The American Dream is Slipping Away: Why Economic Growth is Key to Affordable Living.

The Cost of Living in the USA

According to Vox: In recent years, American politics has revolved around a troubling feeling: life is becoming too expensive, and no one knows what to do about it.

Rent and housing prices seem unaffordable. Childcare costs feel like a second mortgage. Prices for groceries, utilities, and healthcare are rising faster than wages. Politicians typically blame 'corporate greed,' experiment with price controls and taxes, promising to 'set things right' — but none of these steps addresses the deeper question: how can we make life in America truly easier?

Historical Aspects of Economic Growth

For much of the country's history, the answer was thought to be simple: growth. This meant expanding the economy, increasing productivity, making energy more affordable and cleaner, introducing new technologies, and greater participation of people in processes. Growth was considered a fundamental assumption — not a panacea, but something that eased the resolution of other issues.

However, starting in the 1970s, this consensus began to break down. Economic growth slowed, concerns about inequality, consumer culture, and environmental harm grew. An anti-growth mentality has taken hold from both sides, and 'more' has become an object of suspicion rather than a welcome.

The Need for Sustainable Growth

People have started to view political projects that emphasize 'more' with caution: ecological problems from fossil fuels, experiences of injustice in past economic growth phases, a sense that consumerism has filled our lives with things rather than meaning. Yet, in attempts to correct the mistakes of the past, the US has found itself in a situation of low growth and high friction, further complicating our issues. Therefore, we need to take sustainable growth seriously again: to shift from a zero-sum game, determining who gets a piece of a fixed pie, to a world where the pie is truly larger. Not growth at any cost, but wise growth.

This idea is the foundation of the 'Matter of Growth' project. Over the coming weeks, in explanatory materials, articles, and podcasts, we will explore why our most productive cities are actually closing the doors on families and what is needed to open them. We will imagine what opportunities the era of clean energy can open — from vertical farming to scientific solutions for climate problems. We will investigate how progress in artificial intelligence can ultimately pull us out of the ongoing productivity crisis and how our reliance on cars and meat hampers more sustainable growth. We will talk to experts who believe that growth can be combined with policies that prevent the worst outcomes of global warming.

The Future of Growth and Progress

In times when our politics boils down to arguments about who loses so that others can win, we strive to open the possibility of positive progress — to build more, invent more, and involve more people in this story, while caring for our planet. Growth will not solve all problems, but without it, no solution can be scaled up. 'The Matter of Growth' is our attempt to bring this idea back to the forefront as part of serious efforts to make life more affordable, sustainable, and rich in the US and beyond.

This series was supported by a grant from Arnold Ventures. Vox had full freedom in the choice of content for this report.

In American society, there is an active discussion regarding the rising cost of living. This issue is particularly relevant as, in times of economic instability, many people are facing difficulties in achieving financial stability. The 'Matter of Growth' project aims to explore pathways toward more sustainable and affordable economic development, offering new approaches and solutions. This could be an important step towards ensuring a more comfortable and secure future for families in the USA.