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Tyler Cowen On Complacency, Immobility, And American Progress

Economist Tyler Cowen joins the Federalist Radio Hour to discuss how Americans have become less mobile, less motivated and more complacent.

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Tyler Cowen, economist and professor at George Mason University, joins Federalist Radio to discuss his new book, “The Complacent Class: The Self-Defeating Quest for the American Dream.”

“We’ve had the unquestioned presumption that more safety is always better and you want to dig yourself in and have a nice life,” Cowen said. “And yes, that makes sense for most individuals, but when we do that socially and give up on risk-taking, we end up with up with a kind of stultification and that leaves us with what I call the complacent class.”

Domenech and Cowen discussed the ways technology, education, and American productivity have not progressed or improved and how this has lead to citizens protesting and rioting in the streets. “This is the age of the traffic jam and the horrendous commute, and that says so much about our lives,” Cowen said. “It’s a sign we’re neglecting this notion of getting around… over time we are going to see a reassertion of the dimension of the physical.”

Listen here: