Social Democratic America

It's too bad for Lane Kenworthy that his new book, Social Democratic America, was published on Jan. 3, 2014, because otherwise I'd be comfortable calling it the best public policy book of 2013... it's a fantastic book and I hope everyone reads it. --Matthew Yglesias, Slate This is a great book, and an important one. If our policy makers took Lane Kenworthy's advice we'd have a better, more equitable economy, with more opportunity and fewer of the distortionary imbalances that threaten our future. --Jared Bernstein, former Chief Economist and Economic Adviser to Vice President Joe Biden Lane Kenworthy's Social Democratic America is a serious, sobering look at the challenges facing the United States as the share of children raised in stable two-parent families shrinks, and as the labor market position of less-skilled workers deteriorates. It is also a spirited case that only a larger, more expensive, more ambitious government can meet these challenges. Whether you are inclined to embrace Kenworthy's arguments or not, you would do well to reckon with them. --Reihan Salam, Fellow, R Street Institute, and contributing editor, National Review A breath of fresh air in an increasingly stale economic debate, Social Democratic America shows that more generous and better-designed government policies could improve opportunity, security, and the living standards of most Americans. But perhaps most remarkable in this age of pessimism, Kenworthy believes not only that America can do better, but that it will. Agree or disagree, you will see America's economic possibilities in a powerful new light. --Jacob S. Hacker, Stanley B. Resor Professor of Political Science and Director of the Institution for Social and Policy Studies, Yale University, and co-author of Winner-Take-All Politics If you wish to read the case for a big increase in social welfare spending, this is the very best place to go. --Tyler Cowen, Holbert C. Harris Chair of Economics, George Mason University Well-argued and fact-driven... a reasonable, worthwhile addition to the national debate over government's role in social policy. --Publishers Weekly