After the shutdown, it’s time to get to work on the American
dream  The recent federal government shutdown and tea party
threats not to pay all the nation’s bills damaged the country’s
economy. Past budget decisions have made the nation’s fiscal
situation and Americans’ economic situation worse.  Going
forward, we can do more than recoup our losses.  Our elected
officials can work toward what most want: an economy that works
for all, with vibrant businesses and opportunity and security
buoyed by government.  Doing so requires addressing broader
economic changes over the last decades.  Our middle class is
being squeezed. It’s increasingly harder for families to make
ends meet. Class background makes more of a difference than
before, with young generations less able to rise. While the
United States was a shining example, many other countries now
have greater class mobility.  All of this matters in our lives,
as parents fret over the small and large expenses, and middle-
aged Americans and new high school and col