The Misunderstood Gains of Modern America

The Misunderstood Gains of Modern America

An unfortunately popular myth peddled by populists on both the left and right is that America has been in steady decline since the 1970s. To hear them tell it, the country has become a rigged game: stagnant wages, hollowed-out jobs, and lives made harder by rapacious, elite-driven capitalism. But a more honest accounting of the facts reveals a different story—one of real, if uneven, progress. Yes, we are better off financially than we were in th…