How The Idea Of Affordability Is Shaping Our Politics

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🗓️ 3 December 2025

⏱️ 37 minutes

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Summary

No matter where you live in the U.S., you’ve probably heard stories — or have your own — about not being able to afford to live. The couple in their 30s that can’t buy a home. The 20-something who can’t afford rent without living with several roommates. The family of five who feel pinched every time they visit the grocery store. The retiree struggling to pay their health insurance premium.

Whatever the situation, these stories are becoming central to how Americans are experiencing the economy. And this feeling is shaping politics.

A CBS poll from October suggests inflation and the economy are now the top concern among Americans. According to the Urban Institute, 52 percent of U.S. families don’t have the resources to cover what it costs to live. The average monthly cost of groceries has also risen 32 percent since 2019.

What do when we mean when we say something is “affordable?” And how do we achieve that goal when the target keeps moving?

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Transcript

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0:00.0	This message comes from Bayer.
0:02.3	Science is a rigorous process that requires questions, testing, transparency, and results that can be proven.
0:09.5	This approach is integral to every breakthrough Bayer brings forward.
0:13.0	Innovations that save lives and feed the world.
0:15.8	Science Delivers.com. No matter where you live in the U.S., you've probably heard stories or have your own about not being able to afford to live.
0:32.6	The couple in their 30s who can't buy a home, the 20-something who can't afford rent without living with
0:38.1	several roommates, the family of five who feel pinched every time they visit the grocery
0:43.1	store or the retirees struggling to pay their health insurance premium. Whatever the situation,
0:48.8	these stories are increasingly central to how Americans are experiencing the economy.
0:53.8	Regarding housing, oh my Lord, I've begun looking into other places because I'm
1:00.6	afraid I'm being priced out of where I currently live.
1:04.7	Rent has increased by 75% in the last 20 years.
1:09.9	Finding a place is harder and harder. All the new housing that is being built,
1:15.1	which is great. There's so much more housing available, but it all starts at that 75% increase. Also,
1:23.0	I've never received a rental increase, but I've received one every single year since COVID. So between
1:28.7	the price of groceries, the price to fix your car, to afford rent, to pay bills, heating,
1:36.4	energy going up, it's just untenable and something's got to give. And this experience of not
1:43.8	being able to live comfortably is shaping politics.
1:47.7	The word affordability is a Democrat scam.
1:51.9	They say it, and then they go into the next subject.
1:54.6	And everyone thinks, oh, they had lower prices.
1:56.7	No.
	...

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