values of empathy and mutual responsibility. We believe in an America that prizes dissent and independent thinking as patriotic.
We believe that the people and the planet are more important than profit. In the words of the old Native American proverb: We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children. We believe that taxes are investments that allow us to pool our resources to afford the essential public services we need. And we believe the laws we adopt as a society should make us healthier, cleaner, and safer.
Too often, decisions are driven by greed as opposed to what it is in the public interest or supported by science. At NPI, we believe we must liberate our politics from the grip of big money.
Our values shape and guide our views on the major issues that face our country today. We support policy directions and specific policies (whether proposed through our system of representative government or directly to the people by initiative) that embody our values.
See recent positions we’ve taken on ballot measures and legislative bills in our Advocacy section.
Our Projects and Publications
Besides our core website, our online presence includes the following projects and publications:
Become a member
Our work would not be possible without the support of our members, who donate annually or monthly to sustain our research and advocacy. Help revolutionize grassroots politics by becoming a member of the Northwest Progressive Institute today.
As one way of saying thank you for investing in our work, we offer the following benefits of membership.
- Activist: Members who donate $25 per year receive the opportunity to join NPI’s monthly Thought Leadership Briefings, held via Zoom. Each briefing begins with update from NPI’s staff and board on the latest significant research findings from NPI and other trusted sources on national and local issues, and concludes with a Q&A.
- Advocate: Members who donate $50 per year receive an exclusive invitation to participate in quarterly Activism Matters seminars (held jointly with the Northwest Progressive Foundation) plus access to NPI’s monthly Grassroots Leadership Briefings.
- Sustainer: Members who donate $100 per year receive discounted admission to all ticketed NPI events (like our Spring Fundraising Gala), plus exclusive invitations to participate in quarterly Activism Matters seminars and access to NPI’s monthly Grassroots Leadership Briefings.
- Champion: Members who donate $250 per year or more receive a new book twice a year as part of NPI’s Staff Book Club, accompanied by a one-page guide explaining how we use the book to advance our work, plus exclusive invitations to participate in quarterly Activism Matters seminars, discounted admission to all ticketed NPI events, and access to NPI’s monthly Grassroots Leadership Briefings.
Becoming a member of NPI is easy. We offer two ways to pay dues: online via credit card or by check through U.S. Mail. If you choose the latter option, our website will generate a completed membership form for you that you can print out and enclose with your check.