The Free-Market Family

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US families face significant challenges due to economic inequality and insecurity. Poor and working-class adults struggle to form stable relationships and provide for their children due to low wages and job uncertainty. Meanwhile, professional parents endure long hours of work, while their children experience overwhelming pressure to succeed academically. Maxine Eichner argues that these seemingly disparate struggles share a common root: the detrimental impact of economic inequality on families. She asserts that the government, not families, is to blame for this crisis. Since the 1970s, policymakers have adhered to the misguided belief that the free market alone can support families, leading to the dismantling of essential government programs and regulations that once helped them thrive. This has resulted in alarming societal issues, including the opioid epidemic, rising suicide rates, and poor educational outcomes, while politicians continue to urge families to work harder. The book highlights the dire situation of US families compared to those in other nations and critiques the free-market policies that have misdirected the country. It advocates for practical measures to restructure the economy in favor of families, ultimately aiming to invest in children's futures, enhance overall wellbeing, and restore the American Dream.