California for the "Non-elite"

California Should Make Regular People More of a Priority

Appearing in: Orange County Register California in 1970 was the American Dream writ large. Its economy was diversified, from aerospace and tech to agriculture, construction and manufacturing, and allowed for […]

Asian American population in U.S.

The Evolving Geography of Asian America: Suburbs Are New High-Tech Chinatowns

Appearing in: Forbes In the coming decades, no ethnic group may have more of an economic impact on the local level in the U.S. than Asian-Americans. Asia is now the largest […]

Who Is Leaving Los Angeles Because of Housing Prices?

By: Which Way, LA? In: KCRW Radio Joel recently participated in a panel discussion on LA’s KCRW radio. The episode was titled, “Who Is Leaving Los Angeles Because of Housing […]

1980's Reno

The Changing Geography Of Education, Income Growth And Poverty In America

Appearing in: Forbes In this column, we often rate metropolitan areas for their performance over one year, five or at most 10. But measuring economic and social progress often requires […]

Millennials and Housing Preferences

Misunderstanding the Millennials

Appearing in: Orange County Register The millennial generation has had much to endure – a still-poor job market, high housing prices and a generally sour political atmosphere. But perhaps the […]

The Three Faces of Populism

Appearing in: Orange County Register More than at any other time in recent memory, American politics now are centered on class and the declining prospects of the middle class. This […]

Europe Is Still a Second-Rate Power

Appearing in: The Daily Beast In the years after the Cold War, much was written about Europe’s emergence as the third great force in the global political economy, alongside Asia […]

Israel flag

The Jewish World is Contracting Toward U.S., Israel

Appearing in: Orange County Register Recent anti-Semitic events – from France and Belgium to Argentina – are accelerating the relentless shrinking of the Jewish Diaspora. Once spread virtually throughout the […]

Housing the Future

Go East, Young Southern California Workers

Appearing in: Orange County Register Do the middle class and working class have a future in the Southland? If they do, that future will be largely determined in the Inland […]

Riots in Ferguson, MO

America A House Divided Over Race

Appearing in: Orange County Register The election of Barack Obama six years ago was hailed as a breakthrough both for minorities, particularly African Americans, and for his being the first […]