Policy, imagination & the future we can build
PROJECT 2029
Imagining a More Perfect Union
What could a government with a decisive progressive mandate accomplish?
Project 2029 imagines that future in concrete terms: executive orders, legislation and policies written as if a new governing majority were already putting its ideas into practice.
A speculative policy project. The proposals and future-dated releases below are works of political imagination.
Imagination matters.
“If dystopian futures can come true, so can better ones.”
More than thirty-five years ago, Alyce Wittenstein made dystopian films imagining political and social futures shaped by fear, institutional failure and concentrated power. As those imagined futures began to feel familiar, she turned her imagination toward something better. Project 2029 grew out of that shift.
The project begins after an imagined decisive progressive Democratic victory. It explores what a governing majority could do with that mandate, using the language and detail of real policy.
For Queens Says No Kings, it opens a conversation about the future we want to build—and the ideas that make civic participation feel consequential.
Read Alyce’s full introduction
Project 2029 began as a deliberate shift in how I use imagination.
More than thirty-five years ago, I made dystopian films that imagined political and social futures shaped by fear, institutional failure, and concentration of power. At the time, those futures felt exaggerated—useful as warnings, but safely distant from reality. Over time, many of the conditions those films explored stopped feeling speculative and began to feel familiar.
That experience changed how I think about storytelling and political imagination. If dystopian futures can move from fiction into lived experience, then imagination is not neutral. It shapes what people expect, accept, and resign themselves to. Project 2029 is a conscious decision to move in the opposite direction—to use imagination not to warn, but to build.
Project 2029 is a speculative policy project built on a clear assumption: progressive Democrats win governing power in a decisive landslide and choose to govern decisively. The project does not argue for that outcome, respond to opponents, or engage in contemporary political debate. It begins after the election is over and the mandate is established.
From that starting point, Project 2029 asks a practical question: what policies could be enacted when a governing majority has a mandate and chooses to govern decisively?
The project unfolds through fictional executive orders, agency directives, policy initiatives, and proposed constitutional amendments. These documents are written in the language of real governance—procedural, specific, and institutional. They focus on systems rather than slogans: how policies are implemented, how benefits are administered, how rights are enforced, and how power is redistributed through law and regulation.
The policies imagined in Project 2029 address material conditions. They assume large-scale action on labor, healthcare, housing, education, climate infrastructure, childcare, antitrust enforcement, and democratic participation. In this world, ambition is not treated as reckless or aspirational. It is treated as ordinary.
One of the goals of Project 2029 is normalization. Many policy ideas that enjoy broad public support are still framed as unrealistic or politically dangerous. By presenting them as routine acts of governance—calmly, clearly, and without apology—the project invites readers to imagine these outcomes as achievable features of everyday political life.
Project 2029 is intentionally optimistic. That optimism is not sentimental; it is strategic. Political participation depends on belief that engagement matters. Project 2029 is designed to educate, to build familiarity with progressive policy ideas, and to help create the cultural conditions in which those ideas can become popular, legible, and worth turning out to vote for.
This page will introduce Project 2029 documents as they are released and provide context for the assumptions and policy logic behind them. Together, they form a speculative but concrete blueprint for what governing with confidence could look like.
Project 2029 exists because imagination matters.
If dystopian futures can come true, so can better ones.
Day One executive orders
Imagined actions for January 20, 2029. Open a proposal to read its text here.
Public office as a public trustEnforcement and Recovery of Unlawful Self-Enrichment from Public OfficeA proposed executive action directing agencies to identify and recover profits obtained through the misuse of public office, using existing ethics and recovery authorities.Read summary and press release
Project 2029 · Speculative executive action · January 20, 2029
SUMMARY
January 20, 2029
President Orders Enforcement and Recovery of Unlawful Self-Enrichment from Public Office
Today, the President signed an Executive Order directing the identification, disclosure, and recovery of profits derived from the misuse of public office for personal enrichment. The Order affirms that federal officials have always held office as fiduciaries of the public, and that personal profits obtained through licensing, branding, naming rights, or similar arrangements tied to official authority were never lawful.
The Order instructs federal agencies to enforce existing ethics, forfeiture, and unjust enrichment laws to recover improperly obtained funds for the public treasury. It clarifies ethical obligations long recognized in law and tradition, and restores the principle that public office may not be used as a commercial enterprise.
PRESS RELEASE
WASHINGTON — The President today signed an Executive Order directing the federal government to identify and recover profits unlawfully obtained through the misuse of public office, reaffirming that public service has always carried a fiduciary duty to the American people.
The Order makes clear that personal income derived from licensing, branding, endorsements, naming rights, or other commercial arrangements dependent on the authority, title, or exposure of public office was never permitted under federal ethics law. Such profits, where identified, are subject to recovery under existing civil forfeiture, unjust enrichment, and ethics enforcement authorities.
Under the Order:
Federal agencies are directed to review past and present financial arrangements of covered officials to determine whether income was derived from the exploitation of public office.
The Office of Government Ethics, in coordination with the Department of Justice and the Treasury, is instructed to identify funds subject to recovery under existing law.
Where profits are determined to have been improperly obtained, agencies are authorized to pursue disgorgement, restitution, or other lawful remedies to return those funds to the public treasury.
The Order explicitly states that it does not create new penalties or retroactive sanctions, but enforces ethical obligations that have always governed public office.
The Administration emphasized that public office is a position of trust, not a profit center, and that financial gains obtained through the misuse of that trust cannot be legitimized by time or repetition.
“Public office was never for sale,” the President said. “This Order enforces a principle that has always been true: money taken through the abuse of public trust belongs to the public.”
The Order takes effect immediately.
Democratic memoryPreserving the January 6 Historical RecordA proposed executive order preserving lawfully public court records and making them accessible for transparency and civic education, with protections against retaliation and punitive use.Read summary, press release and full order
Project 2029 · Speculative executive action · January 20, 2029
SUMMARY
January 20, 2029
President Orders Preservation and Public Access to the Historical Record of the January 6 Attack on American Democracy
Today, the President signed an Executive Order directing the preservation, organization, and lawful public accessibility of the historical and judicial record related to the January 6, 2021 attack on the United States Capitol.
The Order affirms that while presidential pardons resolve criminal liability, they do not erase historical facts, judicial findings, or the public record. The initiative is designed to safeguard democratic memory, ensure transparency, and support civic education—without imposing punishment, stigma, or retaliation against any individual.
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 20, 2029
President Signs Executive Order to Preserve January 6 Historical Record
The President today signed an Executive Order establishing a comprehensive, non-partisan effort to preserve and make accessible the historical and judicial record of the January 6, 2021 attack on the United States Capitol.
The Order directs the Department of Justice and the National Archives to preserve court opinions, trial records, sworn testimony, and other lawfully public documents arising from the prosecutions of January 6-related offenses. These materials will be organized into a centralized archival collection to ensure that the factual record remains available to the American people.
The Executive Order makes clear that presidential pardons—while constitutionally valid—do not alter historical facts or judicial findings. The initiative is expressly non-punitive and does not create any registry, surveillance mechanism, or additional legal consequence for any individual.
“This action is about memory, not punishment,” the President said. “A democracy cannot function if it forgets how it was tested.”
The preserved records may also be used for lawful, nonpartisan civic education, including instruction on constitutional governance, the peaceful transfer of power, and the rule of law.
EXECUTIVE ORDER
Preservation of the Historical Record of the January 6, 2021 Attack on American Democracy
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows:
Section 1. Purpose and Findings.
(a) On January 6, 2021, the United States Capitol was violently attacked during the constitutionally mandated certification of the Electoral College vote.
(b) Federal courts adjudicated hundreds of cases arising from these events, producing sworn testimony, judicial findings of fact, evidentiary records, and reasoned opinions.
(c) The presidential pardon power, while absolute with respect to criminal liability, does not alter historical facts, judicial findings, or the public record.
(d) A democratic society depends upon the accurate preservation of its history, particularly when constitutional processes are threatened.
(e) It is therefore in the national interest to ensure that the factual and judicial record of January 6, 2021 is preserved, organized, and made accessible to the public in a lawful, neutral, and non-punitive manner.
Section 2. Preservation of Records.
(a) The Attorney General, in coordination with the Archivist of the United States, shall take all lawful steps to preserve records related to the January 6, 2021 attack, including but not limited to:
Court opinions and orders
Indictments, informations, and plea agreements
Trial transcripts and admitted exhibits
Sentencing memoranda and judicial findings of fact
(b) Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize the disclosure of sealed records, protected personal information, or materials otherwise exempt from disclosure under federal law.
Section 3. Public Accessibility of Lawfully Available Records.
(a) To the extent permitted by law, the Archivist of the United States shall organize and make accessible existing public records related to January 6, 2021 through a centralized, non-editorial archival collection.
(b) Such collection shall:
Rely exclusively on lawfully public documents
Avoid characterizations, labels, or commentary
Clearly distinguish between factual records and interpretive materials
(c) No record shall be added, removed, or altered based on the granting or denial of a presidential pardon.
Section 4. Statement Regarding Pardons.
(a) This Order affirms that presidential pardons:
Relieve criminal liability
Do not constitute findings of innocence
Do not expunge judicial findings or historical facts
(b) Nothing in this Order shall be construed to impair the pardon power granted by Article II of the Constitution or to impose additional punishment, stigma, or legal disability on any individual.
Section 5. Civic Education and Democratic Institutions.
(a) The Archivist, in consultation with appropriate educational and civic institutions, may facilitate the use of preserved records for nonpartisan educational purposes, including instruction on:
Constitutional governance
The peaceful transfer of power
The role of courts and the rule of law
(b) All such efforts shall be factual, neutral, and consistent with existing law.
Section 6. Prohibition on Retaliation or Punitive Use.
Nothing in this Order shall be interpreted to:
Create a registry of individuals
Authorize surveillance or monitoring
Impose penalties, disabilities, or adverse consequences
Encourage harassment or retaliation
This Order is solely concerned with historical preservation and lawful transparency.
Section 7. General Provisions.
(a) Nothing in this Order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
The authority granted by law to any executive department or agency; or
The functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This Order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c) This Order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity.
THE WHITE HOUSE
January 20, 2029
Stewardship of public institutionsRestoration of the White House East WingA proposed executive order removing the State Ballroom and reconstructing the historic East Wing, with safeguards for public access, institutional functions, security and historic preservation.Read summary, press release and full order
Project 2029 · Speculative executive action · January 20, 2029
SUMMARY
January 20, 2029
President Orders Removal of Unauthorized State Ballroom and Restoration of the White House East Wing
Today, the President signed an Executive Order directing the complete demolition of the recently completed White House State Ballroom and the reconstruction of the historic East Wing. The order restores essential presidential, public, and security functions eliminated by the East Wing’s demolition and affirms that the White House is a national trust held for institutional continuity—not personal legacy.
PRESS RELEASE
WASHINGTON — The President today signed an Executive Order mandating the removal of the newly completed White House State Ballroom and the full restoration of the White House East Wing to its historic footprint and function.
The East Wing, first constructed in 1902 and expanded in 1942, served as the White House’s public and operational front. It housed the Office of the First Lady and staff, the President’s theater, the primary visitor entrance and tour circulation, offices for Legislative Affairs and the White House Military Office, and the East Colonnade connecting to the Executive Residence. Beneath the East Wing, secure continuity-of-government infrastructure has long supported presidential operations.
In October 2025, the East Wing was demolished to construct a large State Ballroom. Although construction has since been completed, the President determined that the structure permanently displaced core institutional functions and materially altered the historic character of the White House complex.
The Executive Order declares the State Ballroom an unauthorized permanent structure, prohibits its use or maintenance, and directs its complete demolition. No portion of the structure will be retained or repurposed.
Following demolition, the Order directs the General Services Administration to reconstruct the East Wing as a historically accurate and functionally equivalent structure based on authenticated architectural records, restoring offices, circulation spaces, visitor access, and exterior massing. Security and continuity-of-government capabilities will be preserved throughout the process.
The Order establishes independent historic oversight and affirms that no future permanent structural changes to the White House may occur without express congressional authorization.
FULL EXECUTIVE ORDER
REMOVAL OF THE UNAUTHORIZED WHITE HOUSE STATE BALLROOM AND RESTORATION OF THE EAST WING
By the authority vested in me as President of the United States by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows:
Section 1. Purpose and Findings
The White House is a national historic landmark, a secure federal workplace, and a public trust held for the American people. Its permanent structures must serve institutional, constitutional, and operational purposes rather than private legacy.
The White House East Wing, constructed in 1902 and expanded in 1942, historically housed essential functions including:
the Office of the First Lady;
the President’s theater;
the primary public entrance for White House visitors;
the East Colonnade connecting to the Executive Residence;
offices of the White House Military Office and Office of Legislative Affairs;
and secure continuity-of-government infrastructure located beneath the East Wing.
In October 2025, the East Wing was demolished and replaced with a newly constructed State Ballroom. That structure eliminated core operational, public-access, and institutional functions of the East Wing and materially altered the historic footprint of the White House complex.
Completion of construction does not confer legitimacy on a structure that undermines constitutional stewardship of the White House.
It is therefore the policy of the United States to remove the unauthorized State Ballroom and restore the East Wing to its historic and functional configuration.
Section 2. Declaration of Unauthorized Structure
The State Ballroom constructed on the site of the former East Wing is hereby declared an unauthorized permanent structure.
No federal funds shall be expended for its operation, maintenance, programming, or ceremonial use beyond actions necessary to ensure safety pending removal.
Section 3. Demolition Order
The Administrator of General Services, in consultation with the National Park Service, the United States Secret Service, and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, shall:
(a) Develop and execute a plan for the complete demolition and removal of the State Ballroom;
(b) Ensure demolition is conducted in a manner that protects adjacent historic structures, grounds, and classified subterranean facilities;
(c) Complete demolition as expeditiously as practicable consistent with safety, security, and preservation standards.
No portion of the State Ballroom shall be retained, repurposed, or incorporated into future construction.
Section 4. Reconstruction of the East Wing
Following demolition, the Administrator of General Services shall reconstruct the White House East Wing as a historically accurate and functionally equivalent structure consistent with its documented pre-demolition configuration.
Reconstruction shall include, at a minimum:
(a) Offices for the First Lady and associated staff;
(b) The President’s theater;
(c) The primary visitor entrance and tour circulation spaces;
(d) Restoration of the East Colonnade connecting to the Executive Residence;
(e) Office space for the White House Military Office and Office of Legislative Affairs;
(f) Exterior massing, materials, and rooflines consistent with the historic East Wing.
Section 5. Security and Continuity Functions
Nothing in this Order shall be construed to impair, disclose, or diminish secure continuity-of-government facilities or capabilities located beneath the East Wing site.
The Secretary of Homeland Security and the Director of the United States Secret Service shall certify, prior to demolition and upon completion of reconstruction, that all security and emergency-response functions are preserved or enhanced.
Section 6. Oversight and Future Limitations
An Independent East Wing Restoration Oversight Panel shall be appointed within 30 days of this Order.
No future permanent structural addition to the White House complex shall occur absent express congressional authorization and compliance with federal historic preservation law.
Section 7. Effective Date
This Order is effective immediately and shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and appropriations
Arts and cultural independenceRestoration of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing ArtsA proposed executive action restoring the Kennedy Center’s lawful name, memorial status and independent governance as a national cultural institution held in public trust.Read summary and press release
Project 2029 · Speculative executive action · January 20, 2029
SUMMARY
January 20, 2029
Today, the President signed an Executive Order restoring the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to its lawful name, memorial status, and independent governance. The Order voids unauthorized renaming actions taken on December 18, 2025, reaffirms congressional intent, and restores the Center as a national cultural institution held in trust for the American people—not as a vehicle for personal or political legacy.
PRESS RELEASE
WASHINGTON — The President today signed an Executive Order restoring the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to its proper legal name, memorial status, and governance structure.
The Kennedy Center was established by Congress as a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy and was never intended to serve as a platform for personal branding or political self-memorialization. Actions taken in December 2025 to rename the institution were undertaken without congressional authorization and contrary to the Center’s founding statute.
This Executive Order reaffirms that national cultural institutions are held in public trust and exist for the benefit of the American people—not for individual aggrandizement.
Legislation
A concrete proposal for sharing economic gains more fairly.
Work & shared prosperityExecutive–Worker Pay Alignment ActA proposed bill tying increases in executive compensation at large employers to increases in median worker wages, with disclosure requirements and safeguards against evasion.Read summary, press release and full bill
Project 2029 · Speculative legislation · March 12, 2029
SUMMARY
Executive–Worker Pay Alignment Act
The Executive–Worker Pay Alignment Act aligns increases in executive compensation with wage growth for workers at large employers. When a company increases total compensation for its highly paid executives, worker wages must increase by the same percentage during the same fiscal year. If executive compensation does not increase, the Act does not apply.
The Act does not set wages, mandate bonuses, or cap executive pay outright. It targets a specific driver of wage disparity: raising executive pay while leaving workers out. Executive compensation is treated as a connected system, preventing evasion through re-labeling, new executive hires at higher rates, equity restructuring, or compensation paid through affiliates.
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WASHINGTON — March 12, 2029 — Legislation introduced in Congress today would require large employers to align increases in executive compensation with wage growth for workers. Under the Executive–Worker Pay Alignment Act, companies that increase total compensation for highly paid executives must increase worker wages by the same percentage during the same fiscal year.
The bill does not set wages or cap executive pay. Instead, it applies only when executive compensation rises, preventing companies from increasing pay at the top while workers are left out. The Act treats executive compensation as a single system—covering salary, bonuses, equity, and other remuneration—and closes loopholes that allow compensation increases through reclassification or new executive hires. Supporters say the measure addresses wage disparity by ensuring executive rewards reflect shared economic outcomes rather than one-sided pay growth.
FULL BILL
EXECUTIVE–WORKER PAY ALIGNMENT ACT
A BILL
To require alignment between increases in executive compensation and worker wage growth at large employers, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “Executive–Worker Pay Alignment Act.”
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.
(a) Findings. Congress finds that—
In recent decades, increases in executive compensation have far outpaced wage growth for workers.
Compensation practices that permit executive pay increases without corresponding worker wage increases contribute to wage disparity and economic inequality.
Corporations operating in the United States benefit from public infrastructure, legal protections, and economic systems supported by public investment.
Aligning increases in executive compensation with worker wage growth promotes shared economic outcomes and long-term stability.
(b) Purpose.
The purpose of this Act is to align increases in executive compensation with worker wage growth, while preserving employer discretion over compensation decisions.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
Covered Employer.
Any for-profit corporation that employs more than 1,000 employees and reports annual gross revenue exceeding $500,000,000, and that operates in, sells into, or is listed on a United States financial exchange.Covered Executive.
Any employee or officer whose total annual compensation exceeds the threshold for highly compensated employees under section 414(q) of the Internal Revenue Code.Total Executive Compensation.
The aggregate value of all remuneration provided to a covered executive, including salary, bonuses, incentives, equity, deferred compensation, and compensation paid through affiliates or controlled subsidiaries.Workforce.
All non-executive employees employed by a covered employer or its controlled subsidiaries.Median Worker Wage.
The median annual wages of all non-executive employees within the workforce.Controlled Subsidiary.
As defined in section 1563 of the Internal Revenue Code.
SEC. 4. WAGE ALIGNMENT REQUIREMENT.
(a) Triggering Event.
This section applies only in a fiscal year in which a covered employer increases total executive compensation.
(b) Worker Wage Condition.
A covered employer may not increase total executive compensation unless the median worker wage increased during the same fiscal year by the same percentage.
(c) Proportionality Requirement.
The percentage increase in executive compensation may not exceed the percentage increase in the median worker wage.
(d) Anti-Evasion Rule.
Increases include salary changes, bonuses, equity gains, compensation for newly hired executives, affiliate payments, or any restructuring that increases total remuneration.
SEC. 5. COMPLIANCE OPTIONS.
A covered employer complies by:
Increasing worker wages by the same percentage as executive compensation;
Holding executive compensation flat; or
Redirecting excess compensation into worker wages, profit-sharing, or qualified benefit plans.
SEC. 6. DISCLOSURE AND RULEMAKING.
Covered employers shall disclose wage and compensation data annually to the Securities and Exchange Commission. The SEC may issue rules to prevent evasion and standardize reporting.
SEC. 7. ENFORCEMENT.
Non-compliant compensation is non-deductible for tax purposes, subject to civil penalties equal to 200% of excess compensation, and must be clawed back and redistributed to workers or the Treasury.
SEC. 8. EFFECTIVE DATE.
This Act applies to the first full fiscal year following enactment.
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Get involved with Project 2029 ↗Project 2029™ was created by Alyce Wittenstein. Original policy documents © 2025 Alyce Wittenstein. All rights reserved.