COVID-19 much more fatal for men, especially taking age into account
A topical trope is that COVID-19 “does not discriminate.” This is false. A range of…
Middle class marriage is declining, and likely deepening inequality
Over the last few decades, family formation patterns have altered significantly in the U.S., with long-run rises in non-marital births, cohabitation, and single…
Elite or elitist? Lessons for colleges from selective high schools
Admissions policies at some of the nation’s most selective schools are under intense scrutiny. But we’re…
A middle class theory of relativity: 4 benchmarks
How is the middle class doing? This question is being asked with increased urgency by…
Colleges caught up in admissions corruption are elite already
The accused parties in the college admissions corruption case are the parents who offered bribes and the…
The Power of Love: Why maternal depression is an economic mobility issue
Rates of upward economic mobility in the U.S. are too low: on this there is…
The rise of the middle class safety net
Welfare reform is in the air again. Congressional Republicans are pushing for greater work incentives…
A little respect: Can we restore relational equality?
Equality can be thought of in three different ways: Basic equality, granted to all in…
Where’s the Glue? Policies to Close the Family Gap
When a childless couple divorces, how much should we care? If they are friends, we…
Gown Towns: A Case Study of Say Yes to Education
Postsecondary education is the entry ticket to the middle class. But for low-income Americans college…
Defining the middle class
The economist Robert Solow noted that “there is no shortage of talk about the middle…
The inheritance of black poverty: It’s all about the men
Black Americans born poor are much less likely to move up the income ladder than…