Abundance Agenda: Goal-Oriented Liberalism for Building Infrastructure

Today, Explained · December 23, 2025 · Listen to Original Episode →

Original Title:

TL;DR

The "abundance agenda" argues that Democratic governance has hindered progress by prioritizing process over outcomes, leading to insufficient housing and energy infrastructure development, which disproportionately harms working families.
Democratic-led cities lag behind Republican-led states in housing production, causing unaffordable costs and contributing to migration out of high-cost blue states, which is seen as a betrayal of constituents.
The difficulty in solving housing crises stems from entrenched regulations and special interests that create opportunities to say "no," requiring institutional renewal to enable rapid "yes" responses.
The abundance agenda advocates for a goal-oriented liberalism that prioritizes achieving desired outcomes, such as building infrastructure and housing, over rigid adherence to established processes.
Effective political leadership requires genuine communication about policy challenges and solutions, treating voters as adults capable of understanding complex issues like the link between housing costs and everyday expenses.
While the abundance agenda focuses on deregulation and supply-side solutions for housing, broader analyses must also consider power dynamics and class struggle to ensure productivity gains translate to societal benefits like shorter workweeks.

Deep Dive

The "Abundance Agenda," as articulated by Ezra Klein, posits that the Democratic Party has hindered its own goals by prioritizing process over outcomes, leading to a failure to build necessary infrastructure and housing. This approach argues for a liberalism that is more goal-oriented and capable of delivering tangible results, particularly in areas like clean energy and housing, which are crucial for working and middle-class families. The core implication is that this focus on "yes" and building, rather than obstruction, is essential for the party to effectively serve its constituents and maintain political relevance.

The Abundance Agenda's central argument is that democratic governance, particularly in "blue cities," has become overly constrained by regulations, special interests, and a culture of saying "no," thereby preventing the construction of essential infrastructure and housing. This has resulted in soaring costs of living, especially housing, which disproportionately affects the very people Democrats aim to support. Ezra Klein highlights that states and cities that embrace easier development, like Texas and Florida, are more affordable, creating a stark contrast with places like New York and California that lag in housing production. This failure to build is seen as a betrayal of core Democratic principles and a significant reason for the party's disconnect with voters. The agenda suggests a need for institutional renewal to overcome these barriers, shifting from a process-oriented to a goal-oriented liberalism that prioritizes delivering promised outcomes.

Katie Wilson, the newly elected Mayor of Seattle, embodies the practical challenges and implications of the Abundance Agenda. Her campaign, rooted in community organizing and a focus on affordability, particularly housing, directly addresses the failures Klein describes. Wilson's victory demonstrates a voter demand for leadership that acknowledges and tackles the high cost of living head-on, framing the issue not just as a policy problem but as a fundamental betrayal of constituents. Her emphasis on translating complex policy issues, like the cost of pizza, into understandable public education reflects a strategy to re-engage voters and build trust by treating them as capable of understanding the causal links between policy and daily life. While Wilson generally aligns with the Abundance Agenda's call for more building and reform of zoning and land use laws, she also introduces a nuanced perspective, suggesting that a deeper power analysis, particularly concerning class struggle, is necessary to fully grasp how productivity gains can translate into tangible benefits like shorter work weeks. This points to a potential tension within the Abundance framework: while building is crucial, ensuring the benefits of that building are equitably distributed requires addressing underlying power dynamics.

The second-order implications of this discourse are significant for the future of the Democratic Party and governance itself. Klein's Abundance Agenda offers a framework for Democrats to reconnect with voters by demonstrating tangible results, suggesting that a proactive, "yes" approach to building is not just ideologically sound but politically necessary. Wilson's successful campaign illustrates that this message resonates, particularly when delivered with authenticity and a clear focus on the core affordability crisis. However, Wilson's caution regarding the distribution of benefits and the need for a robust power analysis suggests that simply accelerating construction may not be sufficient. The ultimate success of the Abundance Agenda, and by extension, the ability of "blue cities" and the Democratic Party to deliver for their constituents, will depend on their capacity to not only remove obstacles to building but also to ensure that the resulting prosperity is broadly shared and addresses systemic inequities.

Action Items

Audit housing policy: Identify 3-5 regulatory barriers hindering new construction and propose specific reforms (ref: abundance agenda).
Create public education materials: Develop 2-3 short videos explaining the link between housing supply and everyday costs (e.g., pizza price).
Measure affordability impact: Track housing cost as a percentage of income for 3-5 typical middle-class households in Seattle.
Design coalition strategy: Identify 3-5 key stakeholder groups (e.g., renters, developers, community organizers) to build consensus for housing reform.

Key Quotes

"Abundance argues that Democrats have gotten in their own way and on issues like clean energy, housing, and technology, the party's instinct should be one of yes, but."

Ezra Klein explains that the "abundance agenda" is a critique of how Democrats, despite their belief in government action, have often hindered progress by focusing on obstacles rather than solutions. This perspective suggests a need for a more proactive and affirmative approach to building and producing essential resources and infrastructure.

"So the abundance agenda is the set of questions around how, when government is trying to build something, particularly in the real world, what do you need to have be true about the laws, rules, regulations, government capacity in order for government to deliver the thing it has promised?"

Ezra Klein articulates the core challenge of the abundance agenda: identifying the necessary legal, regulatory, and capacity-building conditions for government to effectively deliver on its stated goals. This highlights the gap between governmental intent and its real-world execution, particularly in large-scale projects.

"So the thing where this issue I think causes particular heartache for Democrats is that there is no bigger part of a working family's budget or a middle-class family's budget than housing and in the places where Democrats govern, housing costs have gone completely out of control."

Ezra Klein points to housing affordability as a critical failure point for Democrats, arguing that the escalating costs in areas where they govern disproportionately impact working and middle-class families. He contrasts this with Republican-governed states that have been more successful in building housing, suggesting a policy disconnect.

"So the abundance agenda is the the set of questions around how when government is trying to build something particularly in the real world what do you need to have be true about the laws rules regulations government capacity in order for government to deliver the thing it has promised."

Ezra Klein frames the abundance agenda as a problem-solving framework focused on the practicalities of government action. He emphasizes that the success of government initiatives hinges on aligning laws, regulations, and internal capacity to ensure promised outcomes are actually delivered in the real world.

"I think that the affordability crisis really is a big part of this right coming out of the pandemic we saw these high rates of inflation and it's gotten to the point where in cities like Seattle right it's not just the lowest income households that are feeling the pinch right people who have decent jobs who consider themselves to be middle class are just looking around and saying I don't know how much longer I can hold on in this city."

Katie Wilson highlights the widespread impact of the affordability crisis, noting that inflation and rising costs are now straining even middle-class households in cities like Seattle. She suggests that this economic pressure is causing significant anxiety and making it difficult for many residents to maintain their current standard of living.

"The abundance Democrats are the Democrats who deliver abundance so I am thrilled by the way I've seen Democrats of many different stripes and even a couple of Republicans pick up some of the ideas and arguments of abundance but the thing that is going to separate who's real in this and who is not is whether they deliver."

Ezra Klein defines "abundance Democrats" not by their party affiliation but by their ability to achieve tangible results. He emphasizes that the true measure of success for any politician embracing the abundance agenda is their capacity to deliver on promises, regardless of their political background.

Resources

External Resources

Books

"Abundance" by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson - Mentioned as a book arguing that Democrats have hindered progress on issues like clean energy, housing, and technology, and that their instinct should be one of building.

Articles & Papers

"America's housing problem is 'too much money chasing too few homes'" (Author not specified) - Referenced as a column by Ezra Klein discussing the core argument of the abundance agenda in relation to housing costs and supply.
"Supply side progressivism" (Author not specified) - Mentioned as an earlier term used by Ezra Klein for the ideas later consolidated into "abundance."

People

Ezra Klein - Co-author of "Abundance," host of The Ezra Klein Show, and former Mr. Vox/current Mr. NYT, discussed for his views on the abundance agenda and its application.
Derek Thompson - Co-author of "Abundance," discussed for his role in developing the book's arguments.
Amina Al-Sadi - Producer, mentioned for editing the episode.
Laura Bullard - Fact-checker, mentioned for her role in the episode's production.
David Tatasciore - Engineer, mentioned for his role in the episode's production.
Patrick Boyd - Engineer, mentioned for his role in the episode's production.
Astead Herndon - Host of "Today, Explained," mentioned for hosting the episode.
John Keating - Photographer, mentioned for providing a photo of suburban houses.
Gavin Newsom - Governor of California, mentioned for promising to build new housing units and signing housing bills, but not being on track to meet his goals.
Ralph Nader - Mentioned in relation to accomplishments that created more citizen voice and opportunities to sue the government.
Rachel Carson - Mentioned in relation to accomplishments that created more citizen voice and opportunities to sue the government.
Vivek Ramaswamy - Mentioned for a piece in The New York Times suggesting "abundance" could be helpful for Republicans if framed differently.
Zora Mumdani - Candidate, mentioned as an example of a Democrat embracing abundance ideas.
Katie Wilson - Mayor-elect of Seattle, discussed for her win and her affordability agenda in practice, and her background as a community organizer.
Chris Mosier - Athlete and trans athlete advocate, mentioned as a guest on "A Touch More."
Megan Rapinoe - Mentioned in relation to "A Touch More."
Preet Bharara - Host of "Stay Tuned," mentioned for interviewing Dan Harris.
Dan Harris - Founder of 10% Happier, mentioned for discussing how to talk to someone you disagree with on "Stay Tuned."
Scott Greenstone - Politics reporter for KUOW, mentioned for providing help with the episode.

Organizations & Institutions

Vox - Mentioned as the source of the "Today, Explained" podcast and for offering ad-free listening via Vox Membership.
Getty Images - Mentioned as the source of a photo.
Thumbtack - Mentioned as a service for home professionals.
The Home Depot - Mentioned for offering discounts on storage solutions.
NYT - Abbreviation for The New York Times, mentioned in relation to Ezra Klein.
National Football League (NFL) - Mentioned in the context of sports analytics.
New England Patriots - Mentioned as an example team for performance analysis.
Pro Football Focus (PFF) - Mentioned as a data source for player grading.
Transit Riders Union - Organization run by Katie Wilson, mentioned for her community organizing background.
KUOW - Mentioned as Seattle's NPR news station.

Websites & Online Resources

vox.com/members - Mentioned as the URL for Vox Membership.
vox.com/today-explained-podcast - Mentioned as the URL for the podcast transcript.
podcastchoices.com/adchoices - Mentioned as the URL to learn more about ad choices.
homedepot.com - Mentioned as the website for The Home Depot.
thestrategist.com/giftscout - Mentioned as the URL to try The Strategist's Gift Scout.

Podcasts & Audio

Today, Explained - Mentioned as the podcast where the episode "How to fix blue cities" was featured.
The Ezra Klein Show - Mentioned as a podcast hosted by Ezra Klein.
A Touch More - Mentioned as a podcast featuring Megan Rapinoe and Chris Mosier.
Stay Tuned with Preet - Mentioned as a podcast hosted by Preet Bharara.

Other Resources

Abundance Agenda - Mentioned as a set of questions about how government can build things efficiently, particularly in the real world.
Social Housing Developers - Mentioned in relation to a citizens' initiative in Seattle to fund them.
YIMBYism - Mentioned as a movement standing on the shoulders of giants, related to the abundance agenda.
New Deal - Mentioned as a historical period where many things were done quickly.
Liberal Democracy - Mentioned in the context of creating movements to counter right-wing populism.
Affordability Crisis - Mentioned as a key issue facing people in high-cost cities like Seattle.
Homelessness Crisis - Mentioned as an escalating issue in Seattle.
Urbanist Left - Mentioned as a group in Seattle that is on board with the abundance agenda for housing.
Zoning and Land Use Laws - Mentioned as factors that have slowed housing production.
Permit Reform - Mentioned as a necessary step for increasing housing production.
Process or Red Tape - Mentioned as something that blue cities have prioritized over delivering results.
Supply Side - Mentioned in relation to the role of real estate markets in building new housing supply.
Power Analysis - Mentioned as a potential missing element in the abundance narrative.
Message Tested, Focus Group Tested, Consultant Speak - Mentioned as something to be avoided in political communication, in favor of genuineness.