How Government Built America

An historical overview of how government and markets have built America that displays how government helps actualize core political values.

Presents a novel history of America from the colonial period to the present which establishes government as an essential partner with the market system in building the country. Amidst growing 'anti-government' rhetoric, this book shows how government has been, and remains, essential for achieving the country's fundamental political values.How Government Built America challenges growing, anti-government rhetoric by highlighting the role government has played in partnering with markets to build the United States. Sidney A. Shapiro and Joseph P. Tomain explore how markets can harm and fail the country, and how the government has addressed these extremes by restoring essential values to benefit all citizens. Without denying that individualism and small government are part of the national DNA, the authors demonstrate how democracy and a people pursuing communal interests are equally important. In highly engaging prose, the authors describe how the government, despite the complexity of markets, remains engaged in promoting economic prosperity, protecting people, and providing an economic safety net. Each chapter focuses on a historical figure, from Lincoln to FDR to Trump, to illustrate how the government-market mix has evolved over time. By understanding this history, readers can turn the national conversation back to what combination of government and markets will best serve the country.