I’m American, and you? Nativist politics may well yield short-term advantages for the Republican party — history suggests, however, that the long term may be more problematic. What does an American look like? The ideals of inclusivity and diversity are losing ground in the general public. Joel Kotkin on the changing demographics of America. A review of True American: Language, Identity and the Education of Immigrant Children by Rosemary Salomone. How to speak American: The proverbial village idiot might be described as unfit to “carry guts to a bear” or “pour piss out of a boot”. Ephemera Studies is devoted to the preservation and study of ephemeral publications that provide more-nuanced pictures of American culture and life. What sort of political phenomenon is the United States? Arguably the first modern nation-state, it seems increasingly anachronistic. From TAS, a cover story on America's ruling class and the perils of revolution. Michael Lind on the fantasy of a vast upper middle class: College isn't for everyone, neither is the stock market. The crisis of middle-class America: Most families have been struggling with flat incomes for more than a generation, a long-term decline in fortunes. What the Great Recession has done to family life: Surveys continue to show that the impact is deep, widespread and grim. From New Politics, what happened to the American working class? A review of The Future of Democratic Equality: Rebuilding Social Solidarity in a Fragmented America by Joseph Schwartz. When will America be ripe for socialism? Are the American people obsolete? The richest few don't need the rest of us as markets, soldiers or police anymore. The American Dream won’t die: The US is in a demoralizing rut today, but this malaise will give way to a re-invented and vibrant society less than a decade from now.
