Abundance (Klein and Thompson book)

Abundance is a nonfiction book by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson published by Avid Reader Press in March 2025. The book examines the reasons behind the lack of progress on ambitious projects in the United States, including those related to affordable housing, infrastructure, and climate change. It became a New York Times Bestseller.

Abundance

First edition cover
Author	Ezra Klein Derek Thompson
Publisher	Avid Reader Press, an imprint of Simon & Schuster
Publication date	2025
Pages	304 (first edition)
ISBN	9781668023488
OCLC	1504483512

Klein and Thompson argue that the regulatory environment in many liberal cities, while well intentioned, stymies development.^[1] They write that American liberals have been more concerned with blocking bad economic development than promoting good development since the 1970s. They say that Democrats have focused on the process rather than results and favored stasis over growth by backing zoning regulations, developing strict environmental laws, and tying expensive requirements to public infrastructure spending.^[2]

Klein and Thompson propose an Abundance Agenda that they say better manages the tradeoffs between regulations and social advancement^{[citation needed]} and lament that America is stuck between a progressive movement that is too afraid of growth and a conservative movement that is allergic to government intervention.^[3] They present the abundance agenda both as a Third Way policy alternative and as a way to initiate new economic conditions that will diminish the appeal of the "socialist left" and the "populist-authoritarian right".^[4]

The book received a mixed reception from critics. Critics praised the scope and clarity of the ideas presented, while some viewed the book as pointing out problems without identifying realistic solutions.

Background

At the time of the book’s publication, Ezra Klein worked as a columnist for The New York Times, while Derek Thompson held a position as staff writer for The Atlantic.^[5] The book originated from an essay published by Thompson in The Atlantic in January 2022. In an interview, the two authors talked about their differing perspective to writing Abundance. Thompson stated that he felt "more comfortable starting with economics or technology", while Klein brought a viewpoint "versed in modern politics and political history".^[6]

Reception

Henry Grabar of Slate praised the book for being "unabashed in synthesizing good ideas". He wrote that Klein and Thompson present an essential vision of "a 'liberalism that builds'," which could serve as a proactive solution to stagnation of liberal governance, particularly in blue states. However, Grabar also noted that the authors provide remarkably little criticism of the Trump Administration.^[7] In another positive review, Benjamin Wallace-Wells of The New Yorker described Abundance as a "fair-minded book" that "recognizes some of the trade-offs that come with redesigning government for dynamism".^[8]

Writing for The New York Times, Samuel Moyn gave a mixed review. He questioned the potential consequences of an abundance-driven agenda, wondering whether it could reinforce a culture of consumption as a primary goal. He also critiqued the authors' viewpoint as occasionally sounding "like the brief of a few elite finance and tech bros in two or three coastal cities".^[1] Eric Levitz of Vox also provided a mixed review. He noted a disconnect between the authors' proposals and the political climate at the time of the book's publication.^[2] In Levitz's view, pressing issues like the gutting of the federal government and the subversion of court orders made the authors' focus on specific regulatory concerns, like suburban housing codes, seem comparatively minor. He further criticized the authors' avoidance of clearly addressing the trade-offs between their policy proposals and traditional progressive ideology.^[2]

Similarly, Noah Kazis of The Guardian pointed out that the book avoids tackling the more challenging issues directly by failing to specify which procedural barriers should be addressed. Kazis, however, praised the book for its "clarity, accessibility, and rigour".^[9] In a negative review for The Wall Street Journal, Barton Swaim criticized the authors for appearing dismissive of American conservatism. He also argued that Klein and Thompson's ideas seemed disconnected from the realities of everyday life and ordinary people.^[10]

In Washington Monthly, Zephyr Teachout was critical of the authors' focus on rolling back zoning restrictions specifically their support for reforming the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), as a means to increase housing supply, arguing that it was unlikely to have an impact. She said the authors were unclear regarding the specifics of such reforms, as well as centering their arguments primarily on only a few large American cities, while underestimating the negative effects of monopolization in the U.S. economy at large. She raised concerns that it could be used in the style of deregulation associated with Ronald Reagan.^[11] In The New Republic, Julian E. Zelizer argued the book centered on two themes: policy and politics. On the policy side, Zelizer believed that Klein and Thompson presented a convincing case that removing ineffective governmental practices should be a priority to renew liberalism. However, Zelizer was not convinced on the political side by questioning if there is a political constituency and suggested that institutional reform is only part of the solution.^[12]

See also

Related movements

• Progress studies – Intellectual movement focused on understanding and accelerating civilizational progress
• Deregulation – Remove or reduce state regulations
• Georgism – Economic philosophy centred on common ownership of land
• Mixed-use development – Type of urban development strategy
• New Urbanism – Urban design movement promoting sustainable land use
• Regulatory reform
• Supply-side progressivism – Political ideology that emphasizes increasing the supply of essential goods and services
• Smart growth – Urban planning philosophy
• Transit-oriented development – Urban planning prioritising transit

Other

• Seattle process – Political process
• Missing middle housing – Lack of medium density housing in North America
• Urban economics – Economic study of urban areas
• Urban planning – Technical process of land use and urban design
• Real estate economics – Application of economic techniques to real estate markets
• Abundant Housing LA – US nonprofit housing affordability organization