On the morning Capitalism for All arrived, TIME published my essay on why the American Dream needs a new telling.
Great American advances have usually begun with a story people could believe in. Roosevelt had his fireside chats, Dr. King had his dream, and Kennedy had the moon. Policy tends to follow the story. For too many families today, the dream feels out of reach, because effort alone cannot make up for the absence of good schools, fair credit, safe neighborhoods and real job opportunities.
In the essay I make the case for a dream that honors personal responsibility and broadly shared opportunity at the same time. Conservatives can see entrepreneurship in it. Progressives can see barriers coming down. People in the middle can see a growing middle class. And it has to be told by trusted voices in our communities, our culture and our neighborhoods, or it will not last.
Source: TIME, March 31, 2026.
