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cover of episode Yoni Appelbaum’s Book “Stuck” Argues that Progressive Policies Have Frozen Social Mobility

Yoni Appelbaum’s Book “Stuck” Argues that Progressive Policies Have Frozen Social Mobility

2025/2/18
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Alexis Madrigal
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Yoni Appelbaum
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Alexis Madrigal: 我认为《Stuck》这本书试图解答“为什么我们现在会变成这样？”这个问题，并将“流动性”这一概念贯穿美国历史。人们选择居住地并追求机会的能力，曾经是美国生活的标志，但在过去50年中停滞不前，这严重影响了美国的公民生活。今天的美国人既希望像弗吉尼亚绅士一样自由处置自己的财产，又希望像新英格兰的社群一样约束邻居的行为，这种矛盾心态导致了奇怪的社会现象。美国存在经济机会匮乏但住房几乎免费的地区，以及经济机会丰富但住房极其昂贵的地区，导致人们无法自由流动，这不利于公民参与。 Yoni Appelbaum: 我认为美国人普遍认为国家建立在流动的基础上，流动性是美国身份的重要组成部分。在旧世界，人们被束缚在特定的地点和社会等级中，而美国创造了一种新的生活方式，即自由迁徙和选择社群的权利。迁徙不仅带来经济机会，还带来重新定义身份、加入新组织和探索自我的机会，这是美国社会许多珍视之物的来源。美国的流动性在过去急剧下降，这与美国社会的设计初衷相悖。美国一直以其多样性、吸收新移民的能力和经济活力为荣，如果失去流动性，经济活力也会受到影响。过去50年，美国虽然保持了经济活力和社会安全网的缺失，但人们追求机会的能力却不如以往。过去，即使是阿拉巴马州的清洁工搬到湾区也能获得更高的收入和更多的机会，但现在对于低收入人群来说，搬到高成本地区反而会因生活费用过高而入不敷出。今天，阿拉巴马州的律师或软件工程师搬到湾区会赚更多，但低收入人群搬到旧金山会因为租金和其他生活成本而入不敷出，所以人们不再搬家。

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Picking up stakes and moving somewhere new was once so common in America that cities had a designated “Moving Day” when thousands of tenants would move house on the same day. Often whole blocks of residents would change addresses, with moving boxes and bags littering the streets. But in the last 50 years, more Americans have stayed in place. Not by choice, but by a lack of social mobility, according to Atlantic writer Yoni Appelbaum. Regions with opportunities lack affordable housing. Cities with abundant cheap housing lack opportunities. In his new book, “Stuck: How the Privileged and the Propertied Broke the Engine of American Opportunity,” Appelbaum contends that it is progressive policies that have stood in the way of progress. We talk to Appelbaum.

Guests:

Yoni Appelbaum, deputy executive editor, The Atlantic; he is the author of "Stuck: How the Privileged and the Propertied Broke the Engine of American"