How to fix the American dairy crisis

Bring back New Deal farm policy

American farms need some New Deal magic.
(Image credit: David Silverman/Getty Images)

It's not getting much attention, but American dairy farmers are in trouble. Back in the old days, when farmers were a third of the American workforce, such a thing would be a first-rank political issue. But now, when they're about 1 percent, it's easy to ignore. (To be fair, President Trump is sort of paying attention, even if he is blaming the wrong people.)

Nevertheless, it is still a problem worth fixing, both because farmers are still a significant presence in many states (not to mention our, you know, fellow citizens), and because the dairy problem illustrates how government policy can help stabilize and rationalize the production of vital commodities.

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Ryan Cooper

Ryan Cooper is a national correspondent at TheWeek.com. His work has appeared in the Washington Monthly, The New Republic, and the Washington Post.