Productivity rose 92.4% since 1979. Wages rose 33.6%. America is the wealthiest nation in human history — yet tens of millions cannot afford to live in it.
We're a policy platform with 50 researched positions on every major issue. This page breaks down our affordability plan — but there's much more to explore.
Housing. Healthcare. Childcare. Education. Groceries. Every essential cost in American life has outpaced wage growth for decades. This is not a recent phenomenon caused by post-pandemic inflation — it is a structural failure four decades in the making.
Housing: The median American renter now spends more than 40% of their income on rent — up from roughly 25% in the 1980s. Home prices have risen faster than incomes in every decade since 1970. In major metros, the average home costs 8-12 times the median household income, up from 3-4 times in the 1970s. The housing policy addresses this with 500,000 new affordable units per year.
Healthcare: The average family health insurance premium is $23,968 per year — before deductibles, copays, and out-of-pocket costs. Healthcare spending has grown from 5% of GDP in 1960 to 17.3% today. The US spends more per person on healthcare than any other country and gets worse outcomes. The healthcare plan eliminates premiums entirely.
Childcare: Childcare costs more than in-state college tuition in 33 states. The average American family spends $10,000-$15,000 per year per child on childcare. The United States is one of the only wealthy countries in the world without a public childcare system. Parents — disproportionately mothers — are forced out of the workforce because they cannot afford care.
Education: Average student loan debt for a four-year degree exceeds $30,000. Total outstanding student loan debt is $1.77 trillion. Community college — once nearly free — now averages $3,800 per year. The cost of a four-year degree has risen 1,200% since 1980, far outpacing inflation.
Groceries: Food prices are up 25% since 2020. But this is not simply inflation — corporate profit margins in the food industry reached record highs during the same period. When four companies control 85% of beef processing and two companies control 70% of the cereal market, prices reflect market power, not market forces. The affordability policy addresses corporate concentration across every sector.
Inflation is real — but it is a symptom, not the disease. The affordability crisis predates the post-pandemic price surge by decades. The structural causes are monopoly pricing, corporate concentration, wage suppression, housing supply failure, and healthcare system failure.
Monopoly pricing: In industry after industry, a handful of companies control the market and set prices without meaningful competition. Four companies control 85% of beef processing. Two companies control most of the cereal market. Three pharmacy benefit managers control 80% of the market. When competition disappears, prices rise — not because of inflation, but because of corporate power.
Wage suppression: Productivity rose 92.4% since 1979. Wages rose 33.6%. The gap is not a mystery — it is the direct result of declining union density (from 35% to 10%), stagnant minimum wages, the rise of the gig economy, and trade policies that allowed companies to replace American workers with low-wage labor abroad. See the labor policy for the full analysis.
Housing supply failure: The US has underbuilt housing for decades. Restrictive zoning laws, NIMBY opposition, and the growing role of institutional investors in the housing market have created a shortage of millions of units. When supply cannot meet demand, prices rise. This is not inflation — it is a policy failure.
Healthcare system failure: The US spends $4.5 trillion per year on healthcare — more than any other country — because it is the only wealthy nation that allows private insurance companies to set prices without negotiation, deny claims for profit, and extract $1.1 trillion per year in administrative overhead. These costs are embedded in every product and service in the American economy. Universal healthcare does not just fix healthcare — it makes everything more affordable by removing a massive cost burden from employers and families.
Affordability is the capstone issue — the problem that connects healthcare, housing, childcare, education, wages, and taxation. The Common Good plan addresses all of them together, because they cannot be solved in isolation.
Here is what changes under the Common Good affordability framework — and what each reform puts back in the pockets of American families.
For the complete plan with legislative detail, cost projections, and sourcing, see the full affordability issue page and the budget and fiscal responsibility page.
The United States is the wealthiest country in human history — and one of the least affordable wealthy countries for ordinary families. Every peer nation provides more affordable healthcare, housing, childcare, and education through policies the US has chosen not to adopt.
| Country | Rent % Income | Healthcare Cost | Childcare Cost | College Cost | Min Wage (PPP) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 40%+ | $12,555/capita | $10-15K/yr | $10,740/yr | $7.25/hr |
| Denmark | 25-30% | $6,384/capita | Max 25% cost | Free | ~$20/hr |
| Germany | 25-30% | $7,383/capita | Free (many states) | Free | $14.50/hr |
| Australia | 25-30% | $5,627/capita | Subsidized | Income-based | $16.50/hr |
| Canada | 30-35% | $5,905/capita | $10/day (federal) | $6,700/yr | $12.50/hr |
| Japan | 20-25% | $4,691/capita | Free (ages 3-5) | $5,200/yr | $9.50/hr |
The pattern is consistent across every category. American families pay more for housing, healthcare, childcare, and education than families in any peer nation — while earning wages that have stagnated for forty years. This is not because these other countries are wealthier. It is because they have adopted policies — universal healthcare, public childcare, tuition-free education, stronger minimum wages — that the United States has chosen not to adopt.
For a detailed side-by-side comparison of party positions on affordability, see the Compare Parties page.
Here is what life actually costs for a family of four earning the median household income of $75,000 — and what is left over after the essentials. The numbers explain why 64% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck.
| Category | Monthly Cost | Annual Cost | % of Income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Take-home pay (after taxes) | $4,900 | $58,800 | — |
| Rent / Mortgage | $2,100 | $25,200 | 33.6% |
| Healthcare (premiums + OOP) | $1,100 | $13,200 | 17.6% |
| Childcare (1 child) | $1,050 | $12,600 | 16.8% |
| Food & Groceries | $900 | $10,800 | 14.4% |
| Transportation | $850 | $10,200 | 13.6% |
| Student Loans | $400 | $4,800 | 6.4% |
| Total Essential Costs | $6,400 | $76,800 | 102.4% |
| Remaining | -$1,500 | -$18,000 | — |
The math does not work. A family of four earning the median income cannot afford the basic costs of living in America without going into debt or forgoing essentials. This is not a budgeting problem — it is a structural problem. Housing costs too much. Healthcare costs too much. Childcare costs too much. And wages have not risen enough to keep up with any of them.
Under the Common Good plan, this same family's budget changes dramatically. Healthcare premiums disappear (saving $13,200). Childcare is capped at 7% of income (saving $8,400). Affordable housing programs bring rent closer to 25% of income. The net effect: a family that is currently $18,000 in the red ends the year with savings.
This is not abstract policy. This is the difference between a family that can save for retirement and one that cannot. Between a parent who can afford to stay home with a sick child and one who cannot. Between a student who graduates debt-free and one who starts adult life $30,000 in the hole. For the full fiscal breakdown, see the budget page.
The industries that profit from unaffordable healthcare, housing, and education have spent decades constructing narratives that blame individuals for structural failures. Here are the four most persistent myths — and what the evidence actually shows.
Myth: "Just work harder."
Reality: American workers are more productive than ever — productivity is up 92.4% since 1979. They did work harder. They also worked longer hours: Americans work an average of 1,767 hours per year, more than workers in Germany (1,341), Denmark (1,372), or France (1,490). The problem is not effort — it is that the gains from that effort have been captured by executives and shareholders. Between 1979 and 2023, the top 1% saw their incomes grow 145% while the bottom 90% saw growth of just 26%. Hard work pays — it just pays the wrong people.
Myth: "Inflation is temporary — just wait it out."
Reality: Post-pandemic inflation may be moderating, but the affordability crisis is not temporary — it is four decades old. Housing costs have outpaced wages since the 1980s. Healthcare costs have risen every year for decades. Childcare, education, and groceries have all outpaced wage growth for an entire generation. Even if inflation returns to 2%, the structural gap between what things cost and what people earn continues to widen. The crisis is not about inflation. It is about an economy designed to extract maximum value from workers and consumers.
Myth: "The free market will fix prices."
Reality: There is no free market in healthcare — you cannot choose not to get sick. There is no free market in housing — you cannot choose not to have a roof. There is no free market in childcare — you cannot choose not to care for your children. These are essential needs in inelastic markets dominated by a small number of powerful providers. The "free market" in American healthcare has produced the highest costs and worst outcomes in the wealthy world. The "free market" in American housing has produced a shortage of 4 million homes. Markets work brilliantly for consumer goods. They fail systematically for essential services — which is why every other wealthy country uses public policy to ensure affordability.
Myth: "Government programs make things more expensive."
Reality: The countries with the most extensive government programs — Denmark, Germany, Sweden, Japan — have the most affordable healthcare, childcare, and education. Medicare operates with 2% administrative overhead versus 15-20% for private insurance. Public universities in Europe charge little or no tuition and produce comparable or better outcomes than American universities that charge $50,000/year. The claim that government programs are inherently wasteful is contradicted by every international comparison. It is the American private system — with its 900 insurance companies, its fragmented healthcare billing, its for-profit childcare chains — that is the most expensive in the world. See the full affordability plan for the evidence.
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64% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck. Every other wealthy country has solved the affordability crisis through universal healthcare, public childcare, and affordable housing. Read the full plan.