The Century Foundation

@tcfdotorg.bsky.social

5001 Followers 759 Following

Confronting the true drivers of America's affordability crisis. Advancing bold solutions to lower costs. Policy for people—not powerful interests. tcf.org

A photo of a single-family home at dusk with the porch light glowing. Text reads: "Power Failure. Energy bills are soaring, and more families are falling behind." Additional text explains that new analysis from The Century Foundation and Protect Borrowers finds energy costs are outpacing inflation, driving up debt and squeezing families across the country. A yellow button says, "Swipe for key findings."
Flat-lay photo of grill tools (spatula, fork, tongs) and a small American flag on a red-and-white checkered picnic tablecloth. Text overlay reads "Backyard Barbecue Blues: Under Trump, many July 4th staples are up 20%—nearly 5x overall inflation." The Century Foundation and Groundwork Collaborative logos appear at the bottom with the link go.tcf.org/July4.
Infographic titled "Americans Are Paying the Price." Against a background image of a patient in a hospital gown, the graphic highlights the impact of healthcare costs on Americans over the past 12 months. It states that 1 in 2 people cut back on care, switched to cheaper options, or took on debt because of healthcare costs; 1 in 5 delayed or avoided seeing a doctor; and 1 in 6 took on credit card or medical debt. The figures are illustrated with icon groups showing the proportion of affected people. The Century Foundation logo and a link to additional information appear at the bottom.
Graphic with the hashtag “#AffordableNYCNow” at the top. Large white text on a dark blue background reads: “It’s time for NYC to lower costs, hold corporations accountable, and make government work for New Yorkers.” Several key phrases are underlined in red. The logos for Protect Borrowers and The Century Foundation appear at the bottom. The design uses a dark blue, white, and red color palette.
Infographic with a red clipboard icon citing new Morning Consult polling: 69% of registered voters support a universal maternal health system at no out-of-pocket cost, including 57% of Republicans.
A Black healthcare provider in a white coat gently places their hand on a patient's pregnant belly. Bold white text reads: "Most Americans support universal maternal healthcare. What could it look like?"
Graphic titled “A Summer Bummer: How Trump’s economy is grounding holiday travel plans.” Against a background of a melting ice cream cone on pavement, three red upward arrows highlight rising costs: airfare up 21% from last year, gas up 51% since the Iran war began, and BBQ staples up 13% from last year. The Century Foundation and Groundwork Collaborative logos and a website link appear at the bottom.
Graphic titled "Affordable NYC Now: 7 Ideas to Lower Costs for New Yorkers," published by The Century Foundation and Protect Borrowers. A person with long curly hair holds a young child facing the New York City skyline. The footer reads: "Read the full proposals at go.tcf.org/AffordableNYCNow."
Infographic titled "Grilling Americans' Wallets: Price Hikes on Popular Memorial Day Staples," published by The Century Foundation and Groundwork Collaborative. A table compares 2025 and 2026 prices for 13 common Memorial Day items. Yellow corn (6 ears) saw the steepest increase at 98%, rising from $2.97 to $5.90. Apple pie (store bakery) increased 37% to $7.62. Johnsonville Bratwursts rose 28% to $4.79. Key lime pie (store bakery) increased 24% to $10.99. Tomatoes, ground beef (1lb), and disposable plasticware each increased around 20%. Martin's Rolls, iceberg lettuce, seedless watermelon (15lb), Coca-Cola (1 case), Ketchup (Kraft Heinz), and hot dogs (Kraft Beef) rose between 12% and 19%. The footer reads: "For more common summer items and methodology, visit go.tcf.org/MemorialDay."
Trump's child care funding freeze could spell disaster for families, including $400 million in lost earning for parents, 500,000 children impacted across 44K programs, and 156K+ moms pushed out of the workforce. Learn more at go.tcf.org/ChildCareFreeze
Lauren McFerran quote from recent NYT piece: "The inability of the board to function for the last year has highlighted how broken the system is…a year of nonfunctional labor law is a crisis point." Featuring headshot of Lauren McFerran and images of newsprint and workers in the manufacturing industry.
Graph courtesy of ISLR
Graph of all U.S. states ranked by the difference in the average price of child care between 2023 and 2024, alongside the annual inflation rate.
Enhanced ACA tax credits slash the cost of health care premiums.
The grinch in the gift aisle: colorful graphic showing the double digit percentage increases in electronics, clothing/accessories, home and kitchen gifts, and toys.
'Tis the season for price hikes: popular holiday gifts climb 26% under Trump. Background image is a series of wrapped presents each escalating in size.
TCF senior fellow and former NLRB chair Lauren McFerran responds to Trump V. Slaughter: “What’s at stake in this case is whether you can have independent thinking within the executive branch.”
Eight Steps States Should Take to Get Workforce Pell Right for Students and Workers