Kristof Hears 'Alarm Bell' on American Well-Being

Nicholas Kristof hears an "alarm bell" ringing when it comes to the overall well-being of Americans. The New York Times columnist cites a well-regarded international survey called the Social Progress Index that ranks the US 32nd out of 171 countries on quality of life. What's more, the US rank has been steadily falling for years, under both Democratic and Republican presidents. Some factors bringing down the number: The US now ranks 99th in safety, 47th in K-12 education, and 45th in health. The index has flaws, but it nonetheless "captures something real," in Kristof's view.

"It explains some of the frustration and discontent that helped elect Donald Trump on the right and Zohran Mamdani on the left," he writes. "When Americans say that the system is not working for them, these rankings illuminate why they feel such frustration." So what to do about all this?

• "Part of the answer may be investments in human capital—in children, education and lifting skill levels. That's everything from early childhood initiatives to vocational training, from drug treatment to community colleges."

Read the full column, in which Kristof warns that "our relentless decline in our international standing should be an alarm bell in the night."