Who Stole the American Dream?
Smith, Pulitzer Prize–winning reporter, explains how the middle-class prosperity after WWII (the 1950s, ’60s, and ’70s) was reversed in the 1980s, ’90s, and 2000s because of a long period of sweeping transformations both in Washington’s policies and in the mind-set and practices of American business leaders. American corporations paid high wages and good benefits after the war; millions of workers spent their money; and business investment increased, which led to growth, expansion, and higher living standards. The 1980s ushered in the era of job losses and a lid on average pay scales; hence, consumer spending declined, and the nation’s economy was negatively affected. We learn the top 1 percent (3 million people) got two-thirds of the U.S. economic gain between 2002–7, and the 99 percent (310 million) got one-third. Smith concludes, We are at a defining moment for America. . . . We must come together and take action to rejuvenate our nation and to restore fairness and hope in our way of life. An informative account. --Mary Whaley--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.