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The Gifted Generation: When Government Was Good
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About The Gifted Generation: When Government Was Good
Product Description A sweeping and path-breaking history of the post–World War II decades, during which an activist federal government guided the country toward the first real flowering of the American Dream.In The Gifted Generation, historian David Goldfield examines the generation immediately after World War II and argues that the federal government was instrumental in the great economic, social, and environmental progress of the era. Following the sacrifices of the Greatest Generation, the returning vets and their children took the unprecedented economic growth and federal activism to new heights. This generation was led by presidents who believed in the commonwealth ideal: the belief that federal legislation, by encouraging individual opportunity, would result in the betterment of the entire nation. In the years after the war, these presidents created an outpouring of federal legislation that changed how and where people lived, their access to higher education, and their stewardship of the environment. They also spearheaded historic efforts to level the playing field for minorities, women and immigrants. But this dynamic did not last, and Goldfield shows how the shrinking of the federal government shut subsequent generations off from those gifts.David Goldfield brings this unprecedented surge in American legislative and cultural history to life as he explores the presidencies of Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Lyndon Baines Johnson. He brilliantly shows how the nation's leaders persevered to create the conditions for the most gifted generation in U.S. history. Review "This is cheering stuff, a reminder that America, which was already a great nation, became a greater nation when government policies were able to help release the potential of its citizenry . . . Goldfield's pages are filled with freshly unearthed nuggets." - New York Times Book Review"A sweeping political and social history of America from the end of World War II to the present . . . [The Gifted Generation] recounts a phenomenon that many Americans have never experienced and don't believe is possible--a government that works . . . Goldfield tells the real story of how to make America great again." - Washington Post"An American history that serves as a heartfelt plea for a revival of socially responsible leadership." - Kirkus Reviews"Nicely wrought sketches of well- and lesser-known figures. The book's strengths are its measured tone, lively prose, and comprehensive coverage." - Publishers Weekly"The Gifted Generation powerfully shows that while we often think of the 1950s and 1960s as golden years of widespread prosperity, much of this economic leveling was achieved through federal policies and not the invisible hand of laissez-faire markets . . . Goldfield’s survey of the Gifted Generation is comprehensive . . ." - LA Review of Books"Goldfield argues compellingly that wise and dedicated politicians can use the power of the federal government to change and dramatically improve our society . . . This work reminds us that government action can be widely beneficial." - Booklist"A comprehensive account of the 'gifted generation,' those born from 1940 through 1952. The author presents a compelling case that these early boomers were beneficiaries of an expansive government and an era of optimism, presided over by Presidents Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, and Lyndon B. Johnson." - Library Journal"Goldfield is a skillful storyteller." - Minneapolis Star Tribune"Activist government has been so demonized that we forget how much the federal government did to create the broad and prosperous middle class that led our nation to (yes) greatness after World War II. David Goldfield cures our amnesia with a sparkling, sweeping and deeply engaging account of an era 'when government was good' because so many Americans recognized the good that it did. May The Gifted Generation change this generation's view of the progress that is possible." - E.J. D
