Dream on: Biden and social mobility

<p>Americans born at the bottom of the economic ladder find it harder than past generations—or their peers abroad—to climb to the top. The president has <a href="https://www.economist.com/briefing/2021/11/06/the-democrats-social-spending-package-cannot-repair-the-american-dream" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">plans to change that</a>. But he’s already having to scale them back. <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/how-cement-may-yet-help-slow-global-warming/21806083" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Concrete</a> may be a super-spouter of carbon dioxide, but it can go green. And a new style of book review is flourishing on <a href="https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2021/11/06/booktok-has-passion-and-enormous-marketing-power" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">TikTok</a></p> &#10;&nbsp;<br /><hr><p style='color: grey; font - size: 0.75em; '>See <a style='color: grey; ' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for privacy and opt-out information.</p>