First published 2001
Robert E. Rubin stares at the economic data spread across his desk as global markets tumble. The former Treasury Secretary knows America stands at a crossroads. He must forge an unlikely alliance with Kenneth M. Duberstein, Reagan's former White House Chief of Staff, to break the political gridlock strangling trade policy. Their bipartisan task force faces fierce opposition from labor unions, environmental groups, and protectionists who view free trade as economic poison. Rubin argues that expanded commerce, paired with smart domestic policies, can actually solve the very problems critics raise about worker displacement and environmental damage. The battle centers on Trade Promotion Authority, the legislative tool that would let America negotiate new agreements. Rubin pushes for the Jordan model, which prevents countries from weakening labor and environmental protections to gain unfair advantages. As the global economy slows, Rubin races against time to convince a divided nation that opening markets offers the path to prosperity.
Genres: business, political-science, politics, economics, non-fiction, 21st-century
Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: bipartisan, race-against-time
Period: 21st-century
Paperback · Council on Foreign Relations