Middle Class

It’s easy to dismiss Donald Trump’s haphazard tariff barrage as silly and self-defeating, especially after so many days of global market turmoil. But critics among liberal Democrats and Republican free traders still need to address the overriding goal behind the seeming madness.  read more »

One of the important distinctions to understand in our society is between the middle class and the striver class.  read more »

Since the election conservatives have assumed that the results represent a “mandate” for their political agenda, as well as a confirmation of their version of national identity.  read more »

With this holiday season following a hotly contest election, some Americans fear that political disagreements among family will boil over like a pot of poorly watched potatoes.

In North Dakota, where the plains meet the prairie and the spirit of the old country lives on, the secret to peace at the family table may be found in prioritizing lefse over politics.  read more »

For the last century, no state more epitomized the ideals of upward mobility and technological and cultural innovation than California.  read more »

The Midwest will decide who wins the White House in November. Much has been written about Kamala Harris’s not-so-subtle appeal to Michigan’s Muslim voters, and her choice of Tim Walz as running mate  read more »

Several years ago, when the sex scandals were rocking the Catholic Church, I talked to a local parish priest about the decline in the church’s credibility. He listened patiently. He didn’t argue about the scandal or the church’s other problems. Instead, he said, “Remember, the church is not Rome.”  read more »

Elon Musk has just announced that he will move the headquarters of both SpaceX and X from California to Texas, citing Governor Gavin Newsom’s signing of a new law banning parental notification by school districts of children’s gender identification changes.  read more »

My Defining Rust Belt Urbanism piece three weeks ago, in which I discuss the themes of what would drive Midwest urban rebirth, prompted a great question.  read more »

This week’s surge in workers seeking unemployment benefits should be a sign that America’s already weakening economy, and much slower job growth, could prove the key to this year’s election.  read more »