The Once and Future Worker: A Vision for the Renewal of Work in America

By Oren Cass

Book Overview

" Cass's] core principle--a culture of respect for work of all kinds--can help close the gap dividing the two Americas...." - William A. Galston, The Brookings Institution

The American worker is in crisis. Wages have stagnated for more than a generation. Reliance on welfare programs has surged. Life expectancy is falling as substance abuse and obesity rates climb.

These woes are not the inevitable result of irresistible global and technological forces. They are the direct consequence of a decades-long economic consensus that prioritized increasing consumption--regardless of the costs to American workers, their families, and their communities. Donald Trump's rise to the presidency focused attention on the depth of the nation's challenges, yet while everyone agrees something must change, the Left's insistence on still more government spending and the Right's faith in still more economic growth are recipes for repeating the mistakes of the past.

In this groundbreaking re-evaluation of American society, economics, and public policy, Oren Cass challenges our basic assumptions about what prosperity means and where it comes from to reveal how we lost our way. The good news is that we can still turn things around--if the nation's proverbial elites are willing to put the American worker's interests first.

Which is more important, pristine air quality, or well-paying jobs that support families? Unfettered access to the cheapest labor in the world, or renewed investment in the employment of Americans? Smoothing the path through college for the best students, or ensuring that every student acquires the skills to succeed in the modern economy? Cutting taxes, expanding the safety net, or adding money to low-wage paychecks?

The renewal of work in America demands new answers to these questions. If we reinforce their vital role, workers supporting strong families and communities can provide the foundation for a thriving, self-sufficient society that offers opportunity to all.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1641770147
• ISBN13: 9781641770149
• Release Date: November 2018
• Publisher: Encounter Books
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 1.31 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.3" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Cause - Effect - Solutions for every level of Society to Understand

Future Worker is one of two books I have read this summer that are generally bi-partisan critiques of what is wrong with our institutions and government policies. Easy to understand language, common sense logic, and data to defend opinions. Examples of solutions from other global economies who "think outside of the box" that America's political enduring conflict prevents. If you don't respond to the book immediately, at least skip to Chapter 9 - it summarizes the essence of the book to simple solutions that improve work situations in America - job security, livable wages, corporate growth and effective use of government budgets. The book was published in 2018 and is eerily a guidebook to what is occurring under the second Trump Administration. Coincidently, J.D. Vance was involved in the development of the book and promotes the book as essential for understanding changes that can redirect America's economy. The second book "Bad Law: Ten Popular Laws That Are Ruining America, By Elie Mystal, is a humorous and intelligent critique of laws created, long ago, that are no longer effective. His solution - cancel and create modern day solutions. When frustrated with the state of our country in 2025, both of these books identified ideas to make things better, if only the egos in power would take them to heart and do something!