"No man can be a good citizen unless he has a wage more than sufficient to cover the bare cost of living, and hours of labour short enough so after his day's work is done he will have time and energy to bear his share in the management of the community, to help in carrying the general load." So said Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th president of the United States. Anxieties about the cost of living are nothing new. But in recent years, it seems that those anxieties have become a crisis. Inflation is driving up the price of food and bills in many countries. Meanwhile, wages are stagnating. More and more people cannot afford the basic cost of living their lives. People around the world are looking to politicians and economists to respond. Where they feel failed, workers have begun to take action: in the UK, hospital workers and train drivers are among those striking. Can politicians fix this crisis? And if so, when?
Cost of living
