The affordability crisis in the U.S. has many factors pushing up prices, including premiumization of markets, profit-taking middlemen, and the failure to enforce antitrust laws. The Trump administration is doing nothing that affectively addresses the crisis, while many of its actions exacerbate it.

The U.S. affordability crisis is multifaceted and has been growing for 45 years, driven by low pay and high prices. Many factors push up prices including monopolistic price gouging, tariffs, personalized pricing driven by AI, profit-taking middlemen, privatization, and premiumization of markets.

Many Americans are worried about the cost of living. Government policies can reduce or control the costs of everyday expenses. If Democrats or others want to garner support and votes, they should aggressively promote such policies. Here are some examples.