Bubble Land

Matt Yglesias says there are structural reasons for Washington DC's lack of attention to America's growing economic woes (h/t: Alison Kemper).

One thing that doesn't get talked about enough is that people in Washington are pretty out of touch with the basic economic picture in the United States. Not in the usual, pat, pseudo-populist "oh you're out of touch" sense but in a pretty literal one -- the DC metro area is both quite affluent and economically unusual; much of our region is experiencing a war-driven boom that doesn't have much to do with the experience of other areas (though parts of the southwest are, I believe, the same way). People know, intellectually, that "data" isn't the plural of "anecdote" but still people tend in practice to be affected by what they see, and what there is to see around here doesn't really mirror nationwide trends all that well.

Oh really? What freakin' planet are these people on?  How air-tight is their bubble?  I lived in Washington DC - in northwest Washington DC, and sure I was surrounded by just these types of people. Our neighbors in the city were pretty liberal, and not far away you had the same level of affluent people who were conservative.

But drive just a few miles and you're hit smack in the face with a very different America.
Talk about a mirror into America's economy. Greater DC is one of the most class divided places on the planet. While people in Toronto worry about "three cities," growing inequality and fraying social cohesion, greater Washington is 3 cities - on steroids - a super affluent global (though largely white) creative class, a large, growing and struggling new immigrant class, and a large, poor and mainly black underclass. You'd have to be blind, deaf and dumb not to see the glaring economic and social inequality and class divide that is greater Washington.

What's worse - and even more telling - people in Washington don't give a flying hoot about their region and its problems. They just avoid it. Often they claim, "they're not from there" -  "it's a transient town," they're just "passing through." In sharp contrast to virtually any other region in the world, they don't analyze it, they don't debate it, they don't even really care to look into it.  Perhaps it's because they have bigger (national and global fish to fry). But maybe it's simply because they prefer to live in their cozy little bubble land.

Comments

[Scott]

C'mon, Richard - tell us how you really feel!

Seriously, they just tune them out. When you were here in Pittsburgh, how many people from Fox Chapel or Mt. Lebanon worried about the Hill District - had ever even been there to see it? They judge the world by their neighbors.

[Chris]

Wow, I have to absolutely disagree about the demographics of DC.

Not all of the creative class is "super affluent", you'd know this by looking at the very strong sized upper-middle and lower-upper classes. And its not only just non-whites who are poor or struggling, whites make up a very large component of the lower-class and are struggling as well.

And if you focus just what those who work in the Federal government spend their time worrying about, then yes, it would not be regional issues. But the rest of us, those of us who actually live here permanently (and aren't transient), we care deeply about these issues. And State/local government debates reflect this.

Read the Metro section of the Washington Post from time to time, you're wrong.

[RF]

Chris - I don't disagree at all (I'm still a metro reader and avid fan of DC bloggers). I was talking about the insular political class. Yes, of course, there are many, many people committed to the community and to making it a better place. They need more leverage and resources. I was personally working very hard on this to try to build a coalition between the two governors and the mayor (as well as philanthropic funders and the universities) to enable it. I could go on, but have a look at this comment I made over at Ryan Avent's great blog.

Hey Ryan - I’m an even bigger fan of yours. Two quick things. My post was aimed squarely at that elite political class you mentioned, that is pretty darn ignorant - or perhaps doesn’t care about - the city and region’s socio-economic stratification.

And I agree that many DC residents (especially those who do not fit the aforementioned characteristic) care deeply about their community.

But try to get a real discussion going at the policy level, try to find regional bodies and organizations that will convene this conversation. They’ll talk about high-tech, biotech, software and telecom, but when you get to issues of economic inequality, housing affordability, and the like they start to tune out.

I tried for four years to get attention for and raise money to create a university-based think tank to work on regional issues. A few groups listened but not a single one ponied up. You know what they said: “The DC area doesn’t have foundations, it doesn’t invest in itself, people go get money from the government.” (huh?)

DC should have the planet’s greatest think tank devoted to urban issues - it’s the think tank capital of the world, it’s a laboratory for urban issues from innovation to immigration and inequality - but it doesn’t. You have to wonder why.

Keep up the great work. You’re one of my favorite - best - urban bloggers around.