City Journal Audio Socialism and Social Cohesion in New York City
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Nov 7, 2025 Stephen Eide, a Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute and expert on social policy, joins to discuss New York's social-democratic experiments. He delves into why expansive programs often fail compared to Europe, exploring the challenges of middle-class burdens and demographic shifts. Eide explains the misconceptions around social democracy in NYC and warns about the implications of welfare policies. He emphasizes the importance of social cohesion and trust while examining the growing influence of Democratic Socialists in local politics.
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More Social Democracy Than It Appears
- New York already layers extensive state and local social-democratic programs on top of federal welfare systems.
- Despite heavy spending, those layers don't produce the orderly social outcomes seen in Scandinavia.
Middle-Class Squeeze And Political Polarization
- Expanding supports for the poor can shift burdens onto the working middle class and prompt exits.
- That dynamic intensifies an upstairs-downstairs political coalition and fuels middle-class outmigration.
Trampoline Versus Trap
- Scandinavian welfare acts like a 'trampoline' that helps people rebound into work and stability.
- New York shows places (e.g., South Bronx) where high program use doesn't generate that rebound effect.