Nearly 1 in 6 Americans lives in a “distressed” community. Where these Americans live and what they experience could explain alot about the rise of Trump.

As the architect of the Economic Innovation Group’s DistressedCommunities Index, Senior Fellow Kenan Fikri has spent the better part of the last decade discovering who is prospering in America—and where. The maldistribution of American opportunity, he warns, has led to stark divides, economically, socially and politically. On the other hand, he argues, understanding the geography of opportunity could help to heal these rifts.

Host: Anne Kim

Guest: Kenan Fikri, Senior Fellow, Economic Innovation Group

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Distressed Communities Index

01:48 Understanding Economic Distress

04:10 Geographic Distribution of Distress

05:58 Demographics of Distressed Communities

09:33 Gender Disparities in Economic Opportunity

09:51 Impact of Education on Community Well-Being

14:25 Health Outcomes in Distressed Communities

16:58 Political Polarization and Economic Distress

20:58 Solutions for Regional Inequality