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The American Dream vs. The Gospel of Wealth: The Fight for a Productive Middle-Class Economy
“The most important book I've read in years.”—Bill Moyers
Norton Garfinkle paints a disquieting picture of America today: a nation increasingly divided between economic winners and losers, a nation in which the middle-class American Dream seems more and more elusive. Recent government policies reflect a commitment to a new supply-side winner-take-all Gospel of Wealth. Garfinkle warns that this supply-side economic vision favors the privileged few over the majority of American citizens striving to better their economic condition. Garfinkle employs historical insight and data-based economic analysis to demonstrate compellingly the sharp departure of the supply-side Gospel of Wealth from an American ideal that dates back to Abraham Lincoln—the vision of America as a society in which ordinary, hard-working individuals can get ahead and attain a middle-class living, and in which government plays an active role in expanding opportunities and ensuring against economic exploitation. Supply-side economic policies increase economic disparities and, Garfinkle insists, they fail on technical, factual, moral, and political grounds. He outlines a fresh economic vision, consonant with the great American tradition of ensuring strong economic growth, while preserving the middle-class American Dream.
Norton Garfinkle paints a disquieting picture of America today: a nation increasingly divided between economic winners and losers, a nation in which the middle-class American Dream seems more and more elusive. Recent government policies reflect a commitment to a new supply-side winner-take-all Gospel of Wealth. Garfinkle warns that this supply-side economic vision favors the privileged few over the majority of American citizens striving to better their economic condition. Garfinkle employs historical insight and data-based economic analysis to demonstrate compellingly the sharp departure of the supply-side Gospel of Wealth from an American ideal that dates back to Abraham Lincoln—the vision of America as a society in which ordinary, hard-working individuals can get ahead and attain a middle-class living, and in which government plays an active role in expanding opportunities and ensuring against economic exploitation. Supply-side economic policies increase economic disparities and, Garfinkle insists, they fail on technical, factual, moral, and political grounds. He outlines a fresh economic vision, consonant with the great American tradition of ensuring strong economic growth, while preserving the middle-class American Dream.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published October 10, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 14, 2010
One of the best books breaking down the opposing economic theories of liberals versus conservatives using historical perspectives and easy to understand examples. I've read it a couple of times.
July 18, 2020
Very informative book, an all time book, which stresses on what an economy should do in various stages of economy of a country.
January 27, 2009
The title was a bit misleading; I thought it was going to cover the socialogical aspects of the American Dream and the Gospel of Wealth. Those subjects are covered only briefly. But as a survey of U.S. tax and economic policy, it does a decent job. It also does an acceptable job of contrasting the differences between conservative (supply-side) and liberal (demand-side) tax policy.
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May 8, 2010missing from the library already
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March 14, 2011its great
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews