Abundance (2025) by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson critiques the regulatory paralysis at the heart of contemporary progressive governance. The authors argue that well-meaning laws—zoning restrictions, environmental reviews, bureaucratic procedures—have turned into barriers preventing the construction of essential housing, infrastructure, and clean-energy projects . Instead of addressing these blockages, policymakers have often resorted to subsidies, which fail to tackle root causes. Klein and Thompson propose a shift toward “abundance liberalism,” emphasizing supply-side growth, streamlined regulation, and outcomes-focused policymaking as fundamental tools for economic revitalization .

The book offers both cautionary cases and practical hope. It examines failed examples such as California’s stalled high-speed rail, illustrating how decades of red tape can derail progress. Simultaneously, it highlights success stories—San Francisco’s rapid homeless housing buildouts, swift bridge repairs in Pennsylvania, and the lightning-fast development of COVID-19 vaccines—as evidence of what governments can achieve when they prioritize building and innovation. Ultimately, Abundance urges liberals to embrace an optimistic, problem-solving mindset that builds more than it preserves¹.