The plight of ‘left behind’ communities has seldom been more in the minds of policy makers around the world, with these communities significant drivers of both the Brexit referendum result and the election of Donald Trump.  Their lot is sensitively examined by New York Times journalist Nicholas Kristoff and his wife Sheryl Wudunn, in their latest book Tightrope.

While chronicling the lives of just such communities, the pair accept that their situation is a complex one, equal parts individual mistakes and systemic failures.  It is the latter on which they focus in the conclusion of the book, outlining 8 policy measures they believe can really help communities be the best they can be:

1. High-quality early childhood programs – This is one with broad applications around the world, as extensive research has highlighted how valuable early-years investment is in the lives of people, but especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds.  It’s an area that Kristoff believes the US can do significantly better in.
2. Universal high-school graduation – Kristoff highlights how 1/7 American high school children don’t graduate on time, with this rising to 1 in 4 African American children.  This compares to fewer than 3% in countries such as Finland.  Requiring youngsters to stay in school until they’re 18 would be a good starting point.
3. Universal health coverage – This has been a perennial hot potato in America since Harry Truman tried to achieve universal coverage several decades ago, and the poor state of healthcare provision in the US remains a stain on the country to this day.
4. Elimination of unwanted pregnancies – Teenage pregnancy, especially when unwanted, is a major predictor of poverty for both parent and child, yet programs to provide contraceptives are often denied public funding.  Kristoff argues that with a $7 return for every $1 invested, it’s one of the most obvious programs to support.
5. A monthly child allowance – The book argues that a payment of $250 per month to each household with a child would provide a significant boost to their life, and such a program is already evident in countries across Europe, Canada and Australia.
6. An end to homelessness for children – Kristoff highlights how homeless among veterans was slashed when it became a priority, and urges the government to make homelessness among children a similar priority.
7. Baby bonds to help build savings – He also urges the government to award a $2,000 baby bond at birth to each child, with the money only usable for education, buying a home, investing in a business or retirement.  If any investments into the account were matched by the government then it would provide a significant boost to savings.
8. A right to work – This is another proposal with a long history, as it was first raised by Franklin Roosevelt in 1944.  Kristoff vacillates between raising the minimum wage and providing earnings supplements and job coaching.  What is clear however, is that being in work is infinitely better than not, and so all efforts should be made to make work pay.

The book is interesting in that Yamhill is the town Kristoff grew up in, so its plight is very real as so many of the characters in its story are people known to the author.  It paints a bleak and harrowing picture of life in these towns, and as such is an interesting addition to the growing discussion on such left behind communities.