Democrats Need a Better Affordability Agenda

As midterm elections approach in November, voters have one thing on their minds: Life is too expensive. Democrats are wise to campaign on “affordability.” Unfortunately, many of their ideas are likely to make matters worse.

Most poll respondents now rank some variant of “high prices” as their top concern, with good reason. Inflation, though down from pandemic-era highs, has stubbornly exceeded the Federal Reserve’s 2% target for five straight years. In certain subcategories — groceries, health care, housing — voters report acute distress.