Jumpstarting America：How Breakthrough Science Can Revive Economic Growth and the American Dream

TheAmericaneconomyglittersontheoutside,buttherealityisquitedifferent.Jobopportunitiesandeconomicgrowthareincreasinglyconcentratedinafewcrowdedcoastalenclaves.CorporationsandinvestorsaredisproportionatelydevelopingtechnologiesthatbenefitthewealthiestAmericansinthemostprosperousareas--anddestroyingmiddleclassjobselsewhere.Toturnthistide,wemustlooktoabrilliantandall-but-forgottenAmericansuccessstoryandembarkonaplanthatwillcreatetheindustriesofthefuture--andthejobsthatgowiththem.Beginningin1940,massivepublicinvestmentgeneratedbreakthroughsinscienceandtechnologythatfirsthelpedwinWWIIandthencreatedthemostsuccessfuleconomytheworldhaseverseen.Privateenterprisethenbuiltonthesebreakthroughstocreatenewindustries--suchasradar,jetengines,digitalcomputers,mobiletelecommunications,life-savingmedicines,andtheinternet--thatbecamethecatalystforbroadereconomicgrowththatgeneratedmillionsofgoodjobs.Weliftedalmostallboats,notjusttheyachts.JonathanGruberandSimonJohnsontellthestoryofthisfirstAmericangrowthengineandprovidetheblueprintforasecond.It'savisionary,pragmatic,sure-to-becontroversialplanthatwillleadtojobgrowthandanewAmericaneconomyinplacesnowleftbehind.