Listen to Grapple: ‘The American Dream’ in flux

At its peak, about 140,000 people called Scranton, Pennsylvania home. Today there are about half as many people who live in the city.

At its peak, about 140,000 people called Scranton, Pennsylvania home. Today there are about half as many people who live in the city. On episode 05 of Grapple, we follow a thread of narratives about residents leaving and staying in Scranton with one of our reporters who’s got a personal connection to the city. Conversations include the ups and downs of business in the area, whether Scranton’s newest immigrants are fitting in, and how cheap housing and little crime could help the city grow again. We also hear about one of Scranton’s most famous residents (no, it’s not former Vice President Joe Biden) who grew up there and went on to become one of the most influential urbanists ever.

Is the American Dream still possible? On episode 06, we’ll talk with leading American political scientist Robert Putnam about why he thinks the American Dream is in crisis. In his most recent work, Putnam examines our nation’s growing income inequality and opportunity gap compared to the 1950s when he was a kid in an Ohio town along Lake Erie. Putnam is a political scientist at Harvard University and the author of the best-seller, “Bowling Alone.”