The nonprofit, nonpartisan Urban Institute provides a wealth of information on national trends, policies, and other issues that affect America's urban areas. The research relies on primary sources such as government agencies and personal interviews. “Often the result is the development of new databases available online to the public,” according to the organization's Web site.
Although the material here is geared toward policymakers and social researchers, we think leaders in corporate social initiative efforts can find value as well. Research topics that might prove of interest to business leaders include analysis and policy implications of demographic and economic trends, income and wealth distribution, tax policies, healthcare, and job mobility.
Examples of information available here include a recent report on the interplay of job stability, wage rates, and marital stability, while another study looks at the growing economic presence of children of immigrants.