This forcefully argued book offers a provocative picture of the political, intellectual, and economic forces that have shaped the history of the United States, offering an extensive and in-depth critique of laissez-faire doctrine and a novel reformulation of the work of American System writers, Gibson traces America's rise to global supremacy.
"This is a masterful book. Gibson deftly outlines the current debate over whether government should play a role in promoting economic growth and advancing the general welfare, and traces it to fundamental ideological divides among America s founding statesmen. His critique of the laissez-faire model that now dominates U.S. political thought is both passionate and persuasive." - Kitty Calavita, Chancellor s Professor Emerita, University of California Irvine, and author of Big Money Crime: Fraud and Politics in the Savings and Loan Crisis