AI Summary
5 min readOne year after Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson published Abundance, Klein hosts Thompson and Mark Dunkelman—author of Why Nothing Works—to evaluate the agenda's progress. They assess its cultural penetration, policy wins, and implementation gaps amid Democratic infighting, Trump's scarcity policies, and lagging outcomes in housing and energy. The discussion weighs successes like shifted vibes among governors and legislators against critiques of small-ball efficiency and unresolved tradeoffs in building.
Vibes, Legislation, and Outcomes
The "abundance" concept has achieved "full penetration" in Democratic discourse, per Thompson, with governors like Kathy Hochul, J.B. Pritzker, and Gavin Newsom invoking supply-side solutions for housing and energy crises. Zohran Mamdani pairs rent freezes with developer fast-tracking in New York. Legislation scores a B+, including California's Abundant and Affordable Homes Near Transit Act and housing reforms by Scott Wiener and Buffy Wicks. Yet outcomes disappoint: California housing starts show no post-Abundance surge, nor do YIMBY efforts from 2015 onward. Dunkelman sees historical progress in rethinking progressivism's post-1960s aversion to centralized power, moving from "speaking truth to power" to enabling government function.
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What you'll learn
- 1 (01:03) **Abundance Book Reflections** - Hosts reflect on one-year impact at vibes, legislation, and outcomes levels
- 2 (05:46) **Progressive History Shift** - Mark traces shift from centralized power to anti-power "speaking truth to power"
- 3 (09:03) **Ezra's Worries on Factions and Vision** - Ezra flags internal Democratic fights and risk of abundance as mere efficiency
- 4 (11:26) **Housing Progress and Newsom Clip** - Gavin Newsom embraces "abundance agenda" and major reforms
- 5 (16:55) **Housing's Layered Challenges** - Derek outlines 50-year rules, 20-year cycles, and post-pandemic mayhem
- 6 (19:00) **Local Power vs State Mandates** - Cities resist state housing laws via foot-dragging
- 7 (24:19) **Aesthetics in Building Backlash** - Debate on 1960s revolt against ugly growth machine
+ Full timestamped outline available in the app
Show Notes
“Abundance” came out a little over a year ago. It’s been exciting — and a little disorienting — seeing how it’s rippled out into the world, and the ways it’s been embraced and debated and critiqued. So I wanted to take a moment to talk through what’s really happened in the last year – with Derek Thompson, my “Abundance” co-author, and Marc Dunkelman, whose book “Why Nothing Works” came out around the same time, and circles the same ideas.
What has the abundance movement actually achieved in the last year? Where has it fallen short? And what have the three of us learned from our critics?
Mentioned:
Ezra is moderating a forum on housing and affordability with some of the top California gubernatorial candidates. The event is on Friday, May 8, in Oakland, CA. You can buy tickets here. Use the code EKSHOW for 20 percent off your order.
Abundance by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson
Why Nothing Works by Marc J. Dunkelman
The Power Elite by C. Wright Mills
The Power Broker by Robert A. Caro
“The Most Expensive Mile of Subway Track on Earth” by Brian M. Rosenthal
“Why Are Palantir and OpenAI Scared of Alex Bores?” by The Ezra Klein Show
“The Anti-Social Century” by Derek Thompson