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Oct 16, 2026 1 hr 2 min

How Abundance Has Failed and Succeeded

from Plain English with Derek Thompson Hosted by The Ringer

A year and a half after 'Abundance,' Derek Thompson and Ezra Klein’s book about why America has become so bad at building things, the time has come for reflection. Some commentators declare the abundance agenda dead. If you know where to look, however, you might see a different picture. Today, Derek is joined by Representative Josh Harder (D-California) to examine the surprising ways abundance-style ideas are gaining ground, from bipartisan permitting reform in Washington to new efforts to build housing and clean energy in states and cities across the country. Politicians from both parties increasingly agree that America is still making it too hard to build. So what would it take to turn these scattered victories into a new kind of liberalism that prioritizes outcomes over process? Subscribe to our YouTube channel here:https://www.youtube.com/@PlainEnglishwithDerekThompson If you have questions, observations, or ideas for future episodes, email us at [email protected]. Host: Derek Thompson Guest: Josh Harder Producer: Devon Baroldi Additional Production Support: Ben Glicksman Comcast Business. Get AI-powered threat detection for small business.

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How long is this episode of Plain English with Derek Thompson?

This episode is 1 hour and 2 minutes long.

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This episode was published on October 16, 2026.

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