It is obvious to many people—on all sides of the political spectrum—that we have left one era and entered another. Our politics feels different—and so does our economy.

Almost as soon as the U.S. House of Representatives unveiled its budget resolution in February, which envisioned saving hundreds of billions of dollars in projected Medicaid spending, political opportunists pounced, accusing lawmakers of heartlessly targeting the vital health benefits of poor people.

In recent years, when teaching my senior policy capstone course I would often pivot the course on short notice to discuss current events, updating the readings on the syllabus, and often inviting guest lectures from relevant experts.