A young economist’s case for stubborn optimism

America feels gloomy. We’ve seen too much that doesn’t fit the American ideal — political violence, calls to censor, scorched-earth rhetoric, and a tug toward extremes. It’s a heavy moment.

I won’t speak for older generations. I’m young enough to have voted only in the last three presidential cycles. But after studying economics and watching the data, I’m convinced of a simple point: progress is real, prosperity is learnable, and the future can be brighter — if we keep the conditions that let ordinary people build.

Start with the baseline. Over the long run, human well-being improved dramatically. Life expectancy rose, child mortality fell, and extreme poverty shrank by historic margins. The pandemic and wars slowed some of that, but the direction over decades is still upward.

This isn’