In the U.S., Who Deserves Financial Stability?

""Affordability" is today's political buzzword. As people in the U.S. experience rising prices and fall behind financially, savvy politicians are tuning in. Getting by is getting harder, particularly for those with lower incomes and leaner socioeconomic resources. Federal budget cuts to healthcare coverage, food and housing assistance, and more contribute to the squeeze. Although the conversation around addressing inequality through social welfare policies and programs is usually defined by partisan divides,"

"The public is wary of increasing government spending; and trust in the government, its representatives, and its institutions is at a major low. Undergirding these issues are the default norms and assumptions of the American Dream, self-reliance, and individualism- pillars of the U.S.'s cultural story-which not only valorize hard work and economic success but equate them. These cultural defaults have powerful psychological and societal consequences for how Americans view economic policies and who deserves to benefit from them."

Rising costs and federal cuts to healthcare, food, and housing assistance are increasing financial strain, especially for lower-income people. Most Americans believe government bears some responsibility to help ensure basic needs, but opinions diverge on how to provide aid. Political polarization, low public trust, and wariness of increased government spending complicate policy responses. Enduring cultural defaults—such as the American Dream, self-reliance, and individualism—shape perceptions of deservingness and influence support for economic policies. Changemakers must identify and assess these cultural defaults using tools like the culture cycle to determine whether they help or hinder equitable change.

Read at Psychology Today