Is America’s “housing crisis” really a “mobility crisis”?

Is America’s “housing crisis” really a “mobility crisis”?

Author: The Watson School March 19, 2025 Duration: 36:54

In the 19th century, about one in three Americans moved every year. In the 1960s, that figure had shrunk to one in five 

In 2023, it was one in 13. 

In other words, a smaller percentage of Americans are moving today than they have at any time in our history. As Yoni Appelbaum, historian and deputy executive editor at The Atlantic makes clear in his book, “Stuck: How the Privileged and the Propertied Broke the Engine of American Opportunity,” this change has played a devastating role in many of the most pressing issues Americans face, from income inequality to economic mobility to political polarization.

On this episode, Dan Richards talks with Appelbaum about why Americans stopped moving, why that’s a problem for all of us, and what we can do to revive this key component of growth and opportunity in the U.S.

Learn more about and purchase “Stuck: How the Privileged and the Propertied Broke the Engine of American Opportunity”


From the Watson School at Brown University, Trending Globally: Politics and Policy brings the insights of leading scholars and practitioners directly into your ears. This award-winning podcast digs into the complex forces shaping our world, moving beyond headlines to understand the deeper political and policy decisions behind them. Each conversation is designed to unpack a pressing issue-whether it's international trade tensions, public health crises, or social movements-with clarity and depth. You'll hear experts from the Watson Institute and beyond explain not just what's happening, but why it matters and how different policies might change the course of events. The discussions are grounded in rigorous research yet remain accessible, turning daunting global topics into understandable and engaging dialogue. For anyone curious about the mechanics of power, governance, and societal change, this series offers a vital resource. It’s a direct line to some of the sharpest minds in international and public affairs, all within a format that fits into your daily routine. Find Trending Globally: Politics and Policy and add it to your listening rotation for a consistently informative perspective on the stories that define our time.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Trending Globally: Politics and Policy
Podcast Episodes
Why America can’t build things like it used to [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:05
On this episode, Dan Richards talks with Marc Dunkelman, Watson Institute fellow in International and Public Affairs and author of the new book “Why Nothing Works: Who Killed Progress―and How to Bring It Back.” In the bo…
AI and the future of human rights [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:33
In 2022, OpenAI, Inc. launched a free version of its software ChatGPT, ushering in a new phase in the widespread use of artificial intelligence. Since then, a constant stream of breakthroughs in AI tech by a handful of c…
What Germany’s election means for Germany, the US, and the world [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:14
On February 23, Germans went to the polls. While the establishment center-right CDU/CSU alliance won the largest share of votes, the results revealed a country experiencing profound political and social change. The far-r…
The future of US-China relations under a new Trump administration [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:00
On this episode, Dan Richards talks with Tyler Jost, a political scientist and assistant professor at the Watson Institute. Tyler is an expert on international security and Chinese foreign policy, and his new book “Burea…
President Trump is back in office. What have we learned so far? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:40
On Monday, January 20, Donald Trump was once again sworn in as President of the United States. The ceremony was moved indoors due to the cold, where Trump declared in his inaugural address that no president has ever been…
Can the “free market” solve the climate crisis? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:09
While there are many hurdles to addressing the climate crisis in a meaningful way, there’s been one consistent bright spot in climate news over the last decade: the price of renewable energy — particularly solar and wind…
The surprising causes and effects of democratic erosion [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:44
In the last two presidential elections in the United States, one issue has entered our political debates in a way we haven’t seen in recent history: the health and future of American democracy itself. And as Rob Blair, a…
To understand Trump’s victory, look around the world [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:39
On November 5, Americans went to the polls and once again elected Donald Trump president of the United States. By this point, you probably know the broad strokes of his victory: He won every swing state and, unlike in 20…