The American dream has always been based on an implicit understanding—a contract—between individuals willing to work and contribute, and a society willing to support those in need and to break down barriers in front of them. However, with rising inequality and diminishing quality of life, it is time to reexamine that contract. As a part of our Future of the Middle Class Initiative, Richard Reeves and Isabel Sawhill assess the well-being of the middle class and offer policy ideas that look toward the future.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, food insecurity has been at record levels in the United States. At the onset of the crisis, Congress authorized Pandemic EBT, a program which provides grocery vouchers to replace the value of lost school meals. With the program set to expire on September 30, Lauren Bauer and Jana Parsons call on the nation’s policymakers to extend it.
President Trump recently accused the nation’s military leaders of having a collective proclivity to want to perpetuate endless wars—and he is not the only one who holds this sentiment. Michael O’Hanlon argues that while it is very important to evaluate civil-military relations, modern military leaders are not so strong and cohesive a group as to bias the country toward an overmilitarized foreign policy.
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