Axios

America's cities are seeing a socialism surge, but it's not the post-Cold War boogeyman that schoolchildren were warned about.

The big picture: It's called sewer socialism, and is the cornerstone for policies from New York's Zohran Mamdami, Seattle's Katie Wilson and Washington D.C. mayoral candidate Janeese Lewis George.

A profound identity crisis has gripped America ahead of its 250th birthday: Citizens are less proud, less religiously unified and losing faith that the American Dream still works.

Why it matters: Democracies can survive policy brawls. They struggle to function when citizens lose faith in shared institutions, abandon a common civic story and use politics to replace religion and community.

Just over half of parents in families with a mom and a dad both worked full time last year, setting a record high, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis out Tuesday.

The big picture: It comes as college-educated women are flocking to the workforce — and as cost-of-living concerns strain families.