This post is just a brief reminder of what American “exceptionalism” has come to: The U.S. is exceptional in short lives. This graph[1] shows the historical trajectory in expected lifespans for the U.S. and several large, affluent, western, democratic, “peer” countries. (You can choose other peer countries from Our World in Data; it won’t change the story.) Generally, lifespans have been growing. However: In the 1970s American lifespans were lengthening roughly in pace with those of peer countries. Then in the 1980s the U.S. and Denmark started falling behind. From 2000 on, Denmark rejoined th ..read more

A video podcast interview conducted by student Juan Alonso Martinez on his Youtube channel, “Atlas.” https://youtu.be/BxNOZSM81hQ?si=P9ygOcbZeZOp8OPx ..read more

In a recent and updated post, I reviewed the evidence clearly showing that there was and is not a so-called “loneliness epidemic.” (Surprise! Despite my post, the epidemic of epidemic alarms continues.) Many media stories about loneliness (e.g., here, here,  here) also assert that American adults have fewer friends or weaker friendships than they did some time before. While similar to the panic about loneliness, this claim is about relationships, not about emotions. So, what is happening to friendship? In Still Connected (2011), I assessed the data from 1970 to 2010 and concluded that not ..read more

The multiple dimensions of political polarization have become familiar to most informed Americans. One dimension that has become increasingly evident is geography. More Americans are living in communities where the great majority of residents share their politics. People are not staying in or moving to places according to local party registration rates so much as they are staying or moving based on cultural and lifestyle preferences, those preferences having become more strongly associated with political party. So, if you are into church, hunting, and tackle football, you’re disproportionately ..read more

Daniel Cox, Director and Founder of the Survey Center on American Life, interviewed me about the status of religion in the U.S. (though he is probably more expert than I!) for his excellent substack series, American Storylines, here. Dan gave me a chance to reflect on religious trends, how we study those trends, and how we might broaden our perspectives ..read more

I am interviewed on “Unlicensed Philosophy with Chuong Nguyen” largely about Made in America and other topics around “American exceptionalism ..read more

In the previous post, Part 1, I criticized claims of a so-called “epidemic of loneliness” in America. Those claims are based on misunderstanding loneliness–for example, confusing it with actual isolation, not appreciating that most loneliness is longing for a romantic partner, and muddling loneliness up with other sad emotions. Moreover, there is little evidence that Americans have been increasingly feeling lonely. More American teenagers may have since about 2010 felt loneliness as well as other distressing emotions. But the panic that there is a large and general “loneliness epidemic” is not ..read more

Experts tell us that we are experiencing an “epidemic of loneliness.” This metaphor is all over the media[1]; the Surgeon General repeatedly warns us of it[2]; Hillary Clinton blames it for MAGA mania; meme entrepreneurs establish loneliness institutes and propose loneliness legislation; and some voices urge a U.K.-style Department of Loneliness. Why has there been in roughly the last decade (even before the Covid epidemic) so much talk about a loneliness epidemic? The hard evidence for a loneliness surge is thin; Americans have heard such alarms often before; and the entire diagnosis is confo ..read more

I recently played hooky by attending a midweek, midday baseball game at the San Francisco Giants’ Oracle Park. The pre-game entertainment was a federal judge swearing in immigrants as citizens. The fifty brand new Americans lined up between the mound and home plate, each one waving a small American flag. The early crowd cheered the ceremony, the immigrant citizens, and even a jumbotron video of President Biden celebrating immigration. Immigration will surely be a major topic in the 2024 presidential election. It has become a winning issue for the Trumpist part of the GOP (the pro-immigration f ..read more

The University of Chicago Press has declared Made in America the free e-book for July, 2023. Here is the link:  https://press.uchicago.edu/books/freeEbook.html  — good, I guess, through July 31.   ..read more