How Progressives Froze the American Dream
"As Americans moved around, they moved up."
What It’s About
Yoni Appelbaum argues that the fundamental economic issue facing America is a crisis of mobility. This crisis was created by decades of progressive policies that aimed to protect neighborhoods but also restricted the freedom to move. Once the most geographically mobile society on Earth, the United States has now thwarted the mobility (and ambition) of its citizens with regulatory obstacles such as zoning, environmental reviews, and historic-preservation law.
Upshot
Appelbaum argues that:
- America’s stalled mobility weakens its core strength: Reduced geographic movement has not only slowed economic growth but has also deepened inequality
- Progressive regulations have backfired: Policies designed to protect poor neighborhoods, the environment, and historical sites from harm have become exclusionary tools that prevent housing expansion in thriving areas
- More housing is essential: The US needs to reverse restrictive housing policies through regulatory reform at all levels
Did you know? The decline in mobility costs the American economy roughly $2 trillion a year (6% of our economic potential) in lost productivity.
Read the Full Article
Buy the Book: Stuck
Why It Matters
America’s immobility crisis touches every part of contemporary life. Economic opportunity, social cohesion, and political stability are all degraded in a society where people have less freedom to move to better opportunities.
Who Wrote It
Yoni Appelbaum is a deputy executive editor at The Atlantic and author of Stuck: How the Privileged and the Propertied Broke the Engine of American Opportunity.