It’s no secret that the two dozen or so 2020 Democratic presidential candidates are promising a slew of new and expanded government programs that are often “universal” and “free.” Americans should be skeptical when they hear these buzzwords, which are code for “rationed” and “expensive” when Democratic presidential candidates talk about "Medicare for all," the so-called Green New Deal, and free college.

If Americans’ appetite for taking on the status quo is a defining feature of our time, political polarization is another. We celebrate the first as essential to democracy and progress — having spurred reforms from the American Revolution to the civil rights movement — while the second pits us against each other and often paralyzes our system with gridlock. Paradoxically, today we see them rising together.

The 23 Democratic presidential candidates tried to convince voters in their first debate that despite the strong economy, new lows in unemployment, and new highs in the stock market, they should worry more about economic insecurity. Because, they tell us, only a sliver of Americans are thriving in this most robust environment.

When Nike made the boneheaded decision to scrap its American flag-themed shoe design, they were prepared for a rough media cycle. What they probably didn’t anticipate was handing Donald Trump the 2020 presidential election.

Capitol Hill is focused on negotiations over the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, but there’s another discussion about trade policy that’s happening in the Senate Republican Conference.