How to Make America Grow Again

From World War II through the early 1970s, the U.S. economy grew at an average rate of 4 percent per year. Since then it has slipped steadily, falling below 2 percent on average since 2000. Now, all plausible medium-term forecasts — including from the White House — suggest it will struggle to reach even that level in the 2020s.

Meanwhile, a few very large cities, primarily on the east and west coasts, are experiencing more growth than they can handle. This is reflected in high housing costs, congested traffic, overcrowded schools — and in New Yorkers’ recent rejection of Amazon.com’s plans to build a new headquarters in their city, even as much of the rest of the country yearns for more good jobs.