The US, they say, is a place where luxuries are cheap and necessities costly. For many Americans, goods such as TVs, computers and cell phones are more accessible than ever. But commodities and services seen as central to thriving middle-class US family life — including affordable housing, healthcare and childcare — are harder to attain.
That may explain why more Americans feel pessimistic, according to a recent Pew survey. That is despite economic indicators suggesting the country is more prosperous than half a century ago.
Conservative public policy commentator Oren Cass says traditional benchmarks, such as gross domestic product, are misleading. He has proposed a cost of thriving index.
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