Eric Rauchway Books

A look at how the New Deal fundamentally changed American life, and why it remains relevant today "A must-read for those who've read nothing about the New Deal before, those who've read everything about it, and anyone in between. With timeless prose and timely arguments, Why the New Deal Matters powerfully connects that era to our own."--Kevin M. Kruse, Princeton University The greatest peaceable expression of common purpose in U.S. history, the New Deal altered Americans' relationship with politics, economics, and one another in ways that continue to resonate today. No matter where you look in America, there is likely a building or bridge built through New Deal initiatives. If you have taken out a small business loan backed by the federal government or drawn unemployment insurance, you can thank the New Deal. While certainly flawed in many aspects--the New Deal was implemented by a Democratic Party still beholden to the segregationist South for its majorities in Congress and the Electoral College--the New Deal functioned as a bulwark of American democracy in hard times. This book looks at how this legacy, both for good and ill, informs the current debates around governmental responses to crises.

The Great Depression forced the United States to adopt policies at odds with its political traditions. This title looks at the background to the Depression, its social impact, and at the various governmental attempts to deal with the crisis.

The book explores how nineteenth-century globalization shaped America's unique position as an empire fueled by European investment and immigration. It highlights America's adeptness at conquest while lacking the experience to govern effectively, often relying on private enterprise. This dynamic created state institutions and traditions that insulated the nation from broader national development trends, ultimately hindering its ability to influence other nations to adopt its model.

The history of the most acrimonious presidential handoff in American history-- and of the origins of twentieth-century liberalism and conservatism