Who Stole the American Dream? by Hedrick Smith Summary
Overview of Who Stole the American Dream?
Pulitzer winner Hedrick Smith exposes who hijacked America's middle-class prosperity in this bestseller that shocked Washington insiders. Tracing how trillions transferred from homeowners to banks, Smith reveals the policy shifts that dismantled the American Dream - and how we might reclaim it.
Similar books to Who Stole the American Dream?
Erlebe das Buch durch die Stimme des Autors
Verwandle Wissen in fesselnde, beispielreiche Erkenntnisse
Erfasse Schlüsselideen blitzschnell für effektives Lernen
Genieße das Buch auf unterhaltsame und ansprechende Weise
Wichtigste Erkenntnisse
The American Dream Hijacked: A Corporate Rebellion
In 1971, a confidential memo by corporate attorney Lewis Powell ignited a business revolution that would fundamentally transform America. Written shortly before his Supreme Court appointment, this document sparked a seismic power shift that reversed decades of middle-class prosperity policies. The result? A New Economy tilted dramatically toward financial elites. This wasn't a natural evolution but a deliberate reengineering of American society. For thirty years after World War II, the United States had enjoyed unprecedented shared prosperity. Workers' wages rose alongside productivity, and CEO pay remained reasonable. The middle class flourished under what business leaders called "stakeholder capitalism" - a philosophy that balanced the interests of shareholders, employees, customers, and communities. What happened? How did we transition from an economy that worked for everyone to one that primarily benefits the wealthy? The transformation began not under Reagan, as many assume, but under Democrat Jimmy Carter. The pivotal year was 1978, when business interests, energized by Powell's memo, defeated labor reforms, deregulated industries, rewrote bankruptcy laws to favor corporations, and slashed capital gains taxes for the wealthy. Most consequentially, they introduced the 401(k) - initially a tax break for executives that would eventually dismantle America's corporate pension system. This wasn't just an economic shift but a profound political one. The high-visibility grassroots power game of mass movements gave way to a low-visibility insider game dominated by elite lobbyists. The result? A nation divided by power, money, and ideology - with the American Dream increasingly out of reach for ordinary citizens.
The Lost Era of People Power
The Virtuous Circle That Built the Middle Class
When CEOs Abandoned the Social Contract
Middle-Class Dreams Shattered in Real Time
The Great Burden Shift: Corporate America's Broken Promise
Reclaiming Our Future: The Path Forward
Kurzfassungs-Modus - Lesen oder hören Sie die Zusammenfassung von Who Stole the American Dream? in 9 Minuten
Zerlegen Sie die Kernideen von Who Stole the American Dream? in leicht verständliche Punkte, um zu verstehen, wie innovative Teams kreieren, zusammenarbeiten und wachsen.
Lernkarten-Modus - Top 8 Erkenntnisse aus Who Stole the American Dream? auf einen Blick
Destillieren Sie Who Stole the American Dream? in schnelle Gedächtnisstützen, die die Schlüsselprinzipien von Offenheit, Teamarbeit und kreativer Resilienz hervorheben.
Spaß-Modus - Lektionen aus Who Stole the American Dream? erzählt in 26-Min Geschichten
Erleben Sie Who Stole the American Dream? durch lebhafte Erzählungen, die Innovationslektionen in unvergessliche und anwendbare Momente verwandeln.
Personalisieren-Modus - Lesen oder hören Sie die Zusammenfassung von Who Stole the American Dream? in 0 Minuten
Fragen Sie alles, wählen Sie die Stimme und erschaffen Sie gemeinsam Erkenntnisse, die wirklich bei Ihnen ankommen.
Von Columbia University Alumni in San Francisco entwickelt
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
Von Columbia University Alumni in San Francisco entwickelt
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
Erhalten Sie die Who Stole the American Dream?-Zusammenfassung als kostenloses PDF oder EPUB. Drucken Sie es aus oder lesen Sie es jederzeit offline.