Politics

Authored by Gonzalo Schwarz via RealClearPolitics.com,

The American Dream was built on a promise of equality – a promise of equality in terms of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

During the 2024 election, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are both working overtime to say why Republicans or Democrats are better on the equality issue.

But what kind of equality?

Harris is known for promoting “equity,” while Trump is quick to invoke the American Dream but slower to define it.

And so, voters are left wondering.

Many of the policies uttered on the campaign trail are focused on equalizing outcomes – or, at the very least, equalizing starting points.

To use a Harris quote, “Equitable treatment means we all end up at the same place.”

She also proposes an opportunity agenda, promising to crack down on price gouging, raise the minimum wage, provide $25,000 in down payment assistance for first-time homebuyers, and increase the child tax credit, among other proposals. Pushback has been swift among economists and policy researchers, who cite the unintended consequences of price controls and other forms of government overreach.

Meanwhile, Trump insists on continuing his tariff policy and expanding the child tax credit. Cue similar pushback: In his case, the vast majority of economists and other experts agree about the negative impact of tariffs on economic growth.

In the end, what do American voters actually want?

The candidate who is most likely to win come November is the candidate who is more adept at selling equality as most Americans actually see it.

In a recent survey on the American Dream conducted with NORC at the University of Chicago, we put the question to the test. We asked people if they think equality means equality before the law and having a fair chance to pursue opportunities regardless of where they started (equality to opportunity), if equality means that everyone starts in the same with people given tools to help them catch up with others (equalizing starting points), or if equality just means people ending up in the same place like candidate Harris has said.

Not surprisingly, Americans don’t believe that equality means everyone ending in the same place.

Only 4% of U.S. adults say so, while equalizing people’s starting points only garnered 18% of the respondent vote.

On the other hand, nearly two-thirds of Americans claim equality is actually about the equality of opportunity.

This holds true across age, income level, education, and even political leanings. 

Democrats and Republicans generally agree that proper policymaking is predicated upon support for equality of opportunity.

By Bernadette Giacomazzo of RetailWire

Macy’s has announced that it is closing a total of 55 stores by the end of 2024, in the faltering brand’s ongoing effort to revamp its business.

According to The Daily Mail, the company originally intended to close 50 underperforming stores by the end of the year, part of the 150 total locations it will close within three years. However, it now plans to close 55 before 2025.

The locations of the shuttering stores have not yet been announced, but speculation is abounding that the stores will include a location in Newington, New Hampshire, one in Traverse City, Michigan, and one in WestShore Plaza mall in Tampa, Florida. These stores are reportedly set to close after the winter holidays.

“The biggest things that have gone wrong at Macy’s are the quality of the stores and the product assortment,” GlobalData Retail analyst Neil Saunders said to the outlet.

“And so over the years customers have deserted it, sales have tumbled and store productivity has gone down. All the metrics have gone in the wrong direction.”

News of these closures comes shortly after Macy’s announced that it was diverting funds to its in-house brands in yet another effort to turn the proverbial ship around.

According to TheStreet, the shop has resurrected or introduced a number of other brands, including On 34th and State of Day, as part of its rehabilitation drive. It plans to launch a men’s collection before the end of the year, and a new kids’ brand will follow next.

But Macy’s significant rebrand goes beyond simply bringing back well-known brands. The mall mainstay is purportedly concentrating more on its well-known high-margin luxury products in an attempt to attract customers with a little more disposable income.

The company has said that it will focus its efforts on designer fragrances, which are more affordable than high-end handbags, for example, yet feature coveted brands like Chanel and Dior.

Some Macy’s stores already carry high-end fragrances from brands like Tom Ford, Creed, and Cartier. The company did, however, declare that it will have 42 outlets by the end of 2024 that would sell its high-end cosmetic products, with a focus on scent, as part of its aim to expand the availability of designer fragrances.

Additionally, Macy’s will soon offer store-in-store concepts that will mimic Target’s Ulta strategy and Kohl’s well-known and successful Sephora endeavor.