Independence Day is recognized across America as the day to celebrate freedom. As the popular song says, “I’m proud to be an American/Where at least I know I’m free.” Yet many people don’t feel terribly free. Some think the traditional American way of life is under attack. Others think that hard-won freedoms are being rolled back. Just how free are we?
For many Americans, there is no doubt that we are living more freely now than ever before. Freedom is no longer restricted to straight, white men. Gay Americans, for example, are free to participate in society more completely than in the past. Women were once restricted in their ability to work outside the home, consigned to follow only certain careers; but now women make up the majority of college graduates (and the gap over men is growing). We should celebrate these achievements.
But by some crucial measures, we are all less free: the economic sphere.
