The Good Fight Steven Teles on Abundance
Jul 16, 2025
Steven Teles, a Political Science professor at Johns Hopkins, dives into the concept of abundance and its implications for policy. He examines how rent-seeking behaviors disrupt economic equality and innovation, stressing the need for reform in healthcare and housing. Teles discusses the clash between NIMBY and YIMBY movements within the Democratic Party and proposes a coalition to merge economic and cultural interests. He also addresses the disconnect in political discourse among STEM students and the influence of top universities on societal views.
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Democrats and Perception of Disorder
- The Democratic Party is often seen as the party of disorder and ineffective government.
- Material challenges like housing and safety strongly influence voter perceptions more than ideological narratives.
Captured Economy and Rent-Seeking
- The economy faces slow growth and rising inequality due to pervasive rent-seeking, not neoliberal deregulation.
- Incumbents like doctors and homeowners restrict competition, inflating prices and limiting supply.
Subsidies Raise Prices Not Supply
- Subsidies in supply-constrained markets only raise prices, not availability.
- Solving supply problems is essential for effective healthcare reform from both left and right perspectives.