First published 2016
Political scientists Jacob S. Hacker and Paul Pierson examine the disconnect between what benefits American business and what benefits American citizens. They chart the economic and political development of the United States across the past century. Their analysis reveals how a mixed economy served as the primary driver of American prosperity for decades. The authors argue that political leaders and corporate figures have developed collective amnesia about government's positive role. They now view public authority as an obstacle rather than the catalyst it historically represented. Hacker and Pierson document how the mixed economy became the twentieth century's most significant social breakthrough. This system delivered unprecedented broad-based wealth, improved education, better health outcomes, longer lifespans, and greater economic stability. The book explains how anti-government market fundamentalists gained influence and now seek to dismantle nearly a century of economic and social advancement. The authors present their case for why effective government represents the solution to America's current struggles.
Genres: business, american, political-science, economics, non-fiction, 21st-century, academic, american-history
Vibes: thought-provoking
Tropes: investigative-journalism
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
464 pages · Unknown Binding · Simon Schuster