Acton Line Anne Bradley Interrogates Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson’s Abundance
Nov 5, 2025
Anne Bradley, Vice President of Academic Affairs at The Fund for American Studies and an economics professor, dives deep into the themes of abundance in Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson's book. She critiques the authors’ approach to regulation and innovation, calling out how bad policies impact housing and healthcare. Bradley also challenges the idea that nostalgia governs our understanding of abundance, arguing for growth through decentralized knowledge. She emphasizes the overlooked roles of civil society and religion in fostering true abundance, urging humility in economic planning.
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Abundance Is A Left‑Targeted Agenda
- Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson write a pro-abundance agenda aimed at the political left rather than evangelizing conservatism.
- They argue regulation often blocks material abundance while still advocating state-led solutions rather than pure deregulation.
How Local Rules Inflate Housing Costs
- Klein and Thompson highlight zoning, NIMBYism, and the removal of boarding houses as key causes of housing unaffordability.
- Anne Bradley agrees these local regulations raise housing costs and worsen homelessness but notes other social factors also matter.
State Capacity Vs. Market Entrepreneurship
- Klein and Thompson favor stronger state capacity to guide things like pharmaceuticals while criticizing harmful regulations.
- Bradley says they want regulation but underestimate market entrepreneurship and knowledge limits of planners.
