The American dream now comes with upgrade fees

The American dream now comes with upgrade feesSafe neighborhoods, good schools, space, and reliable services increasingly look less like the baseline and more like premium add-ons.Over the last few decades, many industries discovered they could grow their customer base and profits by selling a cheaper, inferior version of their product while degrading the experience for everyone. Air travel and theme parks are obvious examples. Both learned that the advantages of scale could outweigh the obligation to deliver a high-quality experience.That philosophy did not remain in the realm of economics. It spread slowly but surely into American public life. The United...