Revitalizing Governance, Restoring Prosperity, and Restructuring Foreign Affairs

The Pathway to Renaissance America

Earl H. Fry

• Publisher: Lexington Books
• Year: 2014
• Edition: 1
• eBook ISBN:
  9780739197479
• Topic: Politics & International Relations
• Subtopic: American Government
• Index: Politics & International Relations

The American people generally perceive that the United States is headed in "the wrong direction," US influence worldwide is waning, Capitol Hill is not adequately representing the public's interests, and their personal economic wellbeing is in jeopardy.

This book squarely tackles the list of "fault lines" currently facing the United States, including, among others, Beltway dysfunctionalism, concentrated wealth and income not seen since the late 1920s, an ultra-expensive and inefficient health-care system, runaway entitlement spending, stagnant upward mobility, debilitating "crony capitalism," and incoherent foreign policy. Even more importantly, the book offers explicit policy recommendations for solving each fault line, relying extensively on "best practices" in the public and private sectors both at home and abroad.

Moreover, the author emphasizes that the United States is entering a special period which provides it with advantages not found anywhere else in the world—a major energy boom, favorable demographics, unparalleled high-technology innovation, huge inward investment flows from abroad, the revival of its manufacturing sector, and its magnetism in attracting to its shores the very best and brightest from around the world.

Dr. Fry asserts that it is quite reasonable to assume that the United States will enter a "Renaissance America" period by 2030. Doing so, however, will require painful short-term sacrifices, major policy changes, and the restoration of vibrant representative government. In effect, the American people must overwhelmingly embrace Abraham Lincoln's vision of governance "of the people, by the people, and for the people."

Table of contents

• Acknowledgements
• Preface
• Chapter 1 America’s Quest to Remain a Superpower and to Provide an Exceptional Quality of Life for Its Citizens
• Chapter 2 America on the Brink—Corrosive Government Practices in “Versailles on the Potomac”
• Chapter 3 The Erratic Efforts of the U.S. Federal System to Cope with Entitlements and Health Care
• Chapter 4 The American Dream in Question: Major Societal Cleavages
• Chapter 5 In Search of a Coherent Foreign and Defense Policy
• Chapter 6 Upward or Downward Trajectory? The U.S. in the Uncharted Waters of Globalization, Technology Change, and Creative Destruction
• Chapter 7 Solutions to Governance Problems
• Chapter 8 Leveraging U.S. Strengths to Enhance International Competitiveness and the Individual’s Quality of Life
• Chapter 9 Life in Renaissance America and the World Surrounding It, 2030
• Notes
• Bibliography
• About the Author