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Explore how housing regulations have fundamentally transformed American mobility patterns in this 49-minute podcast episode featuring University of Chicago economist Peter Ganong and Atlantic deputy executive editor Yoni Appelbaum. Discover the dramatic shift from America's 19th-century era when one in three Americans moved annually in pursuit of opportunities to today's reality where mobility has plummeted by more than half since 1970. Examine the economic mechanisms behind housing regulations that have created a two-tier system restricting geographic mobility primarily to high earners who can afford to relocate to opportunity-rich cities. Analyze the broader implications of this mobility collapse on regional income convergence, economic opportunity distribution, and social stratification across American communities. Gain insights into how regulatory frameworks have inadvertently created barriers to the traditional American pursuit of economic advancement through geographic relocation.