August 15, 2026
The Ongoing Battle to Defend Welfare Reform
Welfare reform replaced Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) with Temporary Assistance for Needy Families…
June 15, 2026
The Shrinking Middle Class and Booming Upper-Middle Class: The Plot Thickens
Earlier this year, our report, “The Middle Class Is Shrinking Because of a Booming Upper-Middle Class,”…
June 10, 2026
New York Families Are Doing Better Than You’ve Heard
Is the middle class in danger? On social media and in the news, Americans regularly…
June 8, 2026
What Liberals Get Wrong About the Middle Class
It’s a common refrain: The middle class is hollowing out; Americans overall are increasingly falling…
April 30, 2026
Chicago’s “Disappearing Middle Class” Can Be Found in Its Proliferating Upper Middle-Class Neighborhoods
In a recent report with Stephen Rose, I argued that the narrative of a “shrinking middle…
April 11, 2026
There Are Many Reasons to Cheer Up About the State of the Middle Class
This piece originally appeared at National Review Online and is reprinted here with permission. Statistics show that…
December 9, 2025
Has Marriage Fallen Because Young Adults Can’t Afford Homes?
If you’ve been on social media in the past ten years, you’ve surely seen it:…
November 30, 2025
Our Economy Is Not Stagnant
Both sides of the political aisle are misleadingly bleak about the state of the American…
November 26, 2025
How Not to Redefine Poverty
I tried to let it go. Someone mentioned the essay to me on Monday, when…
October 15, 2025
Don’t Choose Your Own Adventure: Understanding Middle-Class Earnings Trends
What should we make of earnings trends in the United States? People can differ in…
August 8, 2025
Revise the Messenger
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported out the latest employment numbers on Friday, August 1, finding…
June 17, 2025
Work Requirements For Medicaid Could Increase Income and Reduce Poverty
New Congressional Budget Office figures last week indicate that the reconciliation bill passed by the House…